DNA Identification Solves 166 Year Mysteries of Doomed Franklin Expedition Sailors

Anthropologist Douglas Stenton excavates the remains of a Franklin expedition sailor at Erebus Bay.

May

/ 2026

Getting your audio player ready...

The chilling tale of the 1845 Franklin expedition has captivated historians for nearly two centuries, and now, cutting-edge science is peeling back the ice to reveal new secrets. Using advanced DNA analysis, researchers have positively identified the remains of four additional sailors who perished in the harsh Canadian Arctic after their ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became hopelessly trapped in ice. This breakthrough not only names the lost men but also provides crucial clues about the desperate final days of the ill-fated voyage.

In a monumental effort to solve this enduring Arctic mystery, researchers from the University of Waterloo compared DNA extracted from skeletal remains with genetic samples provided by living descendants. The findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports and Polar Record, confirm the identities of William Orren, David Young, John Bridgens, and Harry Peglar. The identification of Harry Peglar, Captain of the Foretop on HMS Terror, is particularly significant, as it resolves a long-standing debate over remains found with his personal papers.

The Mystery of Harry Peglar

For decades, the remains found on King William Island in 1859 presented a perplexing puzzle. The body was discovered carrying a wallet containing the "Peglar Papers" (a collection of poems and backward-written notes) yet the clothing suggested a lower-ranking steward rather than a senior sailor like Peglar. Because of this discrepancy, many experts previously believed the skeleton belonged to a friend or shipmate entrusted with Peglar's belongings.

A page found in the wallet near Henry Peglar's skeleton (© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, under CC-BY-NC-ND)

However, the recent DNA match definitively proves the remains are indeed those of Harry Peglar. The discovery that he was wearing a steward's uniform when he died alone, roughly 125 miles from the abandoned ships, adds a poignant layer to the tragedy. "Perhaps, given that [Peglar] was close to at least one if not two men serving as stewards, he deliberately wore his dead shipmate’s coat," speculated historian Russell A. Potter. This detail underscores the sheer desperation of the men as they struggled against freezing temperatures and starvation.

Uncovering the Crew of HMS Erebus

The other three identified individuals - William Orren, David Young, and John Bridgens - were all crew members of HMS Erebus and died at Erebus Bay writes Live Science. David Young was a 17-year-old "boy first class," while William Orren was an able seaman who joined the expedition at age 38. John Bridgens, a subordinate officer's steward, was a 26-year-old former hairdresser who volunteered for the voyage.

2D Facial reconstruction of David Young, Boy 1st Class from the HMS Erebus

David Young, Boy 1st Class from the HMS Erebus, died at Erebus Bay. (2D Forensic Facial Reconstruction by Diana Trepkov, Investigative Forensic Artist).

These identifications bring the total number of confirmed Franklin expedition crew members to six. In previous years, DNA testing identified John Gregory, an engineer on the Erebus, and Captain James Fitzjames, whose remains tragically showed signs of cannibalism. The researchers hope that more descendants will come forward to provide DNA samples, allowing them to put names to the remaining unidentified bones scattered across the Arctic landscape.

Rewriting the Final Chapter

The Franklin expedition set out to navigate the Northwest Passage, but the mission ended in catastrophe when the ships became icebound in late 1846. Following the death of Sir John Franklin in 1847, the 105 survivors abandoned the vessels in April 1848, attempting a doomed overland trek. For generations, the exact circumstances of their demise have been pieced together through Inuit testimony, scattered artifacts, and skeletal remains explains the Smithsonian Magazine.

"For the living descendants, these findings provide previously unavailable details regarding the circumstances and locations of their relatives’ deaths," stated anthropologist Douglas Stenton, quoted in Discovery Magazine. As modern science continues to analyze these grim relics, the story of the Franklin expedition is slowly shifting from an anonymous tragedy to a deeply personal narrative of human endurance and loss.

Top image: Anthropologist Douglas Stenton excavates the remains of a Franklin expedition sailor at Erebus Bay. Source: University of Waterloo

By Gary Manners