Background on John Charters
HMS Enterprise and HMS Investigator
The HMS Enterprise (left) and the HMS Investigator (right) stuck in the ice.
John Charters was an Able Seaman (A.B.) aboard the HMS Enterprise, accompanying both James Clark Ross in 1848 and Richard Collinson in 1850 in search of the lost Franklin expedition. As an A.B. on the ship, Charters would have served as a member of the supporting crew, working aboard the ship and keeping things running in top order. As a crew member, he would have completed an array of tasks, including operating deck gear, and performing general maintenance aboard the ship such as repairs, sanitation and cleaning, upkeep of material, equipment, and deck areas. To become a seaman of A.B. status, one must have served as a crew member on the deck department for more than 2 years. Charters’ seems to have been quite the experienced man, beginning his journey on the HMS Enterprise at 27 years old.
Throughout his time on the ship, Charters carried out several duties, often referred to as the “Do=Do=Do” of the day in his journal. Some of his tasks must have felt quite monotonous, as he often filled page after page with the “Do=Do=Do” After being aboard the ship for a while, he was promoted to captain of the forward topsail (F.Top), ultimately responsible for the crew members climbing up the foremast and rigging the sails.
His journal tells the story of everyday life aboard the HMS Enterprise in search of the lost HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. Ultimately, this rescue mission was unsuccessful, but not in vain. It added 150 miles to the map of the Arctic and trained crew members for further Arctic expeditions.