176-573: The Shackleton–Rowett Expedition (1921–22) was Sir Ernest Shackleton 's last Antarctic project, and the final episode in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration . The venture, financed by John Quiller Rowett , is sometimes referred to as the Quest Expedition after its ship Quest , a converted Norwegian sealer . Shackleton had originally intended to go to the Arctic and explore
352-650: A knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours list in November, becoming Sir Ernest Shackleton . The RGS awarded him a gold medal; a proposal to present him with a smaller medal than that earlier awarded to Captain Scott was not acted on. Each member of the Nimrod Expedition shore party received a silver Polar Medal on 23 November, Shackleton himself receiving a clasp to attach to his earlier medal. He
528-540: A body of relevant work; alternatively, a previous five-year commitment at the regular member level (less, at the council's discretion) is also considered for eligibility. Fellows may use the post-nominal designation FRGS after their names. Since 2002 the society has been granted the power to award the status of chartered geographer. The status can be obtained only by those who have a degree in geography or related subject and at least 6 years' geographical experience, or 15 years' geographical work experience for those without
704-404: A carpenter Harry McNish , and a biologist named Robert Clark . Of later independent fame was the expedition's official photographer Frank Hurley , known on this mission for his perilous shots. Perce Blackborow was a nineteen-year-old Welsh sailor who had stowed away on the ship after being refused a job; although angered by this, Shackleton realised it was too late to turn back by the time
880-783: A degree. Being awarded the status allows the use of the post-nominal letters "CGeog". Chartered geographer (teacher) is a professional accreditation available to teachers who can demonstrate competence, experience and professionalism in the use of geographical knowledge or skills in and out of the classroom, and who are committed to maintaining their professional standards through ongoing continuing professional development (CPD). The society's research and study groups bring together active researchers and professional geographers in particular areas of geography. There are 27 active research groups, with each group organising their own seminars, conferences, workshops and other activities. The society also presents awards to geographers that have contributed to
1056-602: A distilling company. A revival of the vintage formula for the particular brands found was offered for sale, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust which had discovered the lost spirits. On Shackleton's return home, public honours were quickly forthcoming. He was received by King Edward VII on 10 July 1909, and raised to a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order . He received
1232-473: A few days, with the position at 69°5′ S, 51°30′ W, he gave the order to abandon ship, saying, "She's going down!"; and men, provisions and equipment were transferred to camps on the ice. On 21 November 1915, the wreck of Endurance finally slipped beneath the surface. For almost two months, Shackleton and his party camped on a large, flat floe, hoping that it would drift towards Paulet Island , approximately 250 miles (402 km) away, where it
1408-542: A fortune in the world of business. Among the ventures that he hoped to promote were a tobacco company, a scheme for selling special postage stamps to collectors—overprinted "King Edward VII Land", based on his appointment as Antarctic postmaster by the New Zealand authorities —and the development of a Hungarian mining concession he had acquired near the city of Nagybanya , now part of Romania . As none of these enterprises prospered, Shackleton's main source of income
1584-482: A governess until the age of eleven, when he began at Fir Lodge Preparatory School in West Hill, Dulwich , in southeast London. At the age of thirteen, he entered Dulwich College . As a youngster, Shackleton did not particularly distinguish himself as a scholar, and was said to be "bored" by his studies. He was quoted later as saying: "I never learned much geography at school [...] Literature, too, consisted in
1760-533: A hundred and sixty miles from the ship, and full loads to pull all the way." The party finally arrived back at the ship on 3 February 1903. After a medical examination that proved inconclusive, Scott decided to send Shackleton home on the relief ship Morning , which had arrived in McMurdo Sound in January. Scott wrote: "He ought not to risk further hardships in his present state of health." There
1936-555: A journalist, working for the Royal Magazine , but he found this unsatisfactory. He was then offered, and accepted, the secretaryship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS), a post which he took up on 11 January 1904. Three months later, on 9 April, he married Emily Dorman , with whom he had three children: Raymond, Cecily, and Edward , himself an explorer and later
SECTION 10
#17327838913092112-693: A lecture theatre in Burlington Gardens , London which was lent to it by the Civil Service Commission. Under the patronage of King William IV it later became known as the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and was granted its royal charter under Queen Victoria in 1859. Another notable early member was Sir John Franklin . The Society has been a key associate and supporter of many famous explorers and expeditions , including those of: A new impetus
2288-462: A letter to RGS Secretary John Scott Keltie , that "the English nation has by this deed of Shackleton's won a victory [...] which never can be surpassed." Fridtjof Nansen sent an effusive private letter to Shackleton's wife, praising the "unique expedition, which has been such a complete success in every respect." The reality was that the expedition had left Shackleton deeply in debt, unable to meet
2464-512: A message from Emily Shackleton , requesting that the body be returned to South Georgia for burial. Hussey took the body back to Grytviken, where Shackleton was buried on 5 March in the Norwegian cemetery. Quest had meantime sailed, so only Hussey of Shackleton's former comrades was present at the interment. A rough cross marked the burial site, until it was replaced by a tall granite column six years later. As leader, Wild had to arrange where
2640-469: A painkilling drug. In a brief discussion, Macklin told his leader that he had been overdoing things, and needed to lead a more regular life. Macklin records Shackleton as saying: "You're always wanting me to give up things, what is it I ought to give up?" Macklin replied, "Chiefly alcohol, Boss, I don't think it agrees with you." Immediately afterwards Shackleton "had a very severe paroxysm , during which he died". The death certificate, signed by Macklin, gave
2816-534: A place on the expedition; author Campbell Mackellar; and Guinness baron Lord Iveagh , whose contribution was secured less than two weeks before the departure of the expedition ship Nimrod . On 4 August 1907, Shackleton was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order , 4th Class (MVO; the present-day grade of lieutenant). On 7 August 1907, the Nimrod set sail from England for the start of
2992-599: A politician. In 1905, Shackleton became a shareholder in a speculative company that aimed to make a fortune transporting Russian troops home from the Far East. Despite his assurances to Emily that "we are practically sure of the contract", nothing came of this scheme. He also ventured into politics, unsuccessfully standing in the 1906 General Election as the Liberal Unionist Party 's candidate for Dundee constituency in opposition to Irish Home Rule. In
3168-477: A post as third officer on a tramp steamer of the Welsh Shire Line. Two years later, he had obtained his first mate's ticket, and in 1898, he was certified as a master mariner , qualifying him to command a British ship anywhere in the world. In 1898, he joined Union-Castle Line , the regular mail and passenger carrier between Britain and South Africa. One of his shipmates recorded that Shackleton
3344-715: A preface to his 1922 memoir The Worst Journey in the World . In 2002, Shackleton was voted eleventh in a BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons . Shackleton was born on 15 February 1874, in Kilkea , County Kildare, Ireland. His father, Henry Shackleton, tried to enter the British Army , but his poor health prevented him from doing so; instead he became a farmer and settled in Kilkea. The Shackleton family are of English origin, specifically from West Yorkshire . Shackleton's father
3520-800: A project that had been announced, and then abandoned, by the British explorer William Speirs Bruce , for a continental crossing via the South Pole, starting from a landing point in the Weddell Sea and ending in McMurdo Sound. Bruce had failed to acquire financial backing, and was happy for Shackleton to adopt his plans, which were similar to those being followed by the German explorer Wilhelm Filchner who had left Bremerhaven in May 1911; in December 1912,
3696-456: A range of 250 miles (400 km). During the Tristan visit, Wild attempted to install a new wireless apparatus with the help of a local missionary, but this was also unsuccessful. An Antarctic hiatus followed the return of Quest , with no significant expeditions to the region for seven years. The expeditions that then followed were of a different character from their predecessors, belonging to
SECTION 20
#17327838913093872-414: A refit in preparation for a more productive second season in the ice. The first port of call was Tristan da Cunha , a remote inhabited island to the west and south of Cape Town. After a rough crossing of the " Roaring Forties ", Quest arrived there on 20 May. Following orders from Robert Baden-Powell , Marr presented a flag to the local Scout Troop. During the five-day stay, with the help of some of
4048-699: A regular commission in the Royal Navy via the back-door route of the Supplementary List. Despite the sponsorship of Markham and William Huggins , the president of the Royal Society , his application was unsuccessful because the list was closed. The Admiralty suggested that he could be promoted to Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve if he qualified, but he chose to resign his RNR commission the following year. Instead, he became
4224-483: A role model for leadership in extreme circumstances. In his 1956 address to the British Science Association , one of Shackleton's contemporaries, Sir Raymond Priestley , said: "Scott for scientific method, Amundsen for speed and efficiency[,] but[,] when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton", paraphrasing what Apsley Cherry-Garrard had written in
4400-620: A safe base at the Barrier Inlet, and an extended search for an anchorage at King Edward VII Land proved equally futile. Shackleton was forced to break the undertaking he had made to Scott, and the Nimrod set sail for McMurdo Sound; according to second officer Arthur Harbord, this decision was "dictated by common sense" in view of the difficulties of ice pressure, coal shortage and the lack of any alternative base known to be close at hand. The ship arrived at McMurdo Sound on 29 January, but
4576-501: A second, more productive season in the ice, and took the ship to Cape Town for a refit . Here, in June 1922, he received a message from Rowett ordering the ship home to England, so the expedition ended quietly. The Quest voyage is not greatly regarded in the histories of polar exploration, due to the event that defines it in public memory, overshadowing its other activities: Shackleton's untimely death. Shackleton returned to Britain from
4752-518: A set of statutes and standing orders. The members of council and the president are elected from and by its fellows, who are allowed to use the postnominal title FRGS. As a chartered body, the RGS holds the Register of Chartered Geographers in the public interest, a source of qualified, practising and experienced professional geographers. Fellows may apply for chartership if they fulfil the criteria. The RGS
4928-786: A stormy ocean voyage of 720 nautical miles (1,330 km; 830 mi) in Shackleton's most famous exploit. He returned to the Antarctic with the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition in 1921 but died of a heart attack while his ship was moored in South Georgia. At his wife's request, he remained on the island and was buried in Grytviken cemetery. The wreck of Endurance was discovered just over a century after Shackleton's death. Away from his expeditions, Shackleton's life
5104-548: A temporary post assisting the outfitting of the Terra Nova for the second Discovery relief operation, but turned down the offer to sail with her as chief officer. He also assisted in the equipping of the Argentine Uruguay , which was being fitted out for the relief of the stranded Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Otto Nordenskjöld . In search of more permanent employment in 1903, Shackleton applied for
5280-439: A tendency to wallow in heavy seas. Fisher reports that she was built in 1917, weighed 204 tons, and had a large and spacious deck. Although she had some modern facilities, such as electric lights in the cabins, she was unsuited to long oceanic voyages; Shackleton, on the first day out, observed that "in no way are we shipshape or fitted to ignore even the mildest storm". Leif Mills, in his biography of Frank Wild , says that had
5456-525: A trial of an enhanced moving map that featured Hidden Journeys content. Developed in partnership between Hidden Journeys and the IFE software company Airborne Interactive, the enhanced map is available for the Singapore-London route on the airline's brand new Boeing 777-300ER (flight number SQ308 and SQ319), and features a range of geographical facts and highlights, photography and maps, all curated by
Shackleton–Rowett Expedition - Misplaced Pages Continue
5632-469: A wide variety of sporting, scientific and youth expeditions from 1965 to the present day. The society holds one of the largest private map collections in the world which is continuously increasing. It includes one million sheets of maps and charts, 3000 atlases, 40 globes and 1000 gazetteers. The earliest printed item in the Collection dates back to 1482. The RGS-IBG also holds manuscript materials from
5808-475: A winter station. Endurance drifted slowly northward with the ice through the following months. When spring arrived in September, the breaking of the ice and its later movements put extreme pressure on the ship's hull. Shackleton had been hoping that the ship, when released from the ice, could work her way back towards Vahsel Bay, but his hopes were dashed on 24 October when water began pouring in. After
5984-503: Is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences, the society has 16,000 members, with its work reaching the public through publications, research groups and lectures. The RGS was founded in 1830 under the name Geographical Society of London as an institution to promote the 'advancement of geographical science'. It later absorbed
6160-461: Is a strange and curious place ... A wonderful evening. In the darkening twilight I saw a lone star hover, gem like above the bay." Later he slept and was heard snoring by the surgeon McIlroy, who had just finished his watch-keeping duty. Shortly after 02:00 on the morning of 5 January, Macklin, who had taken over the watch, was summoned to Shackleton's cabin. He found Shackleton complaining of back pains and severe facial neuralgia , and asking for
6336-541: Is available by application from postgraduate students or those within five years of graduating from their first degree. Fellows of the RGS come from a wide range of professional backgrounds. They must either be proposed by an existing fellow or an individual may submit evidence of his or her own work and academic publications in the field of geography and closely related subjects such as international development , climate change and expedition medicine . Applicants must be of at least 21 years of age and provide evidence of
6512-448: Is conjecture that Scott's motive for removing him was resentment of Shackleton's popularity, and that ill-health was used as an excuse to get rid of him. Years after the deaths of Scott, Wilson and Shackleton, the expedition's second-in-command Albert Armitage claimed that there had been a falling-out on the southern journey, and that Scott had told the ship's doctor that "[if] he does not go back sick he will go back in disgrace". There
6688-429: Is inter-linked with the history of British geography, exploration and discovery. Information, maps, charts and knowledge gathered on expeditions was sent to the RGS, making up its now unique geographical collections. The society published its first journal in 1831 and from 1855, accounts of meetings and other matters were published in the society proceedings. In 1893, this was replaced by The Geographical Journal which
6864-541: Is no corroboration of Armitage's story. Shackleton and Scott remained on friendly terms, at least until the publication of Scott's account of the southern journey in The Voyage of the Discovery . While in public they appeared mutually respectful and cordial, according to biographer Roland Huntford , Shackleton's attitude to Scott turned to "smouldering scorn and dislike"; salvage of wounded pride required "a return to
7040-558: Is still published today. The society was also pivotal in establishing geography as a teaching and research discipline in British universities, and funded the first geography positions in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge . With the advent of a more systematic study of geography, the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) was formed in 1933, by thirteen geographers including Hilda Ormsby , Andrew Charles O'Dell , as
7216-590: The Arctic and its people. In 1902 they awarded khan Bahadur Sher Jang a Sword of Honour (the Black Memorial) in recognition of his valuable services to geography In total the society awards 17 medals and awards including honorary membership and fellowship. Some of the other awards given by the RGS include: The society's collections consist of over two million documents, maps, photographs, paintings, periodicals, artefacts and books, and span 500 years of geography, travel and exploration. The society preserves
Shackleton–Rowett Expedition - Misplaced Pages Continue
7392-553: The Beaufort Sea , but this plan was abandoned when the Canadian government withheld financial support; Shackleton thereupon switched his attention to the Antarctic. Quest , smaller than any recent Antarctic exploration vessel, soon proved inadequate for the task, and progress south was delayed by her poor sailing performance and frequent engine problems. Before the expedition's work could properly begin, Shackleton died on board
7568-550: The Canadian Arctic Archipelago , was largely unexplored; Shackleton believed, on the basis of tidal records, that it contained large undiscovered land masses that "would be of the greatest scientific interest to the world, apart from the possible economic value". Shackleton also hoped to reach the northern pole of inaccessibility , the most remote point in the Arctic regions. In March 1920, his plans received
7744-582: The Endurance expedition in late May 1917, while World War I was under way. Many of his men enlisted promptly upon their return. Too old to enlist, Shackleton nevertheless sought an active role in the war effort, and eventually departed for Murmansk with the temporary army rank of major , as part of the North Russia intervention . Shackleton expressed his dissatisfaction with this role in letters home: "I feel I am no use to anyone unless I am outfacing
7920-640: The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917. The expedition was struck by disaster when its ship, Endurance , became trapped in pack ice and finally sank in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica on 21 November 1915. The crew escaped by camping on the sea ice until it disintegrated, then by launching the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island and ultimately the South Atlantic island of South Georgia , enduring
8096-534: The Nimrod Islands ), and would investigate possible mineral resources to be exploited in these rediscovered lands. A scientific research program would include a visit to Gough Island , and an investigation of a possible "underwater continental connection between Africa and America." Shackleton's biographer Margery Fisher calls the plan "diffuse", and "far too comprehensive for one small body of men to tackle within two years", while according to Roland Huntford ,
8272-574: The Royal Geographical Society , and had been many years in preparation. Led by Robert Falcon Scott , a Royal Navy torpedo lieutenant lately promoted commander, the expedition had objectives that included scientific and geographical discovery. Although Discovery was not a Royal Navy unit, Scott required the crew, officers and scientific staff to submit to the conditions of the Naval Discipline Act, meaning that
8448-562: The Southern Ocean would replace the abandoned Beaufort Sea venture. Even before his problems with the Canadian government, Shackleton had been considering a southern expedition as a possible alternative to the Beaufort Sea. According to the RGS librarian Hugh Robert Mill , as early as March 1920 Shackleton had talked about two possible schemes – the Beaufort Sea exploration, and "an oceanographical expedition with
8624-590: The Union Steamship Company to share the cost. In accordance with Shackleton's promise to Scott, the ship headed for the eastern sector of the Great Ice Barrier, arriving there on 21 January 1908. They discovered that the Barrier Inlet had expanded to form a large bay, containing hundreds of whales, and they immediately christened it the "Bay of Whales". The ice conditions were found to be unstable, making it impossible to establish
8800-569: The University of Aberdeen ). He had also endowed dental research work at the Middlesex Hospital . In March 1921, Shackleton renamed his expedition vessel Quest . She was a small ship, 125 tons according to Huntford, with sail and auxiliary engine power purportedly capable of making eight knots , but in fact rarely making more than five-and-a-half. Huntford describes her as "straight-stemmed" , with an awkward square rig , and
8976-437: The waist with water. As they proceeded, Wild wrote that Quest rolled like a log, leaked and required regular pumping, was heavy on coal consumption, and was slow. All these factors led him to change his plan at the end of January. Bouvet Island was abandoned in favour of a more southerly course that brought them to the edge of the pack ice on 4 February. "Now the little Quest can really try her mettle", wrote Wild, as
SECTION 50
#17327838913099152-600: The "Great Southern Journey", as Wild called it. On 9 January 1909, they reached a new Farthest South latitude of 88°23′ S, a point 112 miles (180 km) from the Pole. En route, the South Pole party discovered the Beardmore Glacier , named after Shackleton's patron, and the four men became the first persons to see and travel on the South Polar Plateau. Their return journey to McMurdo Sound
9328-618: The "mechanical age" that succeeded the Heroic Age. At the end of his narrative of the Quest expedition, Wild wrote of the Antarctic: "I think that my work there is done"; he never returned, closing a career which, like Shackleton's, had bracketed the entire Heroic Age. In 1923, he emigrated to the Union of South Africa , where, after a series of business failures and dogged by ill health, he
9504-501: The Antarctic . His wife Emily later recorded: "The only comment he made to me about not reaching the Pole, was 'a live donkey is better than a dead lion, isn't it?' and I said 'Yes darling, as far as I am concerned,' and we left it at that." In 1910, Shackleton made a series of three recordings using an Edison phonograph , in which he briefly described the expedition. In 2010, several (mostly intact) cases of whisky and brandy that had been left behind in 1909 were recovered for analysis by
9680-505: The Antarctic adventures of Scott and Shackleton to the pioneering journeys of Livingstone, Baker, Speke and Burton. The RGS-IBG provides funding for geographical research and scientific expeditions. The society offers a number of grants to researchers, students, teachers and independent travellers. More than 70 projects are supported each year and in excess of £180,000 is awarded annually. Research has been conducted in more than 120 countries, from Namibia to Brazil to Greenland. Every year
9856-472: The Antarctic and an attempt to outdo Scott". After a period of convalescence in New Zealand, Shackleton returned to England via San Francisco and New York. As the first significant person to return from the Antarctic, he found that he was in demand; in particular, the Admiralty wished to consult him about its further proposals for the rescue of Discovery . With Sir Clements Markham's blessing, he accepted
10032-563: The Antarctic coast, via Madeira , Cape Town and New Zealand, on 9 January 1902. After landing, Shackleton took part in an experimental balloon flight on 4 February. He also participated, with the scientists Edward A. Wilson and Hartley T. Ferrar , in the first sledging trip from the expedition's winter quarters in McMurdo Sound , a journey which established a safe route on to the Great Ice Barrier . Confined to
10208-406: The Antarctic, although Worsley made one voyage to the Arctic in 1925. Of the other crew and staff of Quest , Australian naturalist Hubert Wilkins became a pioneer aviator in both the Arctic and Antarctic, and flew from Point Barrow , Alaska, to Spitsbergen in 1928. He also made several unsuccessful attempts during the 1930s, in collaboration with American adventurer Lincoln Ellsworth , to fly to
10384-549: The British Antarctic Expedition, reaching New Zealand at the end of November. After some final preparations, the expedition set off from Lyttelton Harbour on 1 January 1908, heading for the Antarctic. Shackleton had originally planned to use the old Discovery base in McMurdo Sound to launch his attempts on the South Pole and South Magnetic Pole, but before leaving England, he had been pressured into giving Scott an undertaking not to base himself in
10560-533: The Institute of British Geographers) was formed. The society also works together with other existing bodies serving the geographical community, in particular the Geographical Association and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society . In 2004, the RGS's historical collections relating to scientific exploration and research, which are of national and international importance, were opened to
10736-530: The McMurdo area, which Scott was claiming as his own field of work. Shackleton reluctantly agreed to seek out winter quarters at either the Barrier Inlet —which he had briefly visited in 1902 on Discovery —or King Edward VII Land . To conserve coal, the ship was towed 1,650 miles (2,655 km) by the steamer Koonya to the Antarctic ice, after Shackleton had persuaded the New Zealand government and
SECTION 60
#173278389130910912-628: The Patron's. The award has been given to notable geographers including David Livingstone (1855), Nain Singh Rawat (1876), Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen (1878), Alfred Russel Wallace (1892), and Frederick Courtney Selous (1893) to more recent winners including Percy Harrison Fawcett (1916), Professor William Morris Davis (1919), Sir Halford John Mackinder (1945), Professor L. Dudley Stamp (1949), Professor Richard Chorley (1987) and Professor David Harvey (1995). In 2004 Harish Kapadia
11088-541: The RGS about this in February 1910. Any future resumption by Shackleton of his quest for the South Pole depended on the results of Scott's Terra Nova Expedition , which had sailed from Cardiff on 15 June 1910. By early 1912, the world was aware that the pole had been conquered by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, but the fate of Scott's expedition was not then known. Shackleton's mind turned to
11264-426: The RGS was seen as too focused on exploration. IBG activities included organising conferences, field trips, seminars, and specialist research groups and publishing a journal, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers . The RGS and IBG co-existed for 60 years until 1992 when a merger was discussed. In 1994, members were balloted and the merger agreed. In January 1995, the new Royal Geographical Society (with
11440-533: The RGS-IBG helps teams of students and researchers to get into the field with Geographical Fieldwork Grants, the society's longest running grant scheme. The newest initiative is the RGS-IBG International Field Centre Grants, for work in international field centres in developing nations. Independent travel grants support geographical expeditions. Each year, the society supports more than 50 student fieldwork projects, from PhD students collecting data for their dissertation to groups of undergraduates looking to get out into
11616-431: The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Information is delivered in real time, with content changing as the flight progresses, so for example, while a passenger is passing over the United Kingdom, they'll be met with a pop-up that explains the origins and importance of the English Channel. The RGS-IBG education department offers courses, resources, accreditation, grants, awards, competitions and school membership, all for
11792-497: The Royal Geographical Society his plans for an Antarctic expedition, the details of which, under the name British Antarctic Expedition , were published in the RGS newsletter, Geographical Journal . The aim was the conquest of both the geographical South Pole and the South Magnetic Pole . He then worked hard to persuade others of his wealthy friends and acquaintances to contribute, including Sir Philip Lee Brocklehurst , who subscribed £2,000 (equivalent to £267,244 in 2023) to secure
11968-442: The Society was the former Prime Minister Viscount Goderich and the first Secretary Alexander Maconochie (who became the first professor of Geography at the University College London ), with another notable council member being Sir Francis Beaufort . Like many learned societies , it had started as a dining club in London, where select members held informal dinner debates on current scientific issues and ideas. It later absorbed
12144-427: The Society, consisting mainly of cultural objects from around the world, ranging from Inuit boots (from Canadian Arctic) to ceremonial leopard's claws (from the then Belgian Congo), paraphernalia of exploration, for example oxygen sets used in the various attempts on Everest, and personal items belonging to explorers, such as Shackleton's Burberry helmet. Artefacts from the collection have been loaned to exhibitions around
12320-445: The South Pole in 1912. The society is governed by its board of trustees called the council, which is chaired by its president. The members of council and the president are elected from its fellowship . The council consists of 36 members, 22 of which are elected by fellows and serve for a three-year term. In addition to the elected trustees, there are honorary members—who include the Duke of Kent as honorary president—who sit on
12496-467: The South Pole. James Marr also became an Antarctic regular after qualifying as a marine biologist, and joined several Australian expeditions in the late 1920s and 1930s. Roderick Carr became an Air Marshal in the Royal Air Force and deputy chief of staff to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in 1945. Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO OBE FRGS FRSGS (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922)
12672-412: The Weddell Sea towards Elephant Island , where Wild and 21 others had been stranded during Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition six years earlier. They would then return to South Georgia before the onset of winter. For the most part, the long passage across the Weddell Sea proceeded uneventfully. There was a growing level of unrest among the crew, perhaps provoked by disappointment with
12848-667: The advancement of geography. The most prestigious of these awards are the Founder's Medal and the Patron's Medal . The award is given for "the encouragement and promotion of geographical science and discovery", and are approved by King Charles III . The awards originated as an annual gift of fifty guineas from King William IV , first made in 1831, "to constitute a premium for the encouragement and promotion of geographical science and discovery". The society decided in 1839 to change this monetary award into two gold medals: Founder's Medal and
13024-507: The aeroplane was a disappointment; Shackleton had hoped to pioneer the use of air transport in Antarctic waters, and had discussed this issue with the British Air Ministry . According to Fisher's account, essential aeroplane parts had been sent on to Cape Town, but remained uncollected. The long-range, 220-volt wireless equipment did not work properly, and was abandoned early on. The smaller, 110-volt equipment worked only within
13200-434: The aeroplane was not used during the expedition and Carr assisted with the general scientific work. Scientific staff included Australian biologist Hubert Wilkins , who had Arctic experience, and Canadian geologist Vibert Douglas, who had initially signed for the aborted Beaufort Sea expedition. The recruits who caught the most public attention were two members of The Boy Scouts Association , Norman Mooney and James Marr . As
13376-465: The air. Since launching, online guides have been published for more than 25 flight paths, including London to Johannesburg , New York City to Los Angeles, Sydney to Singapore, Madrid to Rio de Janeiro . The Hidden Journeys project is also integrating its content with the moving maps aboard airliners , as a new form of in-flight entertainment (IFE) that has been termed geo-entertainment or geotainment. In December 2013, Singapore Airlines began
13552-488: The apparent aimlessness of the voyage; Worsley in particular was critical of Wild's leadership. Wild, in his own account, dealt with this discontent by the threat of "the most drastic treatment". On 12 March, they reached 64°11'S , 46°4'W , which was the area where Ross had recorded an appearance of land in 1842, but there was no sign of it, and a depth sounding of over 2,300 fathoms (13,800 ft; 4,200 m) indicated no likelihood of land nearby. From 15 to 21 March, Quest
13728-424: The beginning of serious work was a heavy blow, and questions were raised about the adequacy of Wild as his replacement. Some reports imply that Wild drank heavily – "practically an alcoholic", according to Huntford. Mills suggests that even if Shackleton had lived to complete the expedition, it is arguable whether under the circumstances it could have achieved more than it did under Wild's command. The non-use of
13904-470: The big issues likely to affect our lives and society in the coming years. The talks are held at the society's headquarters with all talks available to watch online along with additional information. Discovering Britain is a website featuring a series of self-led geographical walks that help explain the stories behind the UK's built and natural landscapes. Each walk explores a particular landscape, finding out about
14080-423: The boat journey. Shackleton suffered frostbitten fingers as a result. Elephant Island was an inhospitable place, far from any shipping routes. Rescue by means of a chance discovery was very unlikely, so Shackleton decided to risk an open-boat journey to the South Georgia whaling stations where he knew help would be available. The strongest of the tiny 20-foot (6.1 m) lifeboats, christened James Caird after
14256-485: The cause as "Atheroma of the Coronary arteries and Heart failure" – in modern terms, coronary thrombosis . Later that morning, Wild, now in command, gave the news to the shocked crew, and told them that the expedition would carry on. The body was taken ashore for embalming before its return to England. On 19 January, Leonard Hussey accompanied the body on board a steamer bound for Montevideo , but on arrival there he found
14432-475: The collections for the benefit of future generations, while providing public access and promoting collections-related educational programmes for schools and lifelong learners. The Foyle Reading Room acts as a consultation space for using the society's collections, and hosts showcases and workshops as well as the Be Inspired series of talks. The artefacts collection includes over a thousand items brought to
14608-453: The continent. Shackleton employed his considerable fund-raising skills to support the expedition, which was financed largely by private donations, although the British government gave £10,000 (equivalent to £1,212,201 in 2023). Scottish jute magnate Sir James Caird donated £24,000, Midlands industrialist Frank Dudley Docker gave £10,000, and tobacco heiress Janet Stancomb-Wills gave an undisclosed but reportedly "generous" sum. There
14784-716: The council. The society has five specialist committees that it derives advice from: the Education Committee, Research Committee, Expedition and Fieldwork Committee, Information Resources Committee, and the Finance Committee. There are four categories of individual membership: Anyone with an interest in geography is eligible to apply to become a member of the RGS-IBG. Students who are studying geography (or an allied subject) at GCSE, A Level or as an undergraduate (or at equivalent levels). This status
14960-440: The crew into the lifeboats and to head for the nearest land. After five harrowing days at sea, the exhausted men landed their three lifeboats at Elephant Island , 346 miles (557 km) from where the Endurance had sunk. This was the first time they had set foot on solid ground for 497 days. Shackleton's concern for his men was such that he gave his mittens to photographer Frank Hurley, who had lost his own mittens during
15136-628: The crossing of the continent; meanwhile, a second ship, the Aurora , would take a supporting party under Captain Aeneas Mackintosh to McMurdo Sound on the far side of the continent. This party would be tasked with laying supply depots across the Great Ice Barrier as far as the Beardmore Glacier, the depots holding the food and fuel required to enable Shackleton's party to complete their journey of 1,800 miles (2,900 km) across
15312-421: The development of geographical knowledge and the historical development of geography. Since 1994, the society has recorded the majority of its Monday night lectures. Society members and fellows can watch selected lectures from 2006 onward online. The society's picture library holds over half a million photographs, artworks, negatives, lantern slides and albums dating from around 1830. Historic images range from
15488-439: The discipline. The society supports innovation in teaching geography at secondary and higher education level, offering several awards for school teachers to work alongside researchers in geographical research, so to develop educational resources for the classroom, and to create teaching materials. 21st Century Challenges is the society's discussion series that aims to improve public understanding of, and engagement with, some of
15664-400: The dissection, the parsing, the analysing of certain passages from our great poets and prose-writers ... teachers should be very careful not to spoil [their pupils'] taste for poetry for all time by making it a task and an imposition." In his final term at the school, he was still able to achieve fifth place in his class of thirty-one. Shackleton's restlessness at school was such that he
15840-438: The ensuing voyage to South Georgia he was, from the accounts of his shipmates, unusually subdued and listless. He also began drinking champagne each morning, "to deaden the pain", contrary to his normal rule of not allowing liquor at sea. A severe storm ruined the expedition's proposed Christmas celebrations, and a new problem with the engine's steam furnace slowed progress and caused Shackleton further stress. By 1 January 1922,
16016-474: The expedition ended quietly, although his biographer Leif Mills writes of enthusiastic crowds in Plymouth Sound. At the end of his account, Wild expressed the hope that the information they had brought back might "prove of value in helping to solve the great natural problems that still beset us". These results were summarised in five brief appendices to Wild's book. The summaries reflected the efforts of
16192-486: The expedition had no obvious goal and was "only too clearly a piece of improvisation, a pretext [for Shackleton] to get away". Fisher describes the expedition as representing "the dividing line between what has become known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration and the Mechanical Age ". Shackleton called the voyage "pioneering", referring specifically to the aeroplane that was taken (but ultimately not used) on
16368-493: The expedition should now go. Kerr reported that a longstanding problem with the ship's furnace was manageable and, after supplementing stores and equipment, Wild decided to proceed generally in accordance with Shackleton's original intentions. He would take the ship eastward towards Bouvet Island and then beyond, before turning south to enter the ice as close as possible to Enderby Land, and begin coastal survey work there. The expedition would also investigate an appearance of land in
16544-414: The expedition's chief sponsor, was chosen for the trip. Ship's carpenter Harry McNish made various improvements, which included raising the sides, strengthening the keel, building a makeshift deck of wood and canvas, and sealing the work with oil paint and seal blood. Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) , often shortened to RGS ,
16720-590: The expedition's ship Discovery was confirmed; on 4 June he was commissioned into the Royal Navy, with the rank of sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve . Although officially on leave from Union-Castle, this was in fact the end of Shackleton's Merchant Navy service. The British National Antarctic Expedition —known as the Discovery Expedition after the ship Discovery —was the brainchild of Sir Clements Markham, president of
16896-404: The expedition's southern journey, a march southwards to achieve the highest possible latitude in the direction of the South Pole. This was not a serious attempt on the Pole, although the attainment of a high latitude was of great importance to Scott, and the inclusion of Shackleton indicated a high degree of personal trust. The party set out on 2 November 1902. Scott later wrote that the march
17072-505: The expedition. In fact this was only one of the technological "firsts" that marked the venture; there were gadgets in profusion. The ship's crow's nest was electrically heated; there were heated overalls for the lookouts, a wireless set , and a device called an odograph which could trace and chart the ship's route automatically. Photography was to figure prominently, and "a large and expensive outfit of cameras, cinematographical machines and general photographic appliances [was] acquired". Among
17248-494: The failure to call at Cape Town on the way south, which meant that important equipment was not picked up. On South Georgia, Wild found little that could make up for this loss – there were no dogs on the island, so no sledging work could be carried out, which eliminated Wild's preferred choice of a revised expedition goal, an exploration of Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula . The death of Shackleton before
17424-490: The family's Anglo-Irish ancestry, following the 1882 assassination by Irish nationalists of Lord Frederick Cavendish , the British Chief Secretary for Ireland . However, Shackleton took lifelong pride in his Irish roots and frequently declared that he was "an Irishman". From early childhood, Shackleton was a voracious reader, a pursuit which sparked in him a passion for adventure. He was schooled by
17600-507: The field for the first time. Grants are available for both human and physical geography projects, in any area of the world. The society supports a range of field and desk-based research by academic geographers, from established researchers undertaking fieldwork to early career academics working on smaller projects. The RGS-IBG also supports academics attending geographical conferences around the world. Some awards focus on particular geographical regions or topics, with others open to any aspect of
17776-469: The financial guarantees he had given to backers. Despite his efforts, it required government action, in the form of a grant of £20,000 (equivalent to £2,578,822 in 2023) to clear the most pressing obligations, and it is likely that many of his debts were written off. In the period immediately after his return, Shackleton engaged in a strenuous schedule of public appearances, lectures and social engagements. He then sought to cash in on his celebrity by making
17952-466: The first officer was Lionel Greenstreet . The meteorologist was Leonard Hussey , who was also an able banjo player. Surgeon James McIlroy was head of the scientific staff, which included geologist James Wordie . Alexander Macklin was the second of the two surgeons, also in charge of keeping the 70 dogs healthy. Tom Crean was in more immediate charge as head dog-handler. Other crew included navigator Hubert Hudson , physicist Reginald James,
18128-412: The general approval of the Royal Geographical Society and were supported by the Canadian government. On this basis Shackleton set about acquiring the necessary funding, which he estimated at £50,000. Later that year, Shackleton met by chance an old school-friend, John Quiller Rowett , who agreed to put up a nucleus of cash to get Shackleton started. With this money, in January 1921, Shackleton purchased
18304-402: The hardship and danger of the planned voyage, so that he could better narrow down the selection of candidates for his expedition, but no record of any such advertisement has survived and its existence is considered doubtful. Two ships were to be employed: Endurance would carry the main party into the Weddell Sea, aiming for Vahsel Bay from where a team of six, led by Shackleton, would begin
18480-605: The iced-in Discovery throughout the Antarctic winter of 1902, Shackleton edited the expedition's magazine the South Polar Times , a regular publication that kept everyone onboard entertained. According to steward Clarence Hare , Shackleton was "the most popular of the officers among the crew, being a good mixer", though claims that this represented an unofficial rivalry to Scott's leadership are unsupported. Scott chose Shackleton to accompany Wilson and himself on
18656-401: The islanders, the expedition made brief landings on the small Inaccessible Island , 20 miles (32 km) south-west of Tristan, and visited the even smaller Nightingale Island , collecting specimens. Wild's impressions of the stay at Tristan were not altogether favourable. He noted the appalling squalor and poverty, and said of the population: "They are ignorant, shut off almost completely from
18832-497: The landscape, and shaping, preserving and exploiting the landscape. Hidden Journeys is a public engagement project of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) that started in 2010. The Hidden Journeys website combines images, stories and maps (many from the Society's geographical collections) into a series of interactive guides of popular flight paths, enabling people to explore the incredible places they fly over and might see from
19008-421: The latest geographical academic literature in addition to the journals published by the RGS-IBG itself. The RGS-IBG houses a collection of 4,500 expedition reports. These documents contain details of the achievements and research results of expeditions to almost every country of the world. The catalogue of these reports, and over 8,500 planned and past expeditions, is held on a database which provides contact with
19184-443: The look of them, or after the briefest of interrogations. He loosened some of the traditional hierarchies to promote camaraderie, such as distributing the ship's chores equally among officers, scientists and able seamen. He made a point of socialising with his crew members every evening after dinner, leading sing-alongs, jokes and games. He finally selected a crew of fifty-six ; shared equally, twenty-eight men on each ship. Despite
19360-537: The meantime, he had taken a job with wealthy Clydeside industrialist William Beardmore (later Lord Invernairn), with a roving commission which involved interviewing prospective clients and entertaining Beardmore's business friends. He was, by this time, making no secret of his ambition to return to Antarctica at the head of his own expedition. Beardmore was sufficiently impressed with Shackleton to offer financial support, but other donations proved hard to come by. Nevertheless, in February 1907, Shackleton presented to
19536-542: The message that they should return to England. Wild wrote: "I should have liked one more season in the Enderby Quadrant ;... much might be accomplished by making Cape Town our starting point and setting out early in the season." On 19 July, they left Cape Town and sailed north. Their final visits were to Saint Helena , Ascension Island and São Vicente . On 16 September, one year after departure, they arrived at Plymouth harbour. According to Wild,
19712-499: The mid sixteenth century onwards, aerial photography from 1919 and contemporary satellite images. The manuscript archive collection consists of material arising out of the conduct of society business and manuscripts relating to persons or subjects of special interest. The document collection includes a few papers from before the society's founding in 1830, and is particularly useful to biographers of nineteenth and early twentieth century travellers and geographers, as well as research into
19888-474: The mouth of the Weddell Sea, reported by James Clark Ross in 1842, but not seen since. Ultimately, progress would depend on weather, ice conditions, and the capabilities of the ship. Quest left South Georgia on 18 January, heading south-east towards the South Sandwich Islands . There was a heavy swell , such that the overladen ship frequently dipped her gunwales below the waves, filling
20064-563: The navy to start a family back home in County Kerry , and declined Shackleton's invitation. Of the newcomers, Roderick Carr , a New Zealand-born Royal Air Force pilot, was hired to fly the expedition's aeroplane, an Avro Baby modified as a seaplane with an 80-horsepower engine. He had met Shackleton in north Russia, and had recently been serving as chief of staff to the Lithuanian Air Force . Due to some missing parts,
20240-426: The news arrived from South Georgia that Filchner's expedition had failed. In Shackleton's own words, the transcontinental journey was the "one great main object of Antarctic journeyings" remaining, and now open to him. In December 1913, Shackleton published details of his new expedition, grandly titled the "Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition". There is a legend that Shackleton posted an advertisement emphasising
20416-474: The object of visiting all the little-known islands of the South Atlantic and South Pacific ". By June 1921, the latter plan had expanded to include a circumnavigation of the Antarctic continent and the mapping of around 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of uncharted coastline. It would also encompass a search for "lost" or wrongly charted sub-Antarctic islands (including Dougherty Island , Tuanaki , and
20592-432: The oceanographical research equipment was a Lucas deep-sea sounding machine. This ample provision arose from the sponsorship of Rowett, who had extended his original gift of seed money to an undertaking to cover the costs of the entire expedition. The extent of Rowett's contribution is not recorded; in an (undated) prospectus for the southern expedition Shackleton had estimated the total cost as "about £100,000". Whatever
20768-499: The old landmarks, before landing on the western coast to hunt for elephant seals. They were able to obtain sufficient blubber to mix with the coal so that, aided by a favourable wind, they reached South Georgia on 6 April. Quest remained in South Georgia for a month, during which time Shackleton's old comrades erected a memorial cairn to their former leader, on a headland overlooking the entrance to Grytviken harbour. On 8 May 1922, Quest sailed for Cape Town, where Wild hoped to arrange
20944-683: The older African Association , which had been founded by Sir Joseph Banks in 1788, as well as the Raleigh Club and the Palestine Association . From 1830 to 1840 the RGS met in the rooms of the Horticultural Society in Regent Street , London and from 1854 -1870 at 15 Whitehall Place, London. In 1870, the society finally found a home when it moved to 1 Savile Row , London. The society also used briefly
21120-409: The older African Association , which had been founded by Sir Joseph Banks in 1788, as well as the Raleigh Club and the Palestine Association . In 1995 it merged with the Institute of British Geographers , a body for academic geographers, to become officially the Royal Geographical Society with IBG . The society is governed by its council, which is chaired by the society's president, according to
21296-661: The outbreak of the First World War on 3 August 1914, Endurance was directed by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill , to "proceed", and left British waters on 8 August. Shackleton delayed his own departure until 27 September, meeting the ship in Buenos Aires . On setting sail for South Georgia at the end of October, he sent a cablegram to the Daily Chronicle , conveying
21472-586: The patriotic message: "We hope in our small way to add victories in science and discovery to that certain victory which our nation will achieve in the cause of honor and liberty." While Shackleton led the expedition, Captain Frank Worsley commanded the Endurance and Captain Aeneas Mackintosh the Aurora . On the Endurance , the second-in-command was the experienced explorer Frank Wild, and
21648-439: The pole in exploration history. Also, members of his team climbed Mount Erebus , the most active Antarctic volcano. On returning home, Shackleton was knighted for his achievements by King Edward VII . After the race to the South Pole ended in December 1911, with Roald Amundsen 's conquest, Shackleton turned his attention to the crossing of Antarctica from sea to sea, via the pole. To this end, he made preparations for what became
21824-493: The public for the first time. In the same year, a new category of membership was introduced to widen access for people with a general interest in geography. The new Foyle Reading Room and glass Pavilion exhibition space were also opened to the public in 2004. For example, in 2012 the RGS held an exhibition, in the glass Pavilion, of photographs taken by Herbert Ponting on Captain Robert Falcon Scott 's expedition to
22000-563: The result of publicity organised by the Daily Mail newspaper, these two had been selected to join the expedition out of around 1,700 Scouts who had applied to go. Mooney, who was from the Orkney Islands , dropped out during the voyage south, leaving the ship at Madeira after suffering chronic seasickness. Marr, an 18-year-old from Aberdeen , remained throughout, winning plaudits from Shackleton and Wild for his application to
22176-549: The return journey, Shackleton had by his own admission "broken down" and could no longer carry out his share of the work. He later denied Scott's claim in The Voyage of the Discovery , that he had been carried on the sledge . He was in a severely weakened condition; Wilson's diary entry for 14 January 1903 reads: "Shackleton has been anything but up to the mark, and today he is decidedly worse, very short-winded, and coughing constantly, with more serious symptoms which need not be detailed here, but which are of no small consequence
22352-475: The scientific staff to collect data and specimens at each port of call, and the geological and survey work carried out by Carr and Douglas on South Georgia, before the southern voyage. Eventually a few scientific papers and articles were developed from this material, but it was, in Leif Mills's words, "little enough to show for a year's work". The lack of a clear, defined expedition objective was aggravated by
22528-470: The ship and expedition were run on Royal Navy lines. Shackleton accepted this approach, even though his own background and instincts favoured a different, more informal style of leadership. His particular duties were listed as: "In charge of sea-water analysis. Ward-room caterer. In charge of the holds, stores, and provisions [...] He also arranges the entertainments." Discovery departed from London's East India Docks on 31 July 1901, arriving at
22704-441: The ship been taken to the Beaufort Sea in accordance with Shackleton's original plans, she would probably have been crushed in the Arctic pack ice . On her voyage south she suffered frequent damage and breakdowns, requiring repairs at every port of call. The Times had reported that Shackleton planned to take a dozen men to the Arctic, "chiefly those who had accompanied him on earlier expeditions". In fact, Quest left London for
22880-570: The ship entered the loose pack. He noted that Quest was the smallest ship ever to attempt to penetrate the heavy Antarctic ice, and pondered on the fate of others. "Shall we escape, or will the Quest join the ships in Davy Jones's Locker ?" During the days that followed, as they moved southward in falling temperatures, the ice thickened. On 12 February, they reached the most southerly latitude they would attain, 69°17'S , and their most easterly longitude, 17°9'E , well short of Enderby Land. Noting
23056-403: The ship moved southward navigating in ice , she encountered first-year ice , which slowed progress. Deep in the Weddell Sea, conditions gradually grew worse until, on 19 January 1915, Endurance became frozen fast in an ice floe . On 24 February, realising that they would be trapped until the following spring, Shackleton ordered the abandonment of the ship's routine and her conversion to
23232-633: The ship would visit South Georgia before returning to Cape Town for refitting and preparation for the second year's work. The ship's performance in the early stages of the voyage disrupted this schedule. Serious problems with the engine necessitated a week's stay in Lisbon , and further stops in Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands . These delays and the slow speed of the ship led Shackleton to decide that it would be necessary to sacrifice entirely
23408-403: The ship, just after arriving at the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia . The major part of the subsequent attenuated expedition was a three-month cruise to the eastern Antarctic, under the leadership of the party's second-in-command, Frank Wild . The shortcomings of Quest were soon in evidence: slow speed, heavy fuel consumption, a tendency to roll in heavy seas, and a steady leak. The ship
23584-493: The ship. The other main accomplishments of the British Antarctic Expedition included the first ascent of Mount Erebus , and the discovery of the approximate location of the South Magnetic Pole, attained by Edgeworth David , Douglas Mawson and Alistair Mackay on 16 January 1909. Shackleton returned to the United Kingdom as a hero, and soon afterwards published his account of the expedition, The Heart of
23760-447: The situation was discovered, so Blackborow was allowed to join the crew and assigned to the ship's galley. There was a (male) cat onboard, named Mrs Chippy , that belonged to the carpenter Harry McNish. Mrs Chippy was shot when the Endurance sank, due to the belief that he would not have survived the ordeal that followed. Endurance departed from South Georgia for the Weddell Sea on 5 December 1914, heading for Vahsel Bay. As
23936-441: The so-called Irish Crown Jewels , which have never been recovered. In 1880, when Ernest was six, his father gave up his life as a landowner to study medicine at Trinity College Dublin , moving his family to the city. Four years later, they left Ireland and moved to Sydenham in suburban London. This was partly in search of better professional prospects for the newly qualified doctor, but another factor may have been unease about
24112-507: The society was closely allied for many of its earlier years with 'colonial' exploration in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the polar regions, and central Asia especially. It has been a key associate and supporter of many notable explorers and expeditions , including those of Darwin , Livingstone , Stanley , Scott , Shackleton , Hunt and Hillary . The early history of the society
24288-408: The south with 20 men, of whom eight were old Endurance comrades; another, James Dell, was a veteran from the Discovery , 20 years previously. Some of the Endurance hands had not been fully paid from the earlier expedition, but were prepared to join Shackleton again out of personal loyalty. Another Shackleton loyalist, Ernest Joyce , had fallen out with Shackleton over the money he claimed
24464-404: The state of the sea ice and fearing being frozen in, Wild retreated to the north and west. He still hoped to tackle the heavy ice, and if possible, break through to the hidden land beyond. On 18 February, he turned the ship south again for another try, but was no more successful than before. On 24 February, after a series of further efforts had failed, Wild set a course westward across the mouth of
24640-616: The storm in wild lands." He returned to England in February 1919 and began plans to set up a company that would, with the cooperation of the North Russian Government , develop the natural resources of the region. This scheme came to nothing, as the Red Army took control of that part of Russia during the Russian Civil War ; to provide himself with an income, Shackleton had to rely on the lecture circuit. During
24816-601: The supposed degeneration of the British race. One does not believe that we have lost all sense of admiration for courage [and] endurance". The heroism was also claimed by Ireland: the Dublin Evening Telegraph 's headline read "South Pole Almost Reached by an Irishman", while the Dublin Express spoke of the "qualities which were his heritage as an Irishman". Shackleton's fellow polar explorers expressed their admiration; Roald Amundsen wrote, in
24992-428: The tasks at hand. After being put to work in the ship's coal bunkers, according to Wild, Marr "came out of the trial very well, showing an amount of hardihood and endurance that was remarkable". Quest sailed from St Katharine Docks , London, on 17 September 1921, after inspection by King George V . Large crowds gathered on the banks of the river and on the bridges, to witness the event. Marr wrote in his diary that it
25168-408: The total, Rowett appears to have funded the lion's share, enabling Frank Wild to record later that, unique among Antarctic expeditions of the era, this one returned home without any outstanding debt. According to Wild, without Rowett's actions the expedition would have been impossible: "His generous attitude is the more remarkable in that he knew there was no prospect of financial return, and what he did
25344-678: The visits to the South Atlantic islands, and instead he turned the ship towards Rio de Janeiro , where the engine could receive a thorough overhaul. Quest reached Rio on 22 November 1921. The engine overhaul, and the replacement of a damaged topmast, delayed the party in Rio for four weeks. This meant that it was no longer practical to proceed to Cape Town and then on to the ice. Shackleton decided to sail directly to Grytviken harbour in South Georgia. Equipment and stores that had been sent on to Cape Town would have to be sacrificed, but Shackleton hoped that this shortfall could be made up in South Georgia. He
25520-470: The way in which the forces of nature, people, events and the economy have created and shaped the area. There are now more than 120 walks on the Discovering Britain website, covering all regions of the United Kingdom. Walks are themed according to the landscape in which they are located, including built, prehistoric, historic, working, hidden and changing landscapes. Walks also look at people in
25696-521: The weather had abated: "Rest and calm after the storm – the year has begun kindly for us", wrote Shackleton in his diary. On 4 January, South Georgia was sighted, and late that morning Quest anchored at Grytviken. After visiting the whaling establishment ashore, Shackleton returned to the ship apparently refreshed. He told Frank Wild that they would celebrate their deferred Christmas the next day, and retired to his cabin to write his diary. "The old smell of dead whale permeates everything", he wrote. "It
25872-484: The winter of 1919–20 he lectured twice a day, six days a week, for five months. Despite the large debts still outstanding from the Endurance expedition, Shackleton's mind turned towards another exploration venture. He decided to turn away from the Antarctic, go northwards and, as he put it, "fill in this great blank now called the Beaufort Sea ". This area of the Arctic Ocean , to the north of Alaska and west of
26048-503: The wooden Norwegian whaler Foca I together with other equipment, and began the process of hiring of a crew. In May 1921, the policy of the Canadian government towards Arctic expeditions changed with the advent of a new prime minister, Arthur Meighen , who withdrew support from Shackleton's proposal. Shackleton was required to rethink his plans, and decided to sail for the Antarctic instead. A varied programme of exploration, coastal mapping, mineral prospecting and oceanographic research in
26224-578: The world and are in continual demand. The library collection holds more than 150,000 bound volumes that focus on the history and geography of places worldwide. Example volumes include information on European migration, a 19th-century guidebook to Berlin, and David Livingstone's account of his search for the source of the Nile . It currently receives around 800 journal titles, as well as many more journal titles that are either not currently subscribed to, or have ceased publication, allowing society members access to
26400-550: The world, horribly limited in outlook." After the Scout parade and flag presentation, Quest sailed on to Gough Island , 200 miles (320 km) to the east, where members of the expedition took geological and botanical samples. They arrived at Cape Town on 18 June, to be greeted by enthusiastic crowds. South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts gave an official reception, and they were honoured at dinners and lunches by local organisations. They were also met by Rowett's agent, with
26576-445: Was "a combination of success and failure". They reached a record Farthest South latitude of 82°17′ S, beating the previous record established in 1900 by Carsten Borchgrevink . The journey was marred by the poor performance of the dogs, who rapidly fell sick after their food had become tainted. All 22 dogs died during the march. The three men all suffered at times from snow blindness , frostbite and, ultimately, scurvy . On
26752-531: Was "a departure from our usual type of young officer", content with his own company though not aloof, "spouting lines from Keats or Browning ", a mixture of sensitivity and aggression but not unsympathetic. Following the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899, Shackleton transferred to the troopship Tintagel Castle where, in March 1900, he met Cedric Longstaff, an army lieutenant whose father Llewellyn W. Longstaff
26928-405: Was a race to avoid starvation, and they were restricted to half-rations for much of the duration. At one point, Shackleton gave his one biscuit allotted for the day to the ailing Frank Wild, who wrote in his diary: "All the money that was ever minted would not have bought that biscuit and the remembrance of that sacrifice will never leave me". The party arrived back at Hut Point just in time to catch
27104-495: Was able to secure him a berth with the North Western Shipping Company, aboard the square-rigged sailing ship Hoghton Tower . Over the next four years at sea, Shackleton learned his trade and visited many parts of the world, forming a variety of acquaintances and learning to associate with people from many different walks of life. In August 1894, he passed his examination for second mate and accepted
27280-475: Was allowed to leave at sixteen and go to sea. One option was a Royal Navy officer cadetship in the Britannia at Dartmouth , but this was too expensive, and Shackleton passed the upper age limit of fourteen and a half in 1888. Alternatives were the mercantile marine cadet ships Worcester and Conway , or an apprenticeship "before the mast" on a sailing vessel. This third option was chosen. His father
27456-562: Was also appointed a Younger Brother of Trinity House , a significant honour for British mariners. Besides the official honours bestowed on Shackleton, his Antarctic feats were greeted in Britain with great enthusiasm. Proposing a toast to Shackleton at a lunch given in his honour by the Royal Societies Club, Lord Halsbury , a former Lord Chancellor , said: "When one remembers what he had gone through, one does not believe in
27632-559: Was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic . He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration . Born in Kilkea , County Kildare, Ireland, Shackleton and his Anglo-Irish family moved to Sydenham in suburban south London when he was ten. Shackleton's first experience of the polar regions was as third officer on Captain Robert Falcon Scott 's Discovery Expedition of 1901–1904, from which he
27808-470: Was as though "all London had conspired together to bid us a heartening farewell". Shackleton's original intention was to sail down to Cape Town , visiting the main South Atlantic islands on the way. From Cape Town, Quest would head for the Enderby Land coast of Antarctica where, once in the ice, it would explore the coastline towards Coats Land in the Weddell Sea . At the end of the summer season
27984-520: Was awarded the Patron's Medal for contributions to geographical discovery and mountaineering in the Himalayas, making him the second Indian to receive the award in its history. In 2005 the Founder's Medal was awarded to Professor Sir Nicholas Shackleton for his research in the field of Quaternary Palaeoclimatology and the Patron's Medal was awarded to Professor Jean Malaurie for a lifelong study of
28160-404: Was considerable public interest; Shackleton received more than 5,000 applications to join his expedition. At times, his interviewing and selection methods seemed eccentric; believing that character and temperament were as important as technical ability, his questions were unconventional. Physicist Reginald James was asked if he could sing; others were accepted on sight because Shackleton liked
28336-517: Was descended from Abraham Shackleton , an English Quaker who moved to Ireland in 1726 and started a school in Ballitore , County Kildare. Shackleton's mother, Henrietta Letitia Sophia Gavan, was descended from the Fitzmaurice family. Ernest was the second of ten children and the first of two sons; the second, Frank, achieved notoriety as a suspect, later exonerated, in the 1907 theft of
28512-419: Was employed in a succession of low-paid jobs. In March 1939, British authorities awarded him an annual pension of £170; Wild commented: "I don't want to grumble, but I think it might have been made big enough for the poor old hero and his wife to live on". Wild died on 19 August 1939, aged 66. The cause of death recorded was pneumonia and diabetes mellitus . None of the other Endurance veterans returned to
28688-468: Was founded on 16 July 1830 under the name Geographical Society of London as an institution to promote the 'advancement of geographical science'. The seven founding members of the society were Sir John Barrow (geographer), Sir Roderick Murchison (geologist), Robert Brown (botanist), Lord Broughton (politician), Mountstuart Elphinstone (colonial administrator), Bartholomew Frere (diplomat) and William Henry Smyth (Admiral). The first President of
28864-405: Was frozen into the ice, and the shortage of coal became a major concern. Wild hoped that the diminished fuel supply could be supplemented by blubber from the seals at Elephant Island. On 25 March, the island was sighted. Wild wanted if possible to revisit Cape Wild, the site of the old Endurance expedition camp, but bad weather prevented this. They viewed the site through binoculars, picking out
29040-413: Was generally restless and unfulfilled. In his search for rapid pathways to wealth and security, he launched business ventures which failed to prosper, and he died heavily in debt. Upon his death, he was lauded in the press but was thereafter largely forgotten, while the heroic reputation of his rival Scott was sustained for many decades. Later in the 20th century, Shackleton was "rediscovered", and he became
29216-595: Was given to the society's affairs in 1911, with the election of Earl Curzon , the former Viceroy of India , as the society's President (1911–1914). The premises in Savile Row (once described by Curzon as "cramped and rather squalid") were sold and the present site, Lowther Lodge in Kensington Gore, was purchased for £100,000 and opened for use in April 1913. In the same year the society's ban on women fellows
29392-503: Was his earnings from lecture tours. He still harboured thoughts of returning south, even though in September 1910, having recently moved with his family to Sheringham in Norfolk, he wrote to Emily: "I am never again going South and I have thought it all out and my place is at home now." He had been in discussions with Douglas Mawson about a scientific expedition to the Antarctic coast between Cape Adare and Gaussberg , and had written to
29568-540: Was in the interest of scientific research and from friendship with Shackleton." His only recognition was the attachment of his name to the title of the expedition. Rowett was, according to Huntford, "a stodgy, prosaic looking" businessman, who was, in 1920, a co-founder and principal contributor to an animal nutrition research institute in Aberdeen known as the Rowett Research Institute (now part of
29744-483: Was known that stores were cached. After failed attempts to march across the ice to this island, Shackleton decided to set up another more permanent camp (Patience Camp) on another floe, and trust to the drift of the ice to take them towards a safe landing. By 17 March, their ice camp was within 60 miles (97 km) of Paulet Island; however, separated by impassable ice, they were unable to reach it. On 9 April, their ice floe broke into two, and Shackleton ordered
29920-590: Was lifted. Lowther Lodge was built in 1874 for the William Lowther by Norman Shaw , one of the most outstanding domestic architects of his day. Extensions to the east wing were added in 1929, and included the New Map Room and the 750 seat Lecture Theatre. The extension was formally opened by the Duke of York (later King George VI) at the RGS centenary celebrations on 21 October 1930. The history of
30096-575: Was owed to him, and was not invited to join the expedition. Frank Wild, on his fourth trip with Shackleton, filled the second-in-command post as he had on the Endurance expedition. Frank Worsley , Endurance ' s former captain, became captain of Quest . Other old comrades included surgeons Alexander Macklin and James McIlroy , meteorologist Leonard Hussey , engineer Alexander Kerr, seaman Tom McLeod and cook Charles Green. Shackleton had assumed that Tom Crean would sign up, and had assigned him duties "in charge of boats", but Crean had retired from
30272-544: Was sent home early on health grounds, after he and his companions Scott and Edward Adrian Wilson set a new southern record by marching to latitude 82°S. During the Nimrod Expedition of 1907–1909, he and three companions established a new record Farthest South latitude of 88°23′ S, only 97 geographical miles (112 statute miles or 180 kilometres) from the South Pole , the largest advance to
30448-488: Was stopped by ice 16 miles (26 km) north of Discovery ' s old base at Hut Point . After considerable weather delays, a base was eventually established at Cape Royds , about 24 miles (39 km) north of Hut Point. The party was in high spirits, despite the difficult conditions; Shackleton's ability to bond with his crew kept the party happy and focused. On 29 October 1908, Shackleton and three companions— Frank Wild , Eric Marshall and Jameson Adams —set off on
30624-633: Was the main financial backer of the British National Antarctic Expedition then being organised in London. Shackleton used his acquaintance with the son to obtain an interview with Longstaff senior, with a view to obtaining a place on the expedition. Impressed by Shackleton's keenness, Longstaff recommended him to Sir Clements Markham , the expedition's overlord, making it clear that he wanted Shackleton accepted. On 17 February 1901, his appointment as third officer to
30800-512: Was unable to proceed further than longitude 20°E , well short of their easterly target, and her engine's low power coupled with unsuitable bows was insufficient to penetrate southward through the pack ice . Following several fruitless attempts, Wild returned the ship to South Georgia, on the way visiting Elephant Island where he and 21 others had been stranded after the sinking of the ship Endurance , during Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition six years earlier. Wild had thoughts of
30976-411: Was vague about the direction the expedition should take after South Georgia; Macklin wrote in his diary, "The Boss says...quite frankly that he does not know what he will do." On 17 December 1921, the day before Quest was due to leave Rio, Shackleton fell ill. He may have suffered a heart attack; Macklin was called, but Shackleton refused to be examined and declared himself "better" the next morning. On
#308691