#17551 - 04/10/07 11:04 PM
THE TERROR, me and Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier
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MattCraig
member
Registered: 04/10/07
Posts: 13
Loc: Glenavy, Northern Ireland
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Hi all. After finishing THE TERROR, I decided it was time I checked this place out, introduced myself (Matt, from just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland), and saw what I was missing since THE TERROR is only the third Simmons book I have read.
I loved the book - it has cemented itself right up there in my top 10 (maybe even the top 5), and it's one of those historical novels that has awakened the hungry "History Beast" inside me, and I now want to find as much information as I possibly can about the ill-fated Franklin expedition. Thanks to Dan for the wonderful novel, and for the kick to go read some history.
My first bout of online research showed that Captain Crozier is a local man. He hailed from the town of Banbridge, County Down, which is around 30 minutes from where I live. Hopefully people won't mind a post filled with pictures - I visited the town on Monday and discovered a life-sized statue of the man himself in the town centre, and thought people (here, particularly) might be interested in meeting Captain Crozier in the flesh...or at least as close to the flesh as anyone's likely to come these days.
Captain Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier currently stands in the centre of Banbridge town (the inscriptions below may contain minor spoilers, if you have not yet read the book, but probably no more than the blurb does):
(The Crozier statue on pedestal)
(Closer)
(Bust)
(The left-hand side of the statue, showing telescope, sword and the rather lavish cape in which it is clad)
The statue stands facing (approximately) the north-east. To each of the four main compass points stands a polar bear, neck twisted, so that the bears are looking up and to the left:
(Polar Bear)
(Three of the four polar bears on each of the pedestal's corners)
On the northeast face of the pedestal, the following inscription:
(
To
perpetuate the remembrance
OF TALENT, ENTERPRISE AND WORTH
combined in the character and evidenced
in the life of
CAPTAIN FRANCIS RAWDON MOIRA CROZIER,
R.N.F.R.S. {Royal Navy, Fellow of the Royal Society - ed.}
this monument has been erected
by friends who as they valued him in life,
regret him in death.
He was second in command with
CAPTAIN SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, R.N.F.R.S.
and Captain of H.M. Ship Terror
IN THE POLAR EXPEDITION
which left England on the 22nd May 1845
)
And on the southwest face:
(
Altho'
there remained no
survivors of the expedition enough
has been ascertained to shew. that to it
is justly due the honor {sic - ed.} of the
discovery of the long sought for
NORTH WEST PASSAGE
and that CAPTAIN CROZIER having
survived his chief,
perished with the remainder of the party
after he had bravely led them to the
COAST OF AMERICA.
He was born at Banbridge the September, 1796.
BUT OF THE PLACE OR TIME OF HIS DEATH
NO MAN KNOWETH UNTO THIS DAY
)
Interestingly enough, the birth date is completely missing, and not just worn away. It's almost as if the guy engraving the message thought "oops, not sure of the date, I must check that and add it in later" and then forgotten to do so. The stone is completely smooth.
On the northwest and southeast sides of the pedestal:
(The man's name and a three-masted ship - almost certainly his last command, HMS Terror - locked in ice)
Matt
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#17553 - 04/11/07 12:46 AM
Re: THE TERROR, me and Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier
[Re: VEZI]
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MattCraig
member
Registered: 04/10/07
Posts: 13
Loc: Glenavy, Northern Ireland
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Thanks Christian.
Glad you liked the pics. I think I like it here 
Matt
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#17555 - 04/11/07 01:59 AM
Re: THE TERROR, me and Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier
[Re: VEZI]
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Peter
Super User
Registered: 12/23/05
Posts: 3715
Loc: England
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Thanks Matt, very interesting and very nice pics. What are the other two you've read?
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#17556 - 04/11/07 02:06 AM
Re: THE TERROR, me and Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier
[Re: Peter]
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MattCraig
member
Registered: 04/10/07
Posts: 13
Loc: Glenavy, Northern Ireland
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Hi Peter.
My first experience of Simmons was CARRION COMFORT, which I thought to be fantastic. I've also read SONG OF KALI. I'm sure you can see a pattern developing here. I've a ton of Dan's "scifi" novels sitting at home, but haven't quite found myself in the right mindset for scifi to dig in. I may try ILIUM in the next few weeks, though, and kick off from there.
Matt
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#17557 - 04/11/07 02:28 AM
Re: THE TERROR, me and Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier
[Re: MattCraig]
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Peter
Super User
Registered: 12/23/05
Posts: 3715
Loc: England
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Um, yes. Ilium's wonderful, and Olympos probably gets gruesome enough for your tastes! I always recommend people to start with Hyperion myself (also has its gruesome moments), but Ilium is no bad choice. I like Carrion Comfort very much and greatly admired Song of Kali as a piece of writing, but have never re-read it and never will. Can't take the ending. Not that it's literarily disappointing, just that it's unbearable.
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