Record

Entry Type	Person
Surname	Cracroft
Forenames	Sophia
Epithet	travelling companion and confidante of Lady Jane Franklin
Dates	1815-1892
History	In 1836, she accompanied John Franklin and his second wife, Jane, to Van Diemen's Land [Tasmania] after Franklin had accepted the post of lieutenant governor. On his recall they all returned to Britain in 1844. She became the close companion and confidant of Lady Franklin, particularly after the marriage of her cousin Eleanor to John Philip Gell in 1849 and confirmation of the death of John Franklin in 1857. Sophia accompanied Jane Franklin on her travels in the 1860s, visiting Alaska, the United States, Hawaii, Canada, South America, China, Japan, India and Europe. Sophia increasingly fell out with her cousin Eleanor from 1844 and took the side of Lady Franklin in 1849 when the step-daughter and step-mother disputed financial arrangements in the uncertainty created by the disappearance of Sir John Franklin and his expedition.
Relationships	Niece of Sir John Franklin; daughter of Thomas Robert Cracroft and his wife Isabella (nee Franklin).
Key Events	Baptized at West Keal, Lincolnshire, 13 Aug 1815; died 20 June 1892
Source	Biographical history in online catalogue of her records held at the Scott Polar Research Institute Archives, University of Cambridge.
Authorised Form of Name	Cracroft; Sophia (1815-1892); travelling companion and confidante of Lady Jane Franklin

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