SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON – OBITUARY, 1922

 

 

Sir Ernest Shackleton, the explorer, who was on his way to the Antartic on board his ship, the Quest, died from angina pectoris on January 5. He had been suffering from influenza.

 

The news was cabled on Sunday by Reuter’s correspondent at Monte Video, where the body had been brought on board the Norwegian steamer, Professor Grauvel. It will be transferred to another vessel for conveyance to England, whither it will be accompanied by Captain Hussey, the medial man and meteorologist of the expedition.

 

The Quest, conveying Sir Ernest Shackleton and his companions on the expedition, which has thus been so sadly marred, left London in September last year. The vessel had been viewed by thousands of people as she lay in the Thames. She proceeded to Chatham to have some minor defect remedied, and then went on to Plymouth arriving there on September 23 and leaving on her voyage southward the next day.

 

It will be remembered that two members of the Quest’s complement were boy scouts selected from a great number of youthful aspirants for the honour of accompanying the expedition. One was an Aberdeen youth, and the other hailed from the Orkneys. The former, however, after a rough experience in the Bay of Biscay became ill from sea-sickness, and was landed at Maderia from which he returned home. In December the Quest was at Monte Video preparing for the first part of the itinerary.

 

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Mr. J.Q. Rowett of Frant, Suxxes, who was mainly responsible for financing the expedition, received on Sunday night (says the “Daily Mail”) a cable from Capt. Hussey stating that Commander Frank Wild, Shackle ton’s second in command, proposes in accordance with the wishes of the dead explorer, to carry on South.

 

The “Daily Mail” also published the last letter sent by Sir Ernest to Mr. Rowlett from Rio de Janeiro on December 18 last. It reads:-

 

My dear John, — 110 deg. In the shade; all the work is done and we are going. The next you will hear will be, please God, success. Should anything happen in the ice it will have nothing to do with anything wrong with the ship. The ship is all right. “Never for me the lowered banner; never the lost endeavour.”

Your friend, Ernest.

 

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The news of his death reached Lady Shackleton at Eastbourne where she has resided for a considerable time. Many telegraphic and telephonic messages of sympathy were received on Sunday but she was naturally too distressed to issue any statements to the Press. Lady Shackleton has been prominently identified with the public life of the town, and sympathy with her in her great loss is intense.

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Born at Kilkea, Co. Kildare, in 1874, Sir Ernest Shackleton was the eldest son of the late Dr. Henry Shackleton, a member of a well-known Quaker family.

 

One of the earliest schools in the Co. Kildare was that conducted or organised and financed near the village of Ballytore over a century ago, by the Shackleton family, which had settled in the district. At a time when Catholics were denied all educational rights, many attended this school, including the late Cardinal Cullen. Edmund Burke, the distinguished orator, also received his early education at this school. The oldest mills in Co. Kildare, at Moone and Belan, the former still working, are the property of the Shackletons.

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Though only in his forty-eight year, Sir Ernest Shackleton had during his strenuous life contributed much to scientific and geographical knowledge. He was educated at Dulwich College, London.

 

Before the voyage of the Quest, he had rendered distinguished service on three previous expeditions to the Antartic. His first voyage was in 1901 with Capt. Scott, as third officer, in the Discovery and on that occasion he was within 450 miles of the South Pole. Six years later he commanded the British Antartic expedition, and on his return to England in 1909 was knighted for his service.

 

 

The year 1911 found him once more in charge of an expedition, the Antartic being again the goal. Coming home before the termination of the war, he became a director of equipment and transport for the British forces in the North Russia winter campaign of 1919.

 

After a period of lecturing Sir Ernest, as he himself expressed it, was unable to resist the “call of the wild,” and, again securing the necessary financial aid, started in what has proved his last voyage of exploration with the British Oceanographical and Sub-Antartic Expedition

 

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The Obituary of Sir Ernest Shackleton Antarctic Explorer from the pages of the Kildare Ovserver, 4 February 1922.

 [compiled and edited by Mario Corrigan and Carl Dodd; original spellings retained; date of article re-established by James Durney]