The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty (75 page)
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Authors: Caroline Alexander
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BOOK: The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty
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William Howell’s biography comes from Gavin Kennedy,
Bligh
(London, 1978), pp. 199ff.;
Gentleman’s Magazine,
January 1822, p. 92; the
Bury and Norwich Post,
January 16, 1822; Suffolk Record Office, Bury St. Edmund’s Branch, FL 574/3/15; “Recollections of St. Johns’ Portsea, from 1872-1880” (kindly provided by the Museums and Records Service, Portsmouth City Council); and Adm. 36/11296.
Bligh
(London, 1978), pp. 199ff.;
Gentleman’s Magazine,
January 1822, p. 92; the
Bury and Norwich Post,
January 16, 1822; Suffolk Record Office, Bury St. Edmund’s Branch, FL 574/3/15; “Recollections of St. Johns’ Portsea, from 1872-1880” (kindly provided by the Museums and Records Service, Portsmouth City Council); and Adm. 36/11296.
The account of Howell’s hours spent with the mutineers is reported in the journal of the Reverend Thomas Haweis, under his entry for September 16, 1796, ML, MSS 633. For a detailed examination of Howell’s interaction with the mutineers and later missionaries, see Rolf E. Du Rietz,
Peter Heywood’s Tahitian Vocabulary and the Narratives by James Morrison: Some Notes on Their Origin and History
(Uppsala, 1986).
Peter Heywood’s Tahitian Vocabulary and the Narratives by James Morrison: Some Notes on Their Origin and History
(Uppsala, 1986).
Reports of the pardon appear in many newspapers; see, for instance, the
Times,
October 30, 1792, and the
Evening Mail,
October 29, 1792. The fullest report is found in the
Oracle,
October 30, 1792, which describes Graham’s escort of Peter off the ship in the
Hector
’s boat. Peter Heywood’s inheritance is reported, for example, in the
Observer,
September 23, 1792.
Times,
October 30, 1792, and the
Evening Mail,
October 29, 1792. The fullest report is found in the
Oracle,
October 30, 1792, which describes Graham’s escort of Peter off the ship in the
Hector
’s boat. Peter Heywood’s inheritance is reported, for example, in the
Observer,
September 23, 1792.
Events of the last days of the condemned mutineers are described in the logs of the
Hector
and the
Brunswick;
and the fulsome report by an anonymous officer of the
Brunswick
in
Gentleman’s Magazine,
December 1792, pp. 1097f., which contains the account of Morrison’s ministration to his former shipmates. The account of the boats ringing the
Brunswick
is found in the
Hampshire Chronicle,
November 5, 1792, as is the report of the condemned men’s exit from their “cell” and thanks to their captors. The report of the men’s farewells to one another and insistence on their innocence is found in the
Reading Mercury,
November 5, 1792, and the
Diary or Woodfall’s Register,
October 31, 1792, for example, the latter recording the absence of respectable people. The official report of the execution is found in Captain Curtis’s log of the
Brunswick.
Hector
and the
Brunswick;
and the fulsome report by an anonymous officer of the
Brunswick
in
Gentleman’s Magazine,
December 1792, pp. 1097f., which contains the account of Morrison’s ministration to his former shipmates. The account of the boats ringing the
Brunswick
is found in the
Hampshire Chronicle,
November 5, 1792, as is the report of the condemned men’s exit from their “cell” and thanks to their captors. The report of the men’s farewells to one another and insistence on their innocence is found in the
Reading Mercury,
November 5, 1792, and the
Diary or Woodfall’s Register,
October 31, 1792, for example, the latter recording the absence of respectable people. The official report of the execution is found in Captain Curtis’s log of the
Brunswick.
Haslar Hospital records are found in Adm. 102/271.
The whereabouts of the manuscript of Howell’s sermon are now unknown; it is known only by its title: William Howell, “Original Autograph ms Sermon preached on the Sunday after the Execution of Three Mutineers on the text: Hebrew 13v. 17. 16pp. 4 to. Portsmouth, 1792.”
See the
London Chronicle,
October 30 to November 1, 1792, and the
Times,
October 31, 1792, for accounts of the reported sufferings of the mutineers.
London Chronicle,
October 30 to November 1, 1792, and the
Times,
October 31, 1792, for accounts of the reported sufferings of the mutineers.
Andrew Snape Hamond’s report to the Admiralty is found in Adm. 1/1002.
Morrison’s later service is documented in James Shaw Grant’s
Morrison of the Bounty
(Stornoway, Scotland, 1997). Muspratt’s reaction to the executions is described in the
Caledonian Mercury,
December 10, 1792.
Morrison of the Bounty
(Stornoway, Scotland, 1997). Muspratt’s reaction to the executions is described in the
Caledonian Mercury,
December 10, 1792.
Heywood’s later career is documented in John Marshall, “Peter Heywood, Esq.,”
Royal Naval Biography,
vol. 2, part 2 (London, 1825), pp. 747-97.
Royal Naval Biography,
vol. 2, part 2 (London, 1825), pp. 747-97.
The remarkable letter by the midshipman of the
Queen Charlotte
was written by James Clerk to his father, John Clerk, on December 12, 1793; the letter is quoted here with the kind permission of Sir Robert Clerk, Bart., and is located in the National Archives of Scotland, GD18/4250.
JUDGMENTQueen Charlotte
was written by James Clerk to his father, John Clerk, on December 12, 1793; the letter is quoted here with the kind permission of Sir Robert Clerk, Bart., and is located in the National Archives of Scotland, GD18/4250.
For the incident with Admiral Bowyer, see, for example, Joseph Farrington,
The Farington Diary,
vol. 1 (London, 1923), p. 217 (entry for July 18, 1794).
The Farington Diary,
vol. 1 (London, 1923), p. 217 (entry for July 18, 1794).
The pamphlets cited are: Sir George Montagu and Edward Pelham Brenton,
A Refutation of the Incorrect Statements, and Unjust Insinuations, contained in Captain Brenton’s Naval History of Great Britain, as far as the same refers to the conduct of Admiral Sir George Montagu, G.C.B. In a letter addressed to the author
(London, 1821); and Sir Roger Curtis,
The reply of Sir Roger Curtis, to the person who stiles himself A neglected naval officer
(London, 1784). For a similar series of pamphlets following Cook’s second voyage, see Johann Georg Adam Forster,
A Voyage Round the World in His Britannic Majesty’s Sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years 1772, 3, 4, and 5
(London, 1777); the same author’s
Reply to Mr. Wales’s Remarks
(London, 1778); and William Wales,
Remarks on Mr. Forster’s Account of Captain Cook’s last Voyage round the World, in the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775
(London, 1778).
A Refutation of the Incorrect Statements, and Unjust Insinuations, contained in Captain Brenton’s Naval History of Great Britain, as far as the same refers to the conduct of Admiral Sir George Montagu, G.C.B. In a letter addressed to the author
(London, 1821); and Sir Roger Curtis,
The reply of Sir Roger Curtis, to the person who stiles himself A neglected naval officer
(London, 1784). For a similar series of pamphlets following Cook’s second voyage, see Johann Georg Adam Forster,
A Voyage Round the World in His Britannic Majesty’s Sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years 1772, 3, 4, and 5
(London, 1777); the same author’s
Reply to Mr. Wales’s Remarks
(London, 1778); and William Wales,
Remarks on Mr. Forster’s Account of Captain Cook’s last Voyage round the World, in the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775
(London, 1778).
There are many sources reporting Nelson’s famous signal; see, for example, Ernle Bradford,
Nelson: The Essential Hero
(London, 1977), pp. 338ff. This book also contains Nelson’s prayer before the action, remarkable, amid much else, for its failure to request personal safety: “May the Great God, whom I worship, grant to my Country, and to the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious Victory; and may no misconduct in any one tarnish it; and may humanity after Victory be the predominant feature in the British Fleet. For myself, individually, I commit my life to Him who made me, and may his blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my country faithfully. To Him I resign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen. Amen. Amen.”
Nelson: The Essential Hero
(London, 1977), pp. 338ff. This book also contains Nelson’s prayer before the action, remarkable, amid much else, for its failure to request personal safety: “May the Great God, whom I worship, grant to my Country, and to the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious Victory; and may no misconduct in any one tarnish it; and may humanity after Victory be the predominant feature in the British Fleet. For myself, individually, I commit my life to Him who made me, and may his blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my country faithfully. To Him I resign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen. Amen. Amen.”
Bligh’s letters to Banks relating to the
Providence
voyage are found in SLNSW: the Sir Joseph Banks Electronic Archive, Series 50. Bligh’s remarks about the
Providence
officers, and the ill health of the two men formerly with him on the
Bounty,
are found in his letter of August 30, 1791 (50.13); his comment regarding Portlock was made in a letter of July 17, 1791 (50.05). His report of returning to his “little flock” is in a letter of August 4, 1793 (50.29). Bligh’s description to Banks of his treatment by Lord Chatham and his reaction to the allegations made by Edward Christian and Morrison are found in his letter of October 30, 1793 (50.32).
Providence
voyage are found in SLNSW: the Sir Joseph Banks Electronic Archive, Series 50. Bligh’s remarks about the
Providence
officers, and the ill health of the two men formerly with him on the
Bounty,
are found in his letter of August 30, 1791 (50.13); his comment regarding Portlock was made in a letter of July 17, 1791 (50.05). His report of returning to his “little flock” is in a letter of August 4, 1793 (50.29). Bligh’s description to Banks of his treatment by Lord Chatham and his reaction to the allegations made by Edward Christian and Morrison are found in his letter of October 30, 1793 (50.32).
Lieutenant Francis Godolphin Bond was the son of Bligh’s half sister (from Bligh’s mother’s first marriage). Bond had been badly burned and disfigured in an explosion on an earlier voyage. The somewhat complicated Bligh-Bond family tree is discussed in George Mackaness, ed.,
Fresh Light on Bligh: Being Some Unpublished Correspondence of Captain William Bligh, R.N., and Lieutenant Francis Godolphin Bond, R.N., with Lieutenant Bond’s Manuscript Notes Made on the Voyage of HMS Providence, 1791-1795
(Sydney, 1953). Bond’s forcibly expressed complaints against Bligh are found in an undated letter to his brother Thomas Bond (pp. 68ff.). The original correspondence is in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich (BND/1).
Fresh Light on Bligh: Being Some Unpublished Correspondence of Captain William Bligh, R.N., and Lieutenant Francis Godolphin Bond, R.N., with Lieutenant Bond’s Manuscript Notes Made on the Voyage of HMS Providence, 1791-1795
(Sydney, 1953). Bond’s forcibly expressed complaints against Bligh are found in an undated letter to his brother Thomas Bond (pp. 68ff.). The original correspondence is in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich (BND/1).
For Bond’s log, see above and George Mackaness, “Extracts from a Log-Book of HMS Providence Kept by Lt. Francis Godolphin Bond RN,”
Royal Australian Historical Society Journal
46 (1960), pp. 24-66. The log itself is in Adm. 55/96.
Royal Australian Historical Society Journal
46 (1960), pp. 24-66. The log itself is in Adm. 55/96.
Bligh’s personal log of the
Providence
is found in ML A564-2; his official log is found in Adm. 55/152-153. The latter has been published in a limited edition: William Bligh,
The Log of H.M.S.
Providence (London, 1976). For several years following his return to England, Bligh had hoped to publish an account of this second voyage, but never did—the Admiralty’s coolness may well have deterred him.
Providence
is found in ML A564-2; his official log is found in Adm. 55/152-153. The latter has been published in a limited edition: William Bligh,
The Log of H.M.S.
Providence (London, 1976). For several years following his return to England, Bligh had hoped to publish an account of this second voyage, but never did—the Admiralty’s coolness may well have deterred him.
Bligh’s letters to his wife of September 13, 1791 (on the outward voyage), and October 2, 1792 (from Coupang), are in the Mitchell Library (“Bligh, William—Family correspondence,” ZML Safe 1/45, pp. 31 ff., 35ff., respectively). Bligh’s letters to the Admiralty from the Cape are found in Adm. 1/1507.
For the significance of Bligh’s several visits to Van Diemen’s Land, see George Mackaness,
Captain William Bligh’s Discoveries and Observations in Van Diemen’s Land
(Sydney, 1943).
Captain William Bligh’s Discoveries and Observations in Van Diemen’s Land
(Sydney, 1943).
The Reverend William Ellis,
Polynesian Researches,
vol. 1 (London, 1829), p. 63, records that the first missionaries to Tahiti “were conducted to a large, oval-shaped native house which had been but recently finished for Captain Bligh, whom they expected to return.”
Polynesian Researches,
vol. 1 (London, 1829), p. 63, records that the first missionaries to Tahiti “were conducted to a large, oval-shaped native house which had been but recently finished for Captain Bligh, whom they expected to return.”
Matthew Flinders’s quote on the Endeavour Strait is found in Matthew Flinders and Robert Brown,
A Voyage to Terra Australis,
vol. 1 (London, 1814), p. xxix. The relationship of Matthew Flinders,
Providence
midshipman and future navigator, with William Bligh is examined in Madge Darby, “Bligh’s Disciple: Matthew Flinders’s Journals of HMS
Providence
(1791-1793),”
Mariner’s Mirror
86, no. 4 (November 2000), pp. 401-11. A close account of the navigation of the strait by Bligh and Portlock is given in George Mackaness,
The Life of Vice-Admiral William Bligh, R.N., F.R.S.,
rev. ed. (Sydney, 1951), pp. 276ff.
A Voyage to Terra Australis,
vol. 1 (London, 1814), p. xxix. The relationship of Matthew Flinders,
Providence
midshipman and future navigator, with William Bligh is examined in Madge Darby, “Bligh’s Disciple: Matthew Flinders’s Journals of HMS
Providence
(1791-1793),”
Mariner’s Mirror
86, no. 4 (November 2000), pp. 401-11. A close account of the navigation of the strait by Bligh and Portlock is given in George Mackaness,
The Life of Vice-Admiral William Bligh, R.N., F.R.S.,
rev. ed. (Sydney, 1951), pp. 276ff.
Alexander Andersen’s report of January 23, 1793, to Joseph Banks of Bligh’s arrival at St. Vincent’s is found in SLNSW: the Sir Joseph Banks Electronic Archive, 56.03. Reports of the Jamaican House of Assembly’s generous award to Bligh and Portlock and Banks’s response to the awards are preserved in two newspaper cuttings, found at 50.26 and 50.09, respectively. Bligh’s correspondence regarding the payment of this award is held by the Somerset Record Office (DD/DN508-511). Bligh’s lists of all plants delivered to the several destinations are in Adm. 1/1508.
The reaction of Mydiddee, the Tahitian passenger, to the gibbeted men along the Thames is described by Lieutenant George Tobin in his private log in the Mitchell Library (ZML A562). His official log is in Adm. 55/94-95. Mydiddee died shortly after arrival in England. The Tahitian stowaway remained in Jamaica to help the gardeners; see Madge Darby,
The Story of Mydiddee
(London, 1988).
The Story of Mydiddee
(London, 1988).
Bligh’s departure from the
Providence
to the warm applause of his men is described in the
Kentish Register,
September 6, 1793.
Providence
to the warm applause of his men is described in the
Kentish Register,
September 6, 1793.
George Tobin’s letter to Francis Bond of December 15, 1817, is from a transcript in ML of the privately owned original, Ab 60/8; the letter is published in George Mackaness, ed.,
Some Correspondence of Captain William Bligh, R.N., with John and Francis Godolphin Bond, 1776-1811
(Sydney, 1949).
Some Correspondence of Captain William Bligh, R.N., with John and Francis Godolphin Bond, 1776-1811
(Sydney, 1949).
The report of Fletcher Christian’s words to Bligh about his duty is made in John Fryer, “Narrative, letter to his wife and documents. 4 April 1789-16 July 1804,” ML, Safe 1/38.
Bligh’s recommendations of his men to the Admiralty are found in Adm. 1/1508, pp. 173 ff.; his letters to the Admiralty concerning his pay and expenses are found in Adm. 1/1509. The failure of the
Providence
men to gain promotion is remarked on by James Guthrie (senior) to Lieutenant Bond, January 3, 1794, published in Mackaness,
Fresh Light on Bligh,
p. 72.
Providence
men to gain promotion is remarked on by James Guthrie (senior) to Lieutenant Bond, January 3, 1794, published in Mackaness,
Fresh Light on Bligh,
p. 72.
For a vivid description of Lambeth at this time, see Aline Grant,
Ann Radcliffe
(Denver, 1951), pp. 77 ff.
Ann Radcliffe
(Denver, 1951), pp. 77 ff.
The attack on Earl Fitzwilliam is reported by the
Times,
October 29, 1792.
Times,
October 29, 1792.
Banks’s letter of September 1, 1793, praising Bligh to Lord Chatham is found in SLNSW: the Sir Joseph Banks Electronic Archive, 54.01.
The Heywood family’s attacks on Bligh are reported in Francis Godolphin Bond, “Letter from Thomas Bond, November 1792,” ML, MSS 6422.
Pasley’s remarks to Matthew Flinders, of August 7, 1793, are quoted by the kind permission of the National Maritime Museum (NMM FLI/1).
Information about the later years and death of John Christian is found in
Gentleman’s Magazine,
June 1791, pp. 588 ff.; Richard Holworthy,
Monumental Inscriptions in the Church and Churchyard of Bromley, County Kent
(London, 1922), p. 60, number 478; Centre for Kentish Studies, Maidstone, Microfilm of Bromley burials, see sub. June 22, 1791, and January 7, 1800 (Mrs. Sarah Christian); PROB 11/1335, 12.
Gentleman’s Magazine,
June 1791, pp. 588 ff.; Richard Holworthy,
Monumental Inscriptions in the Church and Churchyard of Bromley, County Kent
(London, 1922), p. 60, number 478; Centre for Kentish Studies, Maidstone, Microfilm of Bromley burials, see sub. June 22, 1791, and January 7, 1800 (Mrs. Sarah Christian); PROB 11/1335, 12.
Information about Charles Christian is taken from his unpublished autobiography, MNHL MS 09381, with the kind permission of the Manx National Heritage.
Information about Edward Christian, including his attempts to apprehend the tree vandal, is from the Christian family pedigree, MNHL MS 09381/8/2, and quoted with the kind permission of the Manx National Heritage; J. Venn,
Alumni Cantabrigienses
(Cambridge, 1922); and material kindly provided by St. John’s College, Cambridge. The remark about a strain of eccentricity in the family is made by Mrs. Hicks Beach in
The Yesterdays Behind the Door
(Liverpool, 1956), p. 68. A copy of the letter addressed to Edward Christian that first appeared in the
Cumberland Packet
can be found in SLNSW: the Sir Joseph Banks Electronic Archive, 46.35.
Alumni Cantabrigienses
(Cambridge, 1922); and material kindly provided by St. John’s College, Cambridge. The remark about a strain of eccentricity in the family is made by Mrs. Hicks Beach in
The Yesterdays Behind the Door
(Liverpool, 1956), p. 68. A copy of the letter addressed to Edward Christian that first appeared in the
Cumberland Packet
can be found in SLNSW: the Sir Joseph Banks Electronic Archive, 46.35.
A number of the men participating in Edward Christian’s inquiry, including Edward Christian himself, have entries in the
Dictionary of National Biography
(London, 1917). See also C. S. Wilkinson,
The Wake of the Bounty
(London, 1953), p. 71.
Dictionary of National Biography
(London, 1917). See also C. S. Wilkinson,
The Wake of the Bounty
(London, 1953), p. 71.
The quotation regarding Samuel Romilly’s discussion of “ ‘American’ ideas” is found in Simon Schama,
Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution
(New York, 1989), p. 295. A glimpse of Romilly’s friendship with Edward Christian is seen in Samuel Romilly,
Memoirs of the Life of Sir Samuel Romilly, written by himself with a selection from his correspondence edited by his sons,
vol. 1 (London, 1840), p. 67.
Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution
(New York, 1989), p. 295. A glimpse of Romilly’s friendship with Edward Christian is seen in Samuel Romilly,
Memoirs of the Life of Sir Samuel Romilly, written by himself with a selection from his correspondence edited by his sons,
vol. 1 (London, 1840), p. 67.
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