Lady Jane Griffen Franklin (1792 - 1875) Notable Achievements Spearheaded search for her lost husband Sir John Franklin and his crew in the Arctic Occupation/Field of Study: Artic Exploration, Search for husband Sir John Franklin Exploration Zone: Land; Location of Activity: Arctic; Period of Activity: 1801-1850; 1851-1900; Biography Lady Jane Franklin, née Griffin, UK (1792-1875), while not an explorer herself, she deserves mention because, for thirteen years Lady Jane encouraged people to search for her husband's expedition, lost in the Canadian Arctic. She spent her own inherited fortune financing search parties. She bought a luxury yacht, the Fox, and had it fitted out for a trip to the Arctic led by Captain Leopold McClintock. Her efforts to find word of her husband, Sir John Franklin, were so important to the exploration of the North-West Passage that she was awarded the Royal Geographic Society's Founder's Medal, the first woman to receive it.