Yay, wonderful!

Two weeks from now! 🥳
#NavalHistory

Fitzjames' father Sir James Gambier, Consul General: "Everything in Brazil is sooo expensive, I can barely survive here!! 😭"

Other people: "Sir James Gambier's house & style of living surpasses that of any other person in Rio de Janeiro." 🤡

Another very interesting addition to my collection. Georgiana, Lady Chatterton's biography of her uncle Admiral Lord Gambier, which she presented to a Sir Edward with a long letter written at Smedmore, the house which has a portrait of Sir James Gambier (Fitzjames' father). #NavalHistory

Finally had a chance to visit Sherard Osborn's grave. He's in a pretty prestigious spot at Highgate. Earlier this week I saw this new to me photo of him, aged 41. [The National Archives] He died at only age 54. He was so much like Fitzjames (Sophia Cracroft agrees with me)! #NavalHistory #19thC

Aw, nooo I won't be back in England until 27 April. 😭 But thank you. You can give it to someone else.

OMG FREE GREGGS SAUSAGE ROLL 👀😮😮🙏

Mansion in a field with trees and two cows.

One of Fitzjames' childhood homes. Not too shabby! The Manor House in Abbots Langley was unfortunately demolished in 1953. #Hertfordshire #19thC

Jeremy Irons rocking up to The National Archives with his dogs, love it. His research assistants! [2006, Who Do You Think You Are UK]

Ah yes, thank you, that makes sense! Indeed, if both parties agreed then there was no need for a lawsuit. If I ever find out the name of his lawyer and if their archive survives... gold mine!

Thank you very much, I'll have a look! I can't find anything with his name in J77. I'll try some other searches, so far nothing. But yes, as you say, it does appear to be standard procedure that the father got custody.

I'm not sure. He said he handed over the care (she had mental health issues) of his wife to her family & they never lived together again. They remained married. She is not mentioned in his will, while she died long after him.

Thank you, that indeed sounds like the right place. I think I might have tried to search those records before, but I will try again. I emailed TNA last year but they told me to look at divorce cases, but this gentleman didn't divorce his wife.

🙏🙏🙏

I am very interested in this, but unfortunately I can't make it on June 1st. Would be amazing if there was another workshop.

Would've loved to attend if it had been online, too!

Fitzjames' paternal grandfather, who died long before he was born, did not have the best reputation... #mybook #navalhistory

It will be in your hands in the near future! 🥳

James Fitzjames mystery man of the Franklin Expedition? Gosh, if only there were hundreds of letters from which we could learn all about him. If only they were available. Oh wait, they have been available since 1970. (I've read & typed them all out, one day they'll all be published!) #NavalHistory

Congrats, that's so cool!

HMS St Vincent in John Barrow's 1882 journal. Fitzjames served on this ship 50 years earlier. #NavalHistory

Oh no, I actually use Grammarly as a spelling/grammar checker only (I can write my own lines) but ugh.... Gotta find an alternative.

Edward Couch / Crouch A case of mistaken identity that continues to be repeated Daguerreotype by Richard Beard, taken May 1845. Colourised by Ross Day. By Fabiënne Tetteroo25 September 2021 [edited 29 July 2022 and 19 F…

Updated my 2021 article with pictures of the muster of HMS Excellent and Edward Couch' service record: he did NOT serve with Fitzjames before and it's all based on Fitzjames biographer Battersby confusing Couch with someone else. #NavalHistory #FranklinExpedition
jamesfitzjames.com/edward-couch...

He appears to be looking at Scott's Royal Victorian Order medal. He did not approve? 😂

It's such a wonderful photo, Sir Leopold being the link between 19th century polar exploration and the 20th century. That lady looks so happy, I wonder who she is!

Sir Leopold McClintock, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton all in one photo in 1901! On the deck of the ship Discovery.[From the book 'Face to Face: Polar Portraits', 2008] #NavalHistory

It's Fitzjames' father! Those Gambiers are all called James, haha. Fitzjames' father was in the Navy too for a few years but then switched to the army. And then became a consul later.

Sir James Gambier skilfully steers a ship called Fanny. #mybook #NavalHistory

Before they could return to Rio de Janeiro, Sir James detained the expedition for 15 days by purchasing a huge tree situated on a mountaintop in an almost inaccessible part of the forest, which had to be cut down and somehow transported to the ship. While May entertained himself by exploring the region and admiring crafts such as canoe-making and ceramics, he observed Sir James’ tree project with only a little faith in its success:

Fitzjames' father Sir James Gambier being difficult in Brazil... [From my Fitzjames biography that I am writing right now]

John Barrow (civil servant) - Wikipedia

I created & wrote a Wikipedia biography for Fitzjames' close friend & Admiralty clerk John Barrow, who was one of the loveliest men to ever live. Can't believe he didn't have a Wiki yet! I can add more info after my article & books are published. #NavalHistory
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ba...