John Rae Blue Plaque

About This Blue Plaque

John Rae was a pioneering Scottish Arctic explorer who made significant contributions to the mapping of the Northwest Passage in the 19th century. Born in Orkney, Scotland in 1813, Rae studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh before joining the Hudson’s Bay Company as a surgeon in 1833.

During his time with the company, Rae embarked on several expeditions to the Arctic, where he honed his skills as an explorer and navigator. He was known for his adaptability, often adopting the survival techniques of the indigenous Inuit people, such as wearing animal skins and building igloos.

Rae’s most notable achievement came in 1854 when he discovered the fate of the ill-fated Franklin expedition, which had disappeared in the Arctic nearly a decade earlier. Through his interactions with local Inuit, Rae learned that the expedition’s crew had resorted to cannibalism in their final days. Despite the controversy surrounding this revelation, Rae’s findings were eventually confirmed, and he was awarded the £10,000 prize offered by the British government for information about the expedition’s fate.

In his later years, Rae retired to 4 Lower Addison Gardens in the Holland Park area of London, where he lived until his death in 1893. The Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, where the house is located, is known for its vibrant cultural scene and is home to several notable landmarks, including the Olympia London exhibition center and the Lyric Hammersmith theater.

Today, Rae is remembered as one of the most skilled and intrepid explorers of his time, whose contributions to the mapping of the Arctic and the discovery of the Franklin expedition’s fate have secured his place in history. The blue plaque at his former residence in London serves as a reminder of his enduring legacy.