JamesFitzjames.com ⚓️

MY ARCTIC COUNCIL ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED!! 🥳 cambridge.org/core/journals/…

Sir John Franklin cameo on Netflix series 'Below'!

Battersby: Fitzjames was better educated than his peers. Meanwhile: [My Fitzjames biography]

Why are John Ross portraits always at auction when I have just made an expensive purchase already and have no money for him waaah. Look at that heroic profile, the handsomest man in his family. [Anybody got $1000? Invaluable dot com.]

Sherard Osborn found those gloves.❤️

Yay, I finally have a post card of the Manor House in Abbots Langley where Fitzjames lived for a few years as child! The house was demolished in 1953. [My collection]

Comments at the Plymouth polar conference after my talk: - "I've learnt so much about the relationship between Fitzjames and John Barrow!" - "Battersby is the Huntford of the Franklin Expedition." Had such a great time! My last talk this year. Now back to writing!

Lovely spot, Devil's Point! I think the Pyramus sailed into Plymouth here in 1828, but don't know what docks they went into; Millbay or Devonport. The former is nearer to Durnford St, where Fitzjames was staying.

Think this area got bombed and/or torn down. It doesn't look at all like it did when Fitzjames was here. The numbering might've changed, though. Gonna look further up the road. The street is near the docks and victualling yard.

I'm in Plymouth for another conference and I'm going to check out this address at which Fitzjames was being kept by the Gambiers who didn't want to return him to the Coninghams. 👀 After Robert Coningham sent a letter they did let Fitzjames go. [Letter R. Coningham to JF]

I am so incredibly happy to have obtained a volume of letters from John Barrow's South African relatives to him. His mother was from SA of German/Dutch descent. About a 100 letters!! Can't wait to read them all, such a great source of new info. JB owned & touched this waaaah. 🥹

Uncle John and nephew Willy reunited! Gotta get William a frame, too. Another new resident of my shelf is Captain Cheetah, thanks to Zelda. 💖

Thank you very much to the Shackleton Autumn School for inviting me to speak about my Fitzjames research. His friendship with John Barrow featured prominently in my talk. An amazing weekend, looking forward to next year's Shacklecon! My book should be done by then. [Pic by Marv]

Enemy spotted at Shacklecon. (The guy who bought the book initially thought it was my book. After my talk he was like, oh no I shouldn't have bought it. 🥲)