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Entry TypePerson
SurnameFairholme
ForenamesJames Walter
Epithetnaval officer
Dates1821-1848
Gender IdentityMale
BiographyHe joined the Royal Navy on 12 March 1834, aged 13, serving on HMS Gannet: in 1838 he served on anti-slavery duties on Africa's west coast.. In December 1839, Fairholme joined HMS Ganges, taking part in the Second Egyptian-Ottoman war. He served as a mate under Captain Trotter on SS Albert when it participated in the 1841 Niger expedition . In January 1842, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. On 13 April 1843, he was transferred to HMS Excellent, and then 14 Dec 1844, and then to HMS Superb. He had become a friend of Captain Fitzjames after service on HMS Ganges, In March 1845 he signed up to became a lieutenant on HMS Erebus for the Arctic expedition under the command of Sir John Franklin, which left in May 1845. He met his death during the catastrophic failure which engulfed the expedition. In 1853 the estate of his recently deceased uncle Adam was awarded to James's brother, George, following a court case in which evidence was provided by Arctic experts on the likelihood or otherwise of James having survivedy and in which it was ruled that James had probably predeceased his uncle. Artefacts belonging to him were found by John Rae during his Arctic expedition in 1854 to be in the possession of the Inuit.
Key EventsBorn 10 Jan 1821 at Kinnoul, Scotland; died in Canada during Franklin's Arctic expedition, some time in 1848, actual place and date of death unknown
Sourcehttps://franklin-expedition.fandom.com/wiki/James_Fairholme
Authorised Form of NameFairholme; James Walter (1821-1848); naval officer

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