A relic of Sir John Franklin's last expedition 1845-8. A silver old English pattern table spoon owned by Lieutenant George Henry Hodgson ('HMS Terror'). The front of the handle is engraved with Hodgson's crest of a dove holding an olive branch perched on rocks. It was found in an abandoned boat at Erebus Bay, King William Island, in May 1859 by the McClintock Search Expedition 1857-9. The maker's marks are those of William Eley and William Fearn - 'We', 'WF'. The spoon has London hallmarks with the date code for 1807.
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. McClintock found none of the iron spoons used by the men, and concluded that the officer's plate had been distributed among the crew to preserve it.
George Henry Hodgson entered the Royal Navy in 1832 as Midshipman in the ‘Revenge’. In 1834 he was in ‘North Star’. He was promoted Mate while in the ‘Dido’ on the Mediterranean Station and from 1840 to 1842 was in the gunnery ship ‘Excellent’ at Portsmouth. He served in HMS 'Cornwallis' during the first China War with James Fitzjames - at that time a lieutenant. Hodgson was slightly wounded during this campaign. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1842 and appointed to HMS 'Wanderer'. He took part in a boat attack on a pirate stronghold on the coast of Sumatra the following year. Fitzjames recommended his appointment as Lieutenant on HMS 'Terror' during Sir John Franklin's last expedition.