Beschreibung:

'The Admirals Couch', formerly property of Sir Admiral George Back Captain of HMS Terror, a William IV rosewood couch with ornately carved side and back panels, base with drawers, height 96cm, width 200cm, depth 68cm., and a medal commemorating the 1836 expedition in HMS Terror with typed short family history Provenance: Direct family descent that can be traced through seven generations. Family history tells that the couch was owned by Admiral Sir George Back in the 1830's and we believed it was taken on the HMS Terror, the infamous Arctic Expedition of 1836, but as far as we and the family know there is no inventory listing the couch. Sir George Back Midshipmen 1808, captured by the French at Deba 1809, returned to England 1814. Served against the French on North American Station as Admiralty mate in 1817. Accompanied Franklin on the Voyage of Discovery to Spitzbergen seas 1818, in expeditions to Coppermine river 1819 - 1922, and Mackenzie river 1824 - 27. Made Lieutenant in 1822, Commander in 1827 and led exploring expedition to the Great Fish river, in 1833 - 35 he commanded an expedition to complete the coast line between Regents Inlet and Cape Turnagain. In 1836, command of HMS Terror was given to Captain George Back for an expedition to the northern part of Hudson Bay, with a view to entering Repulse Bay, where landing parties were to be sent out to determine whether the Boothia Peninsula was an island or a peninsula. However, Terror failed to reach Repulse Bay and barely survived the winter off Southampton Island, at one point being forced 40 feet up the side of a cliff by the ice. In the spring of 1837, an encounter with an iceberg further damaged the ship, which was in a sinking condition by the time Back was able to beach the ship on the coast of Ireland at Lough Swilly. Ewbank's are selling a medal for this voyage with this lot. Knighted in 1838.