DNA identifications of three 1845 Franklin expedition sailors from HMS Erebus
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19488644 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Douglas R Stenton (0000-0002-8561-1470, University of Waterloo, corresponding author), Stephen Fratpietro (0000-0003-0481-5461, Lakehead University), Kaitlyn Gorsalitz (Saskatchewan Health Authority), Robert W Park (0000-0002-4520-6382, University of Waterloo) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 72 |
| Pages | 105739 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Archaeological Science Reports (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2352-409X • E-ISSN: 2352-4103 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105739 |
| OpenAlex | W7160255510 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 13 |
DNA identification of remains of three members of the 1845 Franklin expedition. • All three sailors died at Erebus Bay, King William Island. • Deaths of two men previously identified occurred at the same sites at Erebus Bay. • All five sailors identified to date through DNA analysis are from HMS Erebus. A program of DNA analysis initiated in 2013 as a means of attempting to identify skeletal remains of members of the 1845 Franklin Northwest Passage expedition using DNA profiles obtained from archaeological tooth and bone samples and profiles obtained from descendants of expedition personnel previously yielded positive identifications for two members of the expedition, both of whom died at Erebus Bay on the southwest shore of King William Island, Nunavut. Here we report on the identification of three additional sailors who died at that same location. At site NgLj-1, comparison of archaeological and descendant mtDNA profiles yielded a match with a genetic distance of 0. At site NgLj-2, comparison of archaeological and descendant Y-chromosome DNA profiles yielded a match with a genetic distance of 0, and at site NgLj-3, comparison of archaeological and descendant mtDNA profiles yielded a third match with a genetic distance of 0. We conclude that the DNA and genealogical evidence confirm the identities of these three men as William Orren, Able Seaman, HMS Erebus , David Young, Boy 1st Class, HMS Erebus, and John Bridgens, Subordinate Officers' Steward, HMS Erebus . To date, all five sailors from the 1845 Franklin expedition that have been identified through this research died at Erebus Bay and all were from HMS Erebus
Ancient DNA · DNA · Taxonomy (biology) · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
Rapid and simple method for purification of nucleic acids
Salvaging on the Coast of Erebus Bay, King William Island
History, Oral History and Archaeology
The “Boat Place” Burial
The Final Days of the Franklin Expedition
Identification of a senior officer from Sir John Franklin’s Northwest Passage expedition
The Lead Content of Human Bones from the 1845 Franklin Expedition
DNA identification of a sailor from the 1845 Franklin northwest passage expedition
Use your best endeavours to discover a sheltered and safe harbour
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |