Watch chain

A relic of Sir John Franklin's last expedition 1845-48. A fragment of watch chain made of gold alloy. It was obtained from the Inuit at Repulse Bay in 1854 by the Rae Expedition. The Inuit said that they had found the material at a camp to the north west of the mouth of the Back River where a party of Europeans had died of starvation. It was presented to Greenwich Hospital by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 2 December 1854.

Object Details

ID: AAA2043
Collection: Polar Equipment and Relics
Type: Watch chain
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Unknown
Events: Arctic Exploration: Dr John Rae, 1853-1854; Arctic Exploration: Franklin's Last Expedition, 1845-1848
Date made: Before 1845
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Greenwich Hospital Collection
Measurements: Overall: 180 mm