An oak ship's block with sheave secured by an iron pin from the 1845 Northwest Passage Expedition led by Sir John Franklin.

The ship's block was recovered by the US expedition under Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka between 1878-1880. It is described as 'Item 9. Ship's block found at Irving Bay' in the 1881 catalogue of items that he sent back to Britain in 1881 [TNA, ADM 1/6600]. The original Schwatka-related paper label on the block is covered by a later Royal Naval Museum, Greenwich, label, so only one edge is showing.

Schwatka's expedition arrived at Irving Bay (their name for the bay just below Victory Point) on the north west coast of King William Island on 25 June 1879 where they discovered Lt. Irving's grave. Schwatka described the surrounding scene 'About twenty feet from the high water mark was found a lot of half-rotten navy clothing, blankets, canvas, blubber stoves, ships blocks and tackles, rope and cordage' [Schwatka, page 82]. This is the area known as 'Crozier's Camp' where the crews from Erebus and Terror landed after deserting the ships in April 1848. McClintock mentions ' a 9-inch single block strapped' left at this site when he visited in 1859 [McClintock, page 368].

The block was displayed at the Royal Naval Museum, Greenwich, in 'Case 3, No 8. Ship's block'.