John Rae - Has a Wrong been Righted?

[woodsorrel]

Hi Everyone!

John Rae, the arctic explorer who found the last piece of the Northwest Passage is being honored with a plaque in Westminster Abbey.

I assume many of you know the story better than me. My understanding is that in his day he was vilified by English society. He was enlisted to find the missing Franklin arctic expedition. He discovered that they had perished and that, in their desperation, they had resorted to cannibalism. This shocked English society. Franklin, the leader of the failed expedition was a powerful man. So the elite banded together to ruin John Rae.

Now, people are working to restore his reputation. Bushcraft expert Ray Mears was in the audience for the ceremony. Here is the story:

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/explorer-john-rae-gets-westminster-abbey-plaque-1-3560999


Timing can play very interesting games with the mind. Just several weeks ago one of Franklin's ships, HMS Erebus, was discovered on the ocean floor by archaeologists. Its location is consistent with the information the Inuit hunters told John Rae so many years ago.

Here is a fascinating article with pictures:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/hms-erebus...hn-franklins-long-lost-flagship-video-1468382


I also did a write-up for John Rae that has some more detail and a photograph of a painting of Rae. It also has a link to a segment of a Ray Mears' video he made about the explorer. There is also a link to a song about the Northwest Passage and the Franklin Expedition:

Has a Wrong been Righted?


Since you are closer to the story (geographically), I am curious to hear what you think about it.

- Woodsorrel

 

[SCOMAN]

I think there is a mind to certainly in the Orkneys. They had a weekend dedicated to Rae last year and there is now a statue of him by the harbour in Stromness.

 

[John Fenna]

About time that one of the Great Men of History was officially recognised!

 

[Joonsy]

Shame it took 160 years. Seems he was shunned because the truth did not fit in with what the establishment wanted to believe, the British have a long history of doing that, they only succumb to telling the truth even today through pressure or when it becomes such common knowledge it is no longer feasible to deny it. Sorry for cynicism but I can’t help think it is only being done now because of the work from interested parties not from a desire by the establishment to correct past truths, it may help his descendants which is good (if he has any) and correct history for future history students but won’t help the man himself much now, pity it wasn’t done while he was alive. My respect goes out to those who worked to put the truth right, not those who succumbed to the pressure, well done to you. Regarding recognition I was always disgusted at the facts of the Arctic Star, a medal awarded to members of the Arctic Convoys in WW2, only issued after a long-running campaign by survivors, the British government finally succumbed but did not issue this medal until 2013, meanwhile the Russians had offered the British veterans a medal for the same campaign (Russian Convoy Medal) way back in 1985 but the British government would not allow it to be accepted or worn until 1994. Sadly by 2013 when the British Arctic Star medal was issued many veterans had passed away so never got the recognition they deserved while still alive, an all too familiar story.

 

[CLEM]

I remember watching Uncle Raymonds prog, very interesting it was. It's took 160 years but right has now been done!

 

[woodsorrel]

One thing that amazes me is that Rae headed four expeditions and only lost one man. That seems remarkable for the time.

I try to look on the positive side of events, so I wonder what lessons we can draw from the fact that we are only now recognizing Rae's achievement.

If you were in John Rae's position, would you have done what he did, if you knew in advance the consequences of reporting the truth of what you found?

- Woodsorrel

 

[rik_uk3]

One thing that amazes me is that Rae headed four expeditions and only lost one man. That seems remarkable for the time.

I try to look on the positive side of events, so I wonder what lessons we can draw from the fact that we are only now recognizing Rae's achievement.

If you were in John Rae's position, would you have done what he did, if you knew in advance the consequences of reporting the truth of what you found?

- Woodsorrel

I doubt he had any real choice regarding reporting what he/they found. A small ship I would guess the tales of cannibalism would have been pretty much common knowledge amongst the crew and the tale would have leaked out sooner or later.

The reaction to Rae's report is a reflection perhaps of the time it happened where cannibalism to survive was a real 'no no' whereas these days more sympathy and understanding as to these actions would be seen in a different light...merely an act of survival.

I for one am happy the chap is getting the recognition so long overdue.

 

[Wayland]

High time this man has received the recognition he deserves.

 

[Joonsy]

I wonder what lessons we can draw from the fact that we are only now recognizing Rae's achievement.

If you were in John Rae's position, would you have done what he did, if you knew in advance the consequences of reporting the truth of what you found

''We'' is a bit too inclusive -- Rae was already considered a hero in Canada and Orkney long before the new plaque, there was a petition and campaign for some years with the support of Alistair Carmichael MP to get Rae the recognition he deserved. It is a British tradition to honour great Arctic explorers with a knighthood yet it took 160 years for the authorities to even recognise the achievements of one of the greatest of them all. About time and long overdue.

Yes absolutely, put simply I am reminded of the words by the great American scientist Richard Feynman who also told the truth when confronted with a cover-up, and to quote him -- ''reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.''

Rae's grave in Orkney

Rae's plaque in Cananda unveiled 1994

 

[Stringmaker]

He was done a great injustice indeed, and it is appropriate that he has at last been vindicated.

 

[SCOMAN]

The new statue at Stromness harbour is quite a nice one. I may have a pic somewhere if not I'll get one next time I'm up.

 

[John Fenna]

by a local artist too

 

[tsitenha]

No his reputation has not been corrected. He is long passed, those who vilified him also passed, there is no regrets from them to him. To lay wreaths, erecting plaques does nothing but make us feel better, we can not correct it for him,.... just be more thoughtful for the next voice that we don't agree with.

 

[boatman]

He continued Arctic work, worked on the telegraph to America and his body was brought back for formal internment. So some people in London didn't like him or what he said and he didn't get a knighthood. This is hardly being airbrushed from history, places named after him as well so he has a lasting memorial. He had justice and and after his life.

From Wiki
In 1860 Rae worked on the telegraph line to America, visiting Iceland and Greenland. In 1864 he made a further telegraph survey in the west of Canada. In 1884 at age 71 he was again working for the Hudson's Bay Company, this time as an explorer of the Red River for a proposed telegraph line from the United States to Russia.
John Rae died from an aneurysm in Kensington, London on 22 July 1893. A week later his body arrived in Orkney. He was buried in the kirkyard of St Magnus' Cathedral, Kirkwall. A memorial to him, lying as in sleep upon the ground, is inside the cathedral. The memorial by North Ronaldsay sculptor, Ian Scott, which was unveiled at Stromness Pierhead in 2013, is a statue of Rae standing erect,[SUP][15][/SUP] with an inscription describing him as “the discoverer of the final link in the first navigable Northwest Passage.”
[h=2]Legacy[edit][/h]
Rae Strait (between King William Island and the Boothia Peninsula), Rae Isthmus, Rae River, Mount Rae,[SUP][16][/SUP] Fort Rae and the village of Rae-Edzo(now Behchoko), Northwest Territories were all named for him.[SUP][17][/SUP]

 

[JonathanD]

This is excellent news.

 

[woodsorrel]

... by a local artist too

Thanks for posting the picture!

- Woodsorrel

 

[woodsorrel]

''We'' is a bit too inclusive -- Rae was already considered a hero in Canada and Orkney long before the new plaque...

I apologize for making such a broad generalization. Thank you Joonsy and boatman for posting more information.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Uilleachan]

Has a wrong been righted? No. The record has been put a little straighter but as Joonsy mentions above events such as these are "an all too familiar story"

Sadly a plaque in London doesn't cut it, well not for me.