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Hi, I'm super interested in the Fitzjames bday event, can anyone come along irregardless of prior knowledge on Fitzjames??? And how long would the tour be?? :) Thank you

Hello! Yes, absolutely anyone who is interested can join! The tour will be me sharing lots of new info and research, and I'll answer any questions you may have. It will be so lovely to meet people and celebrate the birthday boy. 🥳 I think it'll start at around 11 and at the end of the afternoon there's an optional dinner in a pub that was already there in Fitzjames' time (haven't made the programme yet).

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Sign up here:

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

New shirts & handkerchiefs

Robert Coningham took such good care of his dearest boy, making sure he had enough clothes and didn't have to buy them abroad.

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

The men of the Franklin Expedition grew up during the Georgian era, and wouldn't have changed their entire personality just because Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837. The idea of Victorians being repressed is rather stereotypical. As one can see by the Franklin Expedition letters these so called Victorians were not afraid to show love and affection at all. :-)

jared harris doomed grouchy alcoholic captain of my heart and all, but I cannot emphasise just how moving it is to read the actual crozier’s letters to his ‘dear sisters’ and nicknaming his sister charlotte as ‘dear small’ and gushing over how excited he is to serve under someone so honourable as sir john franklin and constantly asking james clark ross to pass on his love to ross’s wife and baby and nicknaming anne ross ‘thot’ (??) and the baby cute things like ‘the dear little stranger’ and ‘little sir james’

and yes I love terror’s francis ‘crankypants’ crozier, but the fact that we think of victorian men as being repressed and emotionless and yet every single one of the real man’s letters just overflows with affection and good humour just Does Something to me ok

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

'The Arctic Council' - My version

If I had commissioned the 'The Arctic Council' painting it would've looked like this, with all my besties included. Sir John Ross is such a mood sitting there like "Their rescue plans are useless & they refuse to listen to me!" I'm doing a research project on this painting for my MA, but I wanted to write about it anyway because I've discovered quite a few new details. Can't wait to share!

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

FitzLetters Book (future publication)

And of course there's this beast of a book: Fitzjames' correspondence 1825-1845! First had it printed back in 2022 but now had it printed again after corrections & adding more letters. There's no text of mine/footnotes yet. More editing to do first. I have a different idea for the cover but this looks nice for now. ❤️

The letters are divided by the ships Fitzjames served on. A treasure trove of information, not just about Fitzjames but also early 19th century (naval) history. Over 550 pages! I typed all of this. 😵‍💫 Will also find a publisher for this after finishing the Fitzjames biography by the end of this year, hopefully!

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

Future publication

One of the things I want to publish is Fitzjames' 1833-34 Midshipman journal, which was donated to the National Maritime Museum Greenwich. I had my book concept printed to see what it looks like in print, and I love it! 🥰

The cover is a picture of the actual journal, so that you feel like you're holding the real thing! When I've finished writing the biography I'm finally going to approach publishers.

[JOD/86, National Maritime Museum Greenwich. See the original journal here.]

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

"One thing I am certain of, the more I see of the world the better I shall be pleased"

- James Fitzjames to Robert Coningham, 7 January 1835.

And see a lot of the world he did! 🥹 🌍 💖

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

Trieste & Venice

Joseph Mallord William Turner Venice: The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore, 1834, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., USA

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Vourla Bay, Turkey

"Thursday 5th [Dec 1833]: Took a walk to the Tops of the adjacent hills [of Vourla Bay, Turkey] — weather beautiful and the Country wild and delightful. Sailed the Champion and Hind — Saw them down the Gulf [of Smyrna] from the Hills"

[Text: Fitzjames' 1833-1834 journal, NMM

Image: Captain George Pechell Mends 'Unfinished watercolour of the 'Britannia' anchored in 'Mulah Bay' (Vourla/ Urla Bay), Turkey, west of Smyrna (Izmir)' 1852, NMM, PAI0874]

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

My living room wall.

FitzCheetah, Fitzjames, Crozier, Irving

And an owl by artist Claudine O'Sullivan.

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

Fitzjames' journal

Fitzjames: "Wednesday 18th [Dec 1833] Walked after dinner to the ruins of Cleosomine"

The actual name of the ruins is Clazomenae or Klazomenai in Turkey. I want to publish his journal and am currently writing the footnotes. Figuring out the correct or present-day names is tricky sometimes, but I manage it in the end!

[1833-34 journal, NMM]

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I've added a sign-up form! 🥳

FitzBirthday Party

Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/TyhyFXbaZuopDeRh7 I'd like to invite you to Fitzjames' birthday party! Put this date in your calendar if you'd like a tour of places connected to Fitzjames by yours truly, including old pictures & new info from the letters. 👀🥳 More details will follow. Inshallah I'll see you there!

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

"In the dead of the night he [Fitzjames] would come to my room with his pillow, and belabour me wofully, until I was sufficiently awake to defend myself." 

"Upon one of these occasions I had succeeded in mastering him, but he would not give in. I bolstered him out of the room, and then following it up, with a heavy bang forced him against the opposite door; it burst open,  and our fight continued.   At last I knocked him upon the bed in the room; there was some one in it! We begged pardon, and were retreating, when our landlady, with her husband alongside her, began laughing, told us not to mind, and assured us no damage had occurred!" - Edward Charlewood Passages from the life of a Naval Officer (1869)

Image: my commission from @caravaggiosbrushes

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

FitzBirthday Party

Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/TyhyFXbaZuopDeRh7 I'd like to invite you to Fitzjames' birthday party! Put this date in your calendar if you'd like a tour of places connected to Fitzjames by yours truly, including old pictures & new info from the letters. 👀🥳 More details will follow. Inshallah I'll see you there!

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

Lieutenant John Irving's grave

Decorum est pro patria mori (it is proper to die for your country)

Visited John Irving's grave at Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh and gave him some lavender plants. I'm very fond of Irving, a good man. 💖

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

Congrats old chap

[Microfilm Caird Library/original private collection]

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

Oh look, it's that + that Battersby calls an X! So did Fitzjames have sex with Captain Lyons' wife? Or after he called on her? Or after dinner with Captain Henry Marsham? During the dinner? So many possibilities. 😌

Maybe mistaking a + for an X is where the sex presumption comes from... Fitzjames could've been marking whatever with a + (although if it was sex, good for him of course!) I will be analysing all of the instances of +, and see if I can make sense of them. If not, sometimes things will have to remain a mystery.

[Fitzjames' Midshipman journal, Caird Library]