Harry Goodsir

Scottish naturalist and surgeon

Dr. Harry Goodsir

Harry Goodsir (3 November 1819 – c. 1848) was a Scottish naturalist and surgeon who is best known for his role as an assistant surgeon and naturalist on the ill-fated Franklin Expedition to the Arctic in 1845. Goodsir's contributions to natural history and his tragic end have made him a figure of historical interest.

Early Life and Education

Harry Goodsir was born in Anstruther, Fife, Scotland, into a family with a strong scientific background. His father, John Goodsir, was a medical practitioner, and his brother, John Goodsir, became a prominent anatomist. Harry was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he studied medicine and developed an interest in natural history.

Career

After completing his studies, Goodsir worked as a curator at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, where he was responsible for managing the museum's collections. His work there allowed him to collaborate with leading scientists of the time and further his knowledge in anatomy and zoology.

The Franklin Expedition

In 1845, Goodsir joined the Franklin Expedition as an assistant surgeon and naturalist aboard the HMS Erebus. The expedition, led by Sir John Franklin, aimed to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic. Goodsir's role was to document the natural history of the regions they explored, collecting specimens and making observations.

The expedition, however, met with disaster. Both the HMS Erebus and its companion ship, the HMS Terror, became icebound in Victoria Strait near King William Island in what is now Nunavut, Canada. The entire crew, including Goodsir, perished under mysterious circumstances, with the last recorded sighting of the expedition in 1848.

Legacy

Goodsir's contributions to science, particularly his meticulous notes and collections, were lost with the expedition. However, his legacy endures through the efforts of subsequent explorers and researchers who have pieced together the story of the Franklin Expedition. Goodsir is remembered as a dedicated scientist whose work, though largely lost, was part of a significant chapter in the history of Arctic exploration.

The memorial to the Franklin Expedition in the Chapel of the Naval College at Greenwich

Related Pages

• Franklin's lost expedition
• John Franklin
• Northwest Passage
• HMS Erebus (1826)
• HMS Terror (1813)