Everything about William Bligh totally explained
Vice-Admiral William Bligh FRS RN (
9 September 1754 –
7 December 1817) was an officer of the
British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. He is best known as "Captain Bligh" of
Mutiny on the Bounty fame. The mutiny was against his command, and he's well remembered for the remarkable voyage he made to
Timor, after being set adrift by the mutineers in the
Bounty's launch. Many years after the
Bounty mutiny, he was appointed
Governor of New South Wales, with a brief to clean up the corrupt rum trade of the NSW Corps. This culminated in the
Rum Rebellion led by
Major George Johnston working closely with
John Macarthur.
Early life
Bligh was born in
St Tudy near
Bodmin in Cornwall to Cornish parents, Francis and Jane Bligh (née Balsam) . He was signed up for the Royal Navy in
1761, at the age of seven, in the same town. It was common practice to sign on a "young gentleman" simply in order to rack up the required years of service for quick promotion. In
1770, at the age of 16, he joined HMS
Hunter as an
able seaman, the term being used only because there was no vacancy for a
midshipman. He became a midshipman early in the following year of
1771. In September 1771, Bligh was transferred to the
Crescent and remained on that ship for three years.
In
1776, Bligh was selected by Captain
James Cook for the position of Sailing Master on the
Resolution and accompanied Captain Cook in July 1776 on Cook's third and fatal voyage to the Pacific. He reached England again at the end of
1780 and was able to give further details of Cook's last voyage.
Bligh married Elizabeth Betham, the daughter of a Customs Collector, on
4 February 1781, at the age of 26. The wedding took place at
Onchan, on the
Isle of Man. A few days later, he was appointed to serve on HMS
Belle Poule as its master. Soon after this, in August
1781, he fought in the
Battle of Dogger Bank under
Admiral Parker. For the next 18 months, he was a lieutenant on various ships. He also fought with
Lord Howe at
Gibraltar in
1782.
Between 1783 and 1787, Bligh was a captain in the merchant service. In 1787 Bligh was selected as commander of the
Bounty. Bligh would eventually rise to the rank of
Vice Admiral in the
Royal Navy.
Naval career
William Bligh's naval career consisted of a variety of appointments and assignments. He first rose to historical prominence as Master of HMS
Resolution, under the command of Captain Cook. Bligh received praise from Cook during what would end up to be Cook's final voyage. A summary is as follows:
| Date(s) |
Rating |
Ship |
| 1 July 1761–21 February 1763 |
Ship's Boy and Captain's Servant |
HMS Monmouth (64) |
| 27 July 1770 |
Able Seaman |
HMS Hunter (10) |
| 5 February 1771 |
Midshipman |
HMS Hunter |
| 22 September 1771 |
Midshipman |
HMS Crescent (28) |
| 2 September 1774 |
Able Seaman |
HMS Ranger |
| 30 September 1775 |
Master's Mate |
HMS Ranger |
| 20 March 1776–October 1780 |
Master |
HM Sloop Resolution (12) |
| 14 February 1781 |
Master |
HMS Belle Poule |
| 5 October 1781 |
Lieutenant |
HMS Berwick (74) |
| 1 January 1782 |
Lieutenant |
HMS Princess Amelia (80) |
| 20 March 1782 |
Lieutenant |
HMS Cambridge (80) |
| 14 January 1783 |
Joins Merchant Service |
| 1785 |
Commanding Lieutenant |
Merchant Vessel Lynx |
| 1786 |
Lieutenant |
Merchant Vessel Britannia |
| 1787 |
Returns to Royal Navy |
| 16 August 1787 |
Commanding Lieutenant |
HM Armed Vessel Bounty |
| 14 November 1790 |
Commander |
HMS Falcon (14) |
| 15 December 1790 |
Commander |
HMS Medea (28) |
| 16 April 1791–1793 |
Commander |
HMS Providence |
| 16 April 1795 |
Commander |
HMS Calcutta (24) |
| 7 January 1796 |
Captain |
HMS Director (64) |
| 18 March 1801 |
Captain |
HMS Glatton (56) |
| 12 April 1801 |
Captain |
HMS Monarch (74) |
| 8 May 1801–28 May 1802 |
Captain |
HMS Irresistible (74) |
| Peace of Amiens (March 1802–May 1804) |
| 2 May 1804 |
Captain |
HMS Warrior (74) |
| 14 May 1805 |
Appointed Governor of New South Wales |
| 27 September 1805 |
Captain |
HMS Porpoise (12), voyage out to NSW |
| Governor of NSW 13 August 1806–26 January 1808 |
| 31 July 1808 |
Commodore |
HMS Porpoise (12), Tasmania |
| 3 April 1810–25 October 1810 |
Commodore |
HMS Hindostan (50), returning to England. |
| 31 July 1811 |
Appointed Rear Admiral of the Blue (backdated to 31 July 1810) |
| 4 June 1814 |
Appointed Vice Admiral of the Blue |
The voyage of the Bounty
In
1787, Bligh took command of the
Bounty. In order to win a premium offered by
the RSA he first sailed to
Tahiti to obtain
breadfruit trees, then set course for the
Caribbean, where breadfruit was wanted for experiments to see whether it would be a successful food crop for slaves there. The
Bounty never reached the Caribbean, as
mutiny broke out on board shortly after leaving Tahiti.
The voyage to Tahiti was difficult. After trying unsuccessfully for a month to round
Cape Horn, the
Bounty was finally defeated by the notoriously stormy weather and forced to take the long way around the
Cape of Good Hope. That delay resulted in a further delay in Tahiti, as they'd to wait five months for the breadfruit plants to mature enough to be transported. The
Bounty departed Tahiti in April 1789.
Since it was rated only as a
cutter, the
Bounty had no officers other than Bligh himself (who was then only a lieutenant), a very small crew, and no Marines to provide protection from hostile inhabitants during stops or to enforce security on board ship. To allow longer uninterrupted sleep, Bligh divided his crew into three watches instead of two, and placed his protégé
Fletcher Christian — rated as a Master's Mate — in charge of one of the watches.
The mutiny, which broke out during the return voyage on
28 April 1789, was led by Christian and supported by a third of the crew, who had seized firearms during Christian's night watch and then surprised and bound Bligh in his cabin.
Despite being in the majority, none of the loyalists seemed to have put up any significant struggle once they saw Bligh bound, and the ship was taken without bloodshed. The mutineers provided Bligh and the eighteen of his crew who remained loyal with a 23 foot (7 m) launch (so heavily loaded that the sides were only a few inches above the water), with four cutlasses and food and water for a few days to reach the most accessible ports, a sextant and a
pocket watch, but no charts or compass. The launch couldn't hold all the loyal crew members, and four were detained on the
Bounty by the mutineers for their useful skills; these were later released at
Tahiti.
Tahiti was upwind from Bligh's initial position, and was the obvious destination of the mutineers. Many of the loyalists claimed to have heard the mutineers cry "Huzzah for Otaheite!" as the Bounty pulled away. Timor was the nearest European outpost. Bligh and his crew did make for
Tofua first, to obtain supplies. There they were attacked by hostile natives and a crewman was killed. After fleeing Tofua, Bligh didn't dare stop at the next islands (the
Fiji islands), as he'd no weapons for defense and expected further hostile receptions.
Bligh had confidence in his navigational skills, which he'd perfected under the instruction of
Captain Cook. His first responsibility was to survive and get word of the mutiny as soon as possible to British vessels that could pursue the mutineers. Thus, he undertook the seemingly-impossible 3618 nautical mile (6701 km) voyage to
Timor. In this remarkable act of seamanship, Bligh succeeded in reaching Timor after a 47-day voyage, with the only casualty being the crewman killed on Tofua. Ironically, several of the men who survived this ordeal with him soon died of sickness, possibly malaria, in the pestilential
Dutch East Indies port of
Batavia, as they waited for transport to Britain.
To this day, the reasons for the mutiny are a subject of considerable debate. Some believe that Bligh was a cruel tyrant whose abuse of the crew led members of the crew to feel that they'd no choice but to take the ship from Bligh. Others believe that the crew, inexperienced and unused to the rigours of the sea and, after having been exposed to freedom and sexual excess on the island of Tahiti, refused to return to the "
Jack Tars" existence of a seaman. They were "led" by a weak Fletcher Christian and were only too happy to be free from Bligh's acid tongue. They believe that the crew took the ship from Bligh so that they could return to a life of comfort and pleasure on Tahiti. Bligh returned to London arriving in March
1790.
The
Bounty's log shows that Bligh resorted to punishments relatively sparingly. He scolded when other captains would have whipped and whipped when other captains would have hanged. He was an educated man, deeply interested in science, convinced that good diet and sanitation were necessary for the welfare of his crew. He took a great interest in his crew's exercise, was very careful about the quality of their food, and insisted upon the
Bounty being kept very clean. He tried (unsuccessfully) to check the spread of venereal disease among them. The flaw in this otherwise enlightened naval officer was, as J.C. Beaglehole wrote: "[Blighmade] dogmatic judgements which he felt himself entitled to make; he saw fools about him too easily... thin-skinned vanity was his curse through life... [Bligh] never learnt that you don't make friends of men by insulting them."
Popular fiction often confuses Bligh with
Edward Edwards of
HMS Pandora, who was sent on the Royal Navy's expedition to the South Pacific to find the mutineers and bring them to trial. Edwards was allegedly every bit the
cruel man
that Bligh was accused of being; the 14 men that he captured were confined in a cramped 18' x 11' x 5' 8" wooden cell on the
Pandora's quarterdeck. When the
Pandora ran aground on the
Great Barrier Reef, 4 of the prisoners and 31 of the crew were killed. The prisoners would have all perished, hadn't William Moulter, a bosun's mate, unlocked their cage before jumping off the sinking vessel.
In October
1790, Bligh was honourably acquitted at the court-martial inquiring the loss of the
Bounty. Shortly thereafter, A Narrative of the Mutiny on board His Majesty's Ship "Bounty" was published. Of the 10 surviving prisoners, eventually brought home in spite of the Pandora's loss, four were acquitted, due to Bligh's testimony that they were non-mutineers that Bligh was obliged to leave on the
Bounty due to lack of space in the launch. Two others were convicted because, while not participating in the mutiny, they were passive and didn't resist. They subsequently received royal pardons. One was convicted but excused on a technicality. The remaining three were convicted and hanged.
Bligh's Letter to his Wife
The following is a letter to Bligh's wife, written from Coupang, Dutch East Indies, (circa June 1791) in which the first reference to events on the
Bounty is mentioned.
My Dear, Dear Betsy,
I am now in a part of the world I never expected, it's however a place that has afforded me relief and saved my life, and I've the happiness to assure you that I'm now in perfect health...
Know then my own Dear Betsy, that I've lost the Bounty...on the 28th April at day light in the morning Christian having the morning watch. He with several others came into my Cabin while I was a Sleep, and seizing me, holding naked Bayonets at my Breast, tied my Hands behind my back, and threatened instant destruction if I uttered a word. I however call'd loudly for assistance, but the conspiracy was so well laid that the Officers Cabbin Doors were guarded by Centinels, so Nelson, Peckover, Samuels or the Master couldn't come to me. I was now dragged on Deck in my Shirt & closely
guarded -- I demanded of Christian the case of such a violent act, & severely degraded for his Villainy but he could only answer -- "not a word sir or you're Dead." I dared him to the act & endeavored to rally some one to a sense of their duty but to no effect...
The Secrisy of this Mutiny is beyond all conception so that I can not discover that any who are with me had the least knowledge of it. Even Mr. Tom Ellison took such a liking to Otaheite [Tahiti] that he also turned Pirate, so that I've been run down by my own Dogs...
My misfortune I trust will be properly considered by all the World -- It was a circumstance I couldn't foresee -- I hadn't sufficient Officers & had they granted me Marines most likely the affair would never have happened -- I hadn't a Spirited & brave fellow about me & the Mutineers treated them as such. My conduct has been free of blame, & I showed everyone that, tied as I was, I defied every Villain to hurt me...
I know how shocked you'll be at this affair but I request of you My Dear Betsy to think nothing of it all is now past & we'll again looked forward to future happyness. Nothing but true consciousness as an Officer that I've done well could support me....Give my blessings to my Dear Harriet, my Dear Mary, my Dear Betsy & to my Dear little stranger* & tell them I'll soon be home...To You my Love I give all that an affectionate Husband can give --
Love, Respect & all that's or ever will be in the power of your
ever affectionate Friend and Husband Wm Bligh.
[*The Blighs' fourth child, another daughter, born a few months after Lt. Bligh sailed from England]
The Second Breadfruit Voyage
After his exoneration by the Court Martial inquiry into the loss of the
Bounty, Bligh remained in the British navy. From 1791-1793, as master and commander of
HMS Providence and in company with
HMS Assistance, he undertook again to transport
breadfruit from
Tahiti to the
West Indies. The operation was successful, and breadfruit is a popular food in the West Indies to this day. During this voyage Bligh also collected samples of the
ackee fruit of
Jamaica, introducing it to the
Royal Society in
Britain upon his return. The ackee's scientific name
Blighia sapida in
binomial nomenclature was given in honour of Bligh.
Subsequent career
In
1797 Bligh was one of the captains whose crews mutinied over "issues of pay and involuntary service for common seamen" during the
Spithead mutiny. Despite receiving some of their demands at Spithead, disputes over navy life continued among the common sailors. Bligh was again one of the captains affected during the
mutiny at the Royal Navy anchorage of Nore. "Bligh became more directly involved in the Nore Mutiny", which "failed to achieve its goals of a fairer division of prize money and an end to brutality."
It should be noted that these events were not triggered by any specific actions by Bligh as they "were widespread, [and] involved a fair number of English ships".
It was at this time that he learned "that his common nickname among men in the fleet was 'that Bounty bastard'."
Bligh went on to serve under
Admiral Nelson at the
Battle of Copenhagen on
2 April 1801, in command of
HMS Glatton, a 56-gun ship of the line, which was experimentally fitted exclusively with
carronades. After the battle, Bligh was personally praised by Nelson for his contribution to the victory. He sailed
Glatton safely between the banks while three other vessels ran aground. When Nelson pretended not to notice Admiral Parker's signal "43" (stop the battle) and kept the signal "16" hoisted continue the engagement, Bligh was the only captain in the squadron who could see that the two signals were in conflict. By choosing to fly Nelson's signal, he ensured that all the vessels behind him kept fighting.
As captain of HMS
Director, at the
Battle of Camperdown, Bligh engaged three Dutch vessels: the
Haarlem, the
Alkmaar and the
Vrijheid. While the Dutch suffered serious casualties, only 7 seamen were wounded in
Director.
Bligh was offered the position of
Governor of New South Wales by Sir
Joseph Banks and appointed in March 1805, at £2,000 per annum, twice the pay of the retiring Governor
Philip Gidley King. He arrived in
Sydney in August 1806, to become the fourth governor. There he suffered another mutiny, the
Rum Rebellion, when, on
26 January 1808, the
New South Wales Corps under
Major George Johnston marched on Government House and arrested him. He sailed to
Hobart in HMS
Porpoise, failed to gain support to retake control of the colony and remained effectively imprisoned on board from 1808 until January 1810.
Bligh sailed from Hobart and arrived in Sydney on
17 January 1810 to collect evidence for the upcoming Court Martial of Major George Johnston. He departed for the trial in Britain in HMS
Porpoise on
12 May 1810 and arrived on
25 October 1810. The Court Martial sentenced Johnston to be cashiered, a form of disgraceful dismissal that entailed surrendering his commission in the
Royal Marines without compensation. Soon after, Bligh received a backdated promotion to
Rear Admiral, and in
1814 he was promoted again, to
Vice Admiral of the Blue.
Bligh designed the North Bull Wall at the mouth of the
River Liffey in
Dublin, to prevent the blockage of
Dublin Port by the formation of a
sandbar.
Bligh died in
Bond Street,
London on
6 December 1817 and was buried in a family plot at St. Mary's,
Lambeth. (This church is now the
Museum of Garden History.) His tomb, notable for its use of
Coade stone, is topped by a breadfruit. A plaque marks Bligh's house, one block east of the Museum.
Trivia
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