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Sir John Franklin was descended from a respectable Lincolnshire 

 family, who occupied a small estate for several years in that county. 

 In consequence of the improvidence of his grandfather, Sir John's 

 father was obliged to enter into business, in which he was so 

 successful as to have been enabled to give his sons a good education. 

 One, Sir Willingham Franklin, rose to the rank of a Chief Justice 

 of Madras ; another, Major Franklin, of the Bengal Cavalry, was 

 distinguished for his scientific geographical knowledge, which 

 obtained for him the Fellowship of this Society. 



The fourth son, the subject of this notice, who was born at Spilsby 

 in Lincolnshire in 1786, was intended for the Church, but while still 

 at school, he took advantage of a holiday to run from Louth to the 

 coast for the purpose of seeing the ocean, on which it is stated he 

 gazed for hours with wonder and delight. His father, who was 

 extremely desirous that his son should not follow the profession of 

 a sailor, for which he manifested the strongest partiality, conceived 

 that by sending the boy in a small merchant-ship to Lisbon, the 

 discomforts of the voyage would effectually cure him of his love for 

 the sea ; but in the case of young Franklin, as in many others, this 

 expedient had a totally different effect, so that being evidently bent 

 on a maritime career, he was entered as midshipman on board the 

 'Polyphemus' in 1800, and was in that ship at the battle of Copen- 

 hagen. On this occasion he escaped without a wound, while a bro- 

 ther midshipman was killed at his side. 



He next sailed with his maternal cousin Captain Flinders on his 

 celebrated voyage of discovery to Australia, during which he 

 acquired most of that skill and knowledge which was of infinite 

 value to him in after-life. 



In the course of this survey he had the misfortune to be wrecked 

 with his commander on a coral reef in August 1803, and by his 

 conduct during seasons of great hardship gained the praise and 

 esteem of his superior officers. 



Franklin next acted under Captain Dance in the ' Earl Camden,' 

 and had charge of the signals during the celebrated engagement in 

 the Straits of Malacca, with the French Admiral Linois. 



On his return to England he was appointed to the ' Bellerophon,' 

 Captain Loring, in which ship he had the honour of acting as signal 

 midshipman in the memorable battle of Trafalgar ; a post of great 



