Thomas Jopson

Thomas Jopson was a British sailor who served as the steward of Captain Francis Crozier aboard the HMS Terror during the Franklin expedition. He was fiercely loyal to Crozier, tending to his needs and later nursing him through alcohol withdrawal. Crozier reciprocated this affection by bringing Jopson into his confidence and later promoting him to lieutenant as the expedition suffered increasing casualties.

Background
Jopson was born to a poor family; he had at least one younger brother. Growing up, he was required to hunt for food to feed his family, which led him to become proficient with firearms. In 1839, his mother suffered severe injury when her hand was crippled during the collapse of a platform on which she was sitting at a circus. Though she lost the use of her hand, she insisted that Jopson still participate in James Ross's expedition to Antarctica. By the time Jopson returned from the voyage, his mother had developed a serious addiction to laudanum, which she had initially used to treat the pain from her injury, and could no longer care for herself or Jopson's brother. Jopson helped to ween his mother off of laudanum for three weeks, though when questioned by Crozier about her condition after withdrawal, Jopson silently implied that she had not recovered well from the experience.

Franklin Expedition
Onboard Terror, Jopson was responsible for seeing to the personal needs of Crozier, including meal planning, table waiting, tailoring and shaving. He was fully aware of Crozier's alcoholism and kept track of the status of Crozier's personal store of spirits. According to Crozier, Jopson was known to "hear everything" happening aboard the ship.

Jopson was one of only four men who Crozier informed of his plan to quit drinking during the winter of 1847-1848. Jopson assured Crozier that he would fully tend to his needs and spent the next several weeks nursing him through withdrawal under the guidance of Dr. MacDonald. He refused to allow visitors in to see Crozier with few exceptions, and Crozier admitted that Jopson was the only person whose company he could tolerate during that time.

After several weeks of withdrawal, Crozier had Jopson escort him off the ship to attend the carnival organized by Captain James Fitzjames to mark the first sunrise of 1848. When a fire began consuming the tent in which the carnival was being held, Jopson assisted Crozier and Fitzjames in evacuating the men present.

Following the evacuation of the ships and the establishment of an initial camp on King William Island, Jopson initially found himself with little to do, as Crozier was able to care for himself. However, at a subsequent command meeting to plan hunting parties, Crozier surprised Jopson and the officers by promoting Jopson to lieutenant. As an officer, Jopson accompanied Crozier as he investigated Cornelius Hickey's claim of the murder of Lieutenant John Irving by Netsilik and, when his claim was proven false, helped preemptively thwart Hickey's attempted mutiny. When Tuunbaq subsequently attacked the camp, Jopson ordered the enlisted men to hide in the boats while he and Thomas Blanky pursued the creature.

As the expedition continued their march south and casualties increased, Jopson spoke out against a proposal by Lieutenants Edward Little and H. T. D. Le Vesconte to leave the ill behind and continue marching, arguing that it would result in the deaths of those left, and Crozier agreed with him. Soon after, Jopson became bedridden from scurvy, during which Crozier tended to him by washing him and telling him stories. Several days later, Jopson awoke to find the survivors leaving the camp, having left him and each of the other ill men a few tinned cans of food. Being too weak to walk, Jopson began crawling toward the departing men and, suffering from delirium, saw Crozier sitting at the head of a banquet table in full uniform, while he knocked over food and dishware to reach him. As his strength failed, he faintly called out for Crozier to return, unaware that Crozier had been kidnapped by Hickey's men the prior day.

When Crozier returned to the camp some time later, he found Jopson's body lying on the ground outside of his tent and tearfully mourned over him.