James Fitzjames facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Fitzjames
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Fitzjames in 1845
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| Born | 27 July 1813 London, England |
| Disappeared | |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1825–1854 |
| Rank | Captain (Royal Navy) |
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James Fitzjames (born July 27, 1813 – disappeared April 26, 1848) was a brave British Royal Navy officer and explorer. He became known for his courage during a journey to set up a steamship route in Mesopotamia in the 1830s. He also fought bravely in the Egyptian–Ottoman War and the First Opium War.
In 1845, Fitzjames was chosen to be the captain of HMS Erebus. He served under Sir John Franklin on an important trip to find the Northwest Passage. This journey became known as Franklin's lost expedition. The ships got stuck in Arctic ice near King William Island in 1846. After Franklin passed away in 1847, Fitzjames became the second-in-command to Captain Francis Crozier of HMS Terror. In April 1848, Fitzjames and Crozier decided to leave their ships. They disappeared while trying to lead the remaining crew members to the Canadian mainland.
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Early Life and Family
James Fitzjames was born in London, England, on July 27, 1813. For a long time, his true parents were a secret. He was baptized in London in 1815. The names of his parents given at the time were not real.
His True Family
For many years, people wondered about Fitzjames's real family. It was later discovered that he was the son of Sir James Gambier. Sir James was a diplomat, and his family had many members who served in the Royal Navy. Fitzjames's grandfather was also a Vice Admiral in the Navy. The identity of his mother is still unknown.
When Fitzjames was born, his father, Sir James Gambier, was having financial problems. He was working as a British Consul-General in Rio de Janeiro. He had to leave his post early and faced many debts. Sir James had a large family with his wife, Jemima Snell. He had little contact with Fitzjames as he grew up.
His Adoptive Family
Soon after he was born, Fitzjames was cared for by Reverend Robert Coningham and his wife, Louisa Capper. The Coninghams were a well-off family with many connections. They lived in places like Watford and Blackheath. In 1832, they bought a large country estate called Rose Hill.
Robert and Louisa had a son named William Coningham. William was James Fitzjames's best friend. They grew up together like brothers. The Coninghams were very educated and knew many important thinkers of their time. They made sure Fitzjames and William received an excellent education at home with private tutors. Fitzjames always called them 'uncle' and 'aunt'.
Fitzjames joined the Royal Navy when he was 12 years old in July 1825. He started as a volunteer on HMS Pyramus. The ship was commanded by Captain Robert Gambier, who was Fitzjames's second cousin. This family connection helped him get his start. He served on Pyramus until September 1828. During this time, the ship sailed to Central America and the United States. It also took part in scientific research.
After this, Fitzjames continued his naval career. He became a Midshipman on HMS St Vincent from 1830 to 1833. This ship was the main ship of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet. Fitzjames also served on other ships, like HMS Hind and HMS Madagascar. He passed his exams to become a lieutenant.
The Euphrates Expedition
Through a family friend, Fitzjames met Captain Francis Rawdon Chesney. Chesney was planning a trip to set up a steamship route in Mesopotamia. This journey was called the Euphrates Expedition. It was an early idea for connecting the Near East to the Persian Gulf by river. Fitzjames quickly left his current ship to join this exciting expedition.
He served on the Euphrates Expedition from 1834 to 1837. Even before the trip began, Fitzjames showed his bravery. He jumped into the River Mersey to save a drowning man. For this brave act, he received an award and the Freedom of the City of Liverpool.
The expedition faced many problems. Two steamships, Tigris and Euphrates, had to be carried in pieces across mountains and deserts in northern Syria. This took over a year. The smaller ship, Tigris, sank in a storm, and many lives were lost. The other ship, Euphrates, was too deep to sail in the river for much of the year. There were also political issues and diseases.
In 1836, the Euphrates could not sail due to a broken engine. Fitzjames bravely volunteered to carry important mail 1,200 miles across what is now Iraq and Syria. He took the mail to the Mediterranean coast and then to London.
After many dangerous adventures, Fitzjames made it back to London. Sadly, his adoptive father, Robert Coningham, had passed away.
Fitzjames and another officer, Edward Charlewood, learned that their service on the Euphrates Expedition would not count towards their promotion. This was a big problem. After a lot of effort, the Admiralty finally agreed to give them their promotions.
Fitzjames then continued his Royal Navy career in a more typical way. He joined HMS Excellent, a new gunnery school, and did very well. He also became good friends with John Barrow, whose father, Sir John Barrow, was a very important person in the Admiralty. This friendship helped Fitzjames a lot in his career.
Fighting in the Middle East
As a skilled gunnery lieutenant, Fitzjames was in high demand. He joined HMS Ganges during the Egyptian–Ottoman War from 1839 to 1840. He was known as a very good officer. Admiral Sir Charles Napier praised him for a risky mission. Fitzjames landed at night to deliver a message to Egyptian soldiers. He managed to escape back to his ship safely.
The Egyptian general, Ibrahim Pasha, was so impressed that he offered a reward for Fitzjames's capture. Before this war ended, Fitzjames was chosen to be the gunnery lieutenant on HMS Cornwallis. This ship was the main ship for the force going to fight in the First Opium War.
The First Opium War
Fitzjames showed incredible bravery again in the First Opium War. He was almost killed during a battle at Zhenjiang. A musket ball went through his arm and into his back. He was taken to Cornwallis to recover.
Fitzjames also showed his creative side. He wrote a long, funny poem called The Cruise of HMS Cornwallis. It described the war and his part in it. The poem was published in The Nautical Magazine under the name "Tom Bowline."
During this time, Fitzjames had an encounter with Sir George Barrow, the son of Sir John Barrow. It seems Fitzjames helped Sir George with a difficult situation. Because of this, Sir John Barrow strongly supported Fitzjames's career. This led to Fitzjames being quickly promoted to commander and given command of HMS Clio. He sailed the Clio in the Persian Gulf and carried out diplomatic duties. He returned to Portsmouth in October 1844.
Franklin's Lost Expedition
After returning to England, Fitzjames lived with his friend William Coningham and his family. This was when the famous Franklin Expedition was being planned. Sir John Barrow wanted Fitzjames to lead the expedition. However, the Admiralty decided to appoint Sir John Franklin and Francis Crozier instead.
Fitzjames was appointed to serve under Franklin as the Captain of HMS Erebus.
Once he joined the Franklin Expedition, Fitzjames was in charge of finding crew members and doing scientific research on magnetism. This research was a very important goal of the expedition. The ships left Greenhithe on May 19, 1845. After getting supplies in Disko Bay in Greenland, they were last seen by two whaling ships in northern Baffin Bay at the end of July 1845. This was the last time anyone definitely saw Fitzjames. The Admiralty promoted Fitzjames to the rank of Captain on December 31, 1845, but he never received this news.
His Disappearance
After Sir John Franklin died on June 11, 1847, Captain Francis Crozier of HMS Terror became the leader of the expedition. Fitzjames became his second-in-command. We know this from a note called the 'Victory Point note', which both men signed on April 26, 1848. This is the last definite sign of Fitzjames. Some Inuit people in the area later remembered meeting desperate survivors of the expedition, who might have included Fitzjames.
Discovery of Remains
In 1993, over 400 bones from 13 different members of the expedition were found on King William Island. In September 2024, scientists announced that they had used DNA testing to confirm some of these bones belonged to Fitzjames. He is the highest-ranking member of the expedition to be identified so far. The first person identified by DNA was Erebus engineer John Gregory in 2021.
Legacy
After the Franklin Expedition disappeared, Fitzjames's loss was remembered on various monuments. One such monument is a statue in Waterloo Place in London. He was seen as a perfect example of an Arctic officer.
A family record written in 1924, 'The Story of the Gambiers', also paid tribute to Fitzjames. It said that even though he was born outside of marriage, he was as distinguished as the most famous members of the Gambier family. It noted his role as Captain of HMS Erebus and how his name appeared next to Sir John Franklin's on the monument in Carlton House Terrace.
See also
In Spanish: James Fitzjames para niños
- List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea
