A relic of Sir John Franklin's last expedition 1845-8. A silver fiddle-pattern dessert fork owned by Lieutenant Graham Gore ('HMS Erebus'). It was found in an abandoned boat at Erebus Bay, King William Island, in May 1859 by the McClintock Search Expedition 1857-9. The fork has the monogram 'G. G.' on the back of the handle. The maker's initials are 'J. R.' and it has Exeter hallmarks with the date code for 1831-2.
McClintock's party reached this site on the 30 May and discovered that Hobson had been there a few days before on the 18th. The boat was 28 foot long and mounted on a heavy sledge. McClintock found it just above high tide mark pointing back in the direction of the ships and containing a large quantity of abandoned personal possessions and two skeletons.

Graham Gore entered the Navy in April 1820. He took part in the Battle of Navarino while serving as Midshipman on HMS 'Albion'. During 1836 and 1837 he served as Mate in 'Terror' under Sir George Back during Back's voyage to the Arctic. Now a Lieutenant, he served in 'Modest' and 'Volage' during the Chinese war . Appointed Lieutenant on Franklin's ship HMS 'Erebus' in 1845, he was promoted to the rank of Commander after the expedition sailed. Commander Fitzjames said he was a 'man of great stability of character, a very good officer, and the sweetest of tempers'. In May 1847, Franklin sent Gore, Des Voeux, and six men to King William Island, probably to explore the then uncharted link in the North West Passage. The party marched for some distance along the west coast of the island to the south before returning to the ships. By the time the ships were abandoned in April the following year, Gore was dead.