By Descent: the Property of the Hooker Family

[Sir John Narbrough]

An Account of Several Late Voyages and Discoveries: I. Sir John Narbrough's Voyage to the South Sea. II. Captain J. Tasman's Discoveries on the Coast of the South Terra Incognita. III. Captain J. Wood's Attempt to Discover a North-East Passage to China. IV. F. Marten's Observations Made in Greenland and Other Northern Countries. London: for D. Brown, F. Round, W. Innys and T. Ward, 1711

second edition, 8vo (193 x 113mm.), 3 engraved folding maps, 19 engraved plates (of which 7 folding), WITH THE OWNERSHIP INSCRIPTION OF LADY FRANKLIN to title and Sir John Franklin's clipped signature pasted to preliminary blank, presentation inscription to "Dr Hooker from Miss Cracroft | a memorial to Lady Franklin's library | July 24 | 1876" to front pastedown, annotation in an eighteenth century hand to rear free endpaper, contemporary calf, spine with raised bands in six compartments, sprinkled edges, spotting and browning, folding maps and plates with a few small closed tears and paper repairs to versos, upper cover detached, spine label detached (fragments preserved in plastic wallet), extremities rubbed

THE FRANKLIN COPY ✃of a work tha🌳t presents one of the earliest English accounts of Abel Janzsoon Tasman's 1642 voyage, during which Tasman visited Tonga and Fiji, as well as discovering Tasmania and New Zealand.

A rare work in its own right, the present copy is remarkable for its rich provenance, tying together Si🌌r John a💛nd Lady Franklin to Joseph Dalton Hooker. It is tempting to think that this copy must have been owned by Sir John Franklin himself, owing to the faint pencil ownership inscription above his clipped signature. It was certainly owned by Lady Jane Franklin (1791-1875), Sir John's second wife, whose own extensive travels throughout the eastern Mediterranean and in south-eastern Australia make her a remarkable and pioneering female explorer.

In 1836, Sir John was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (later renamed Tasmania), at Lady Franklin's suggestion, and they set sail accompanied by her stepdaughter Eleanor and her niece by marriage Sophia (Sophy) Cracroft (ODNB). An annotation in a contemporary🅺 hand to the rear freꦕe endpaper ("Tasmania") suggests that this copy may well have been present on the voyage to Tasmania. 

Lady Franklin and Sophia Cracroft travelled extensively together after John Franklin's death, and from 1862 Lady Franklin and her niece maintained a house in London. According to the inscription on the front pastedown, dating from ♈the year after Lady Franklin passed away, it was Cracroft who presented this copy to Joseph Dalton Hooker.

PROVENANCE:

John Franklin (?): clipped signature pasted to preliminary blank beneath partly faded pencil signature perhaps in his hand; Lady Jane F🧸ranklin: ownership inscription to upper margin of title; by descent to Sophia Cracroft; Joseph Dalton Hooker: presentation inscription to front pastedown