NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Governor Bligh

Vice-Admiral William Bligh, FRS (9 September 1754 – 7 December 1817) was an officer of the British Royal Navy and colonial administrator. He is best known for the famous mutiny that occurred against his command aboard HMAV (His Majesty's Armed Vessel) Bounty and the remarkable voyage he made to Timor on the Bounty's launch after being set adrift by the mutineers. 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. He had some success in his task but quickly faced opposition which culminated in the Rum Rebellion led by John Macarthur. Portrait of Rear Admiral William Bligh by Alexander Huey, 1814 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Fellowship of the Royal Society was founded in 1660. ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services being the oldest of its three branches. ... The mutineers turning Lt Bligh and some of the officers and crew adrift from HMAV Bounty, 29 April 1789. ... Map of Timor Timor Island from space, November 1989 (North is to the bottom of the image). ... List of Governors of New South Wales See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor. ... A contemporary propaganda cartoon of Blighs arrest produced to show Bligh as being a coward The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was the only successful (if only temporarily so) armed takeover of government in Australias recorded history. ... John Macarthur (1767-1834), soldier, politician and pioneer of the Australian wool industry, was born in Devon, but the MacArthurs are an old Argyll family, from which the American military hero General Douglas MacArthur was also descended. ...

Although William Bligh was certainly not the vicious man portrayed in popular fiction, some claim his over-sensitivity and acid tongue damaged what would have otherwise been a distinguished career.

Early life

Bligh was born on September 9, 1754 to Francis and Jane Bligh (née Balsam) in Tinten Manor, St Tudy, Cornwall. He was signed up for the sea at the age of seven in Plymouth, Devon, a seaport in south-west England. Whether he went to sea at this tender age is doubtful, as 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 1776, he 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. In 1787 he was selected as commander of the HMAV Bounty. He would eventually rise to the rank of Vice Admiral in the British Navy. September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A small village in North Cornwall, England See also Wadebridge External links A website about St Tudy The St Tudy CofE primary school website A collection of photographs from in and around St Tudy Categories: | ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county at the extreme South-West of England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area â€“ Total Ranked... This article is about the year 1776. ... James Cook, portrait by Nathaniel Dance, c. ... Resolution and Adventure with fishing craft in Matavai Bay by William Hodges, painted 1776, shows the two ships at anchor in Tahiti in August 1773. ... 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ...

He married Elizabeth Betham, the daughter of a Customs Collector on 4 February 1781 and a few days thereafter he was appointed to serve on 'Belle Poule' as its master. Soon after this in August 1781 he fought in the battles 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 he was a captain in the merchant service. February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Naval career

William Bligh's naval career consisted of a variety of appointments and assignments. A summary is as follows:

Resolution and Adventure with fishing craft in Matavai Bay by William Hodges, painted 1776, shows the two ships at anchor in Tahiti in August 1773. ... for other meaning see Mutiny on the Bounty (disambiguation) The mutineers turning Lt Bligh and some of the officers and crew adrift from HMAV Bounty, 29 April 1789 The Mutiny on the Bounty was a historical event in the late 18th century, most widely known through fiction, of an officer... HMS Glatton HMS Glatton was a 64-gun 4th rate ship of the line. ... List of Governors of New South Wales See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor. ...

The voyage of the Bounty

In 1787, Bligh took command of the Bounty. He first sailed to Tahiti to obtain breadfruit trees, then set course for the Caribbean, where breadfruit was wanted for experiments to see if it would be a successful food crop for slaves there. The Bounty never reached the Caribbean, as mutiny broke out onboard shortly after leaving Tahiti. In later years, Bligh would repeat the same voyage that the Bounty had undertaken and would eventually succeed in delivering the breadfruit to the West Indies. Bligh's mission may have introduced the akee to the Caribbean as well, though this is uncertain. (Akee is now called Blighia sapida in binomial nomenclature, after Bligh). 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Map of French Polynesia Map of Tahiti and Moorea View of Raiatea Mountain. ... Binomial name Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg The Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), Malayalam: kada-chakkai, Hawaiian: â€˜ulu; is a tree and fruit native to the east Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean islands. ... Central America and the Caribbean (detailed pdf map) The Caribbean, (Spanish: Caribe; French: CaraÃ¯be or more commonly Antilles; Dutch: Cariben or CaraÃ¯ben, or more commonly Antillen) or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries which are in or border the Caribbean Sea which lies on... Mutiny is the crime of conspiring to disobey an order that a group of similarly-situated individuals (typically members of the military; or the crew of any ship, even if they are civilians) is legally obliged to obey. ... Binomial name Blighia sapida Koenig The Akee or Ackee (Blighia sapida) is a member of the Sapindaceae (soapberry family), native to tropical west Africa. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ...

The voyage 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 had to wait 5 months for the breadfruit plants to mature enough to be transported. The 'Bounty' departed Tahiti in April 1789.

Without a member of the Marine Corps on board for protection in case of mutiny, and no lieutenant aboard, he was obliged to rely on Fletcher Christian as his first mate (Acting Lieutenant). The mutiny, which broke out during the return voyage on April 28, 1789, was led by Master's Mate (at the time promoted by Bligh to Acting Lieutenant) Fletcher Christian and supported by a quarter of the crew. Despite their being in the majority, none of the loyalists seemed to have put up any significant struggle, and the ship was taken bloodlessly. The mutineers provided Bligh and the eighteen of his crew who remained loyal with a 23 foot (7 m) launch, with four cutlasses and food and water for a few days to reach the most accessible ports, a compass and a pocket watch, but no charts or sextant. The launch could not 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. Fletcher Christian Fletcher Christian (September 25, 1764 - October 3, 1793) was a Masters Mate on board the Bounty during William Blighs fateful voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants. ... The mutineers turning Lt Bligh and some of the officers and crew adrift from HMAV Bounty, 29 April 1789. ... Fletcher Christian Fletcher Christian (September 25, 1764 - October 3, 1793) was a Masters Mate on board the Bounty during William Blighs fateful voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants. ...

Popular fiction claims that out of bloody-mindedness Bligh disdained an easy course of action of sailing for the nearby island of Tofua or "nearby Spanish ports" where they would be repatriated to Britain after delays. In fact, Bligh had no alternative.

Tahiti was upwind from his 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 (there were no "nearer Spanish ports"). Bligh and his crew did make for Tofua first to get 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 had no weapons for defense and the Fijians at that time were cannibals.

Bligh had a well-deserved confidence in his navigational skills. 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 41-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 England. Map of Timor Timor Island from space, November 1989 (North is to the bottom of the image). ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands-IndiÃ«) was the name of the colonies set up by the Dutch East India Company, which came under administration of the Netherlands during the 19th century (see Indonesia). ... Batavia is a Latin name used for the Netherlands, derived from the Batavii tribe. ...

To this day, the reasons for the mutiny are a subject of considerable debate. Some feel that Bligh was a cruel tyrant whose abuse of the crew led members of the crew to feel that they had no choice but to take the ship from Bligh. Others feel 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 hold that the crew took the ship from Bligh so that they could return to a life of comfort and pleasure on Tahiti.

The Bounty's log shows that Bligh resorted to punishments 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. His personal morals were above reproach. He cared about the natives of Tahiti, and 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, "[Bligh made] 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 do not make friends of men by insulting them."

On the Bounty's launch, with a hopeless journey ahead of him and obliged to navigate by memory, Bligh was in his element. In the face of disaster, his courage and leadership made him capable of great things. He could rally his crew around him, and save the lives of them all. It was routine circumstances in fair weather that caused his "thin-skinned vanity" to make him temperamental and acid-tongued. Bligh's tongue-lashings over petty matters were feared far more than his infrequent lashings with a whip.

Popular fiction often confuses Bligh with Edward Edwards of the Pandora, who was sent on the Royal Navy's expedition to find the mutineers and bring them to trial. Edwards was every bit the cruel man that Bligh was accused of being; the 14 men that he captured were confined in terrible conditions. 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, had not some unknown crewman, more compassionate than Edwards, unlocked their cage before fleeing the doomed vessel. Admiral Edward Edwards (1742-1815) was a British naval officer best known as being the captain of HMS Pandora, which was sent in pursuit of the HMAV Bounty mutineers. ... Satellite image of a part of the Great Barrier Reef. ...

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, 4 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 did not resist; they subsequently received royal pardons. One was convicted but excused on a technicality. The remaining three were convicted and hanged.

William Bligh, in an image from his 1792 From http://www. ... William Bligh, in an image from his 1792 From http://www. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Project Gutenberg (often abbreviated as PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive, and distribute cultural works. ...

After the Bounty

After a court of inquiry, Bligh went on to serve under Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen, commanding HMS Glatton, a 64-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. His navigational skills allowed him to navigate the Glatton safely between the banks while three other vessels ran aground. When Nelson feigned not to notice the signal 43 of Admiral Parker to stop the battle and kept the signal 16 hoisted to continue the engagement, Bligh on the Glatton was the only captain who could see the conflicting two signals. By choosing to display also the signal 16, Bligh ensured all the vessels behind the Glatton remained in the engagement. Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ... The Battle of Copenhagen The Battle of Copenhagen (Danish: Slaget på Reden) was a naval battle fought on 2 April 1801 by a British fleet under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, against a Danish fleet anchored just off Copenhagen. ... HMS Glatton HMS Glatton was a 64-gun 4th rate ship of the line. ... The carronade was a short gun developed by the Carron Company, a Scottish ironworks, in 1778 for the Royal Navy. ...

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, on the Director only 7 seamen were wounded. The Battle of Camperdown, 11 October 1797 by Thomas Whitcombe, painted 1798, showing the British flagship Venerable engaged with the Dutch flagship Vrijheid. ...

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 rate of pay for the retiring Governor Philip Gidley King. Captain William Bligh arrived in Sydney August 1806 to become the fourth governor of New South Wales in 1805. There he suffered another mutiny, the Rum Rebellion, when on 26 January 1808 the New South Wales Corps under orders of Major George Johnson (a.k.a. Johnston) marched on government house and arrested Governor Bligh. He sailed to Hobart on the 'Porpoise' and was welcomed by the Tasmanian Lieutenant-Governor David Collins, he remained on board and moored until January 1810. Effectively he was imprisoned (on board the 'Porpoise') from 1808 to 1810. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1395x888, 203 KB) Summary The arrest of Bligh - propaganda cartoon designed to show w:Bligh as a coward from the time of the w:Rum Rebellion 1808 Sydney Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Governors of New... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1395x888, 203 KB) Summary The arrest of Bligh - propaganda cartoon designed to show w:Bligh as a coward from the time of the w:Rum Rebellion 1808 Sydney Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Governors of New... It has been suggested that Propaganda in the United States be merged into this article or section. ... List of Governors of New South Wales See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor. ... Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, PRS (February 13, 1743 â€“ June 19, 1820) was the English naturalist and botanist on Cooks first great voyage (1768â€“1771) and some 75 species bear Banks name. ... Philip Gidley King Naval pioneer and colonial governor Philip Gidley King (23 April 1758 - 3 September 1808) was an English naval officer and colonial administrator. ... Emblems: Floral - Waratah (Telopea Speciosissima); Bird - Kookaburra (Dacelo Gigas); Animal - Platypus (Ornithorhynchus Anatinus); Fish - Blue Groper (Achoerodus Viridis) Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Slogan or Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A contemporary propaganda cartoon of Blighs arrest produced to show Bligh as being a coward The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was the only successful (if only temporarily so) armed takeover of government in Australias recorded history. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The New South Wales Corps (also known as the Rum Corps and the Botany Bay Rangers) were the first foot soldiers to serve in Australia, in the then colony of New South Wales. ... Lieutenant-Governor David Collins R.M. was the inaugral Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia. ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

He sailed from Hobart and on 17 January 1810 he arrived in Sydney to collect evidence for the upcoming court-martial of Major George Johnson. He departed for the trial in England on 12th May and arrived in England on 25 October 1810 on board the 'Porpoise'. At the court-martial he was vindicated and George Johnson was cashiered from the Marine Corps and British armed forces. January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1811, having been exonerated, he was promoted to Rear Admiral, and 3 years later, in 1814, promoted again, to Vice Admiral of the Blue. The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. ...

Bligh designed the North Bull Wall at the mouth of the River Liffey in Dublin, to ensure the entrance to Dublin Port did not silt up and prevent a sandbar forming. Boardwalks of River Liffey and OConnell Bridge, in Dublin City. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Dublin Port is Irelands biggest sea port. ... In geography, a bar is a linear shoaling landform feature within a body of water. ...

Bligh died in Bond Street, London on 6 December 1817 and was buried in a family plot at Lambeth. This church is now the Museum of Garden History. His gravestone is topped by a breadfruit. Bligh's house is marked by a plaque one block east of the Museum.
An arcade in Old Bond Street Bond Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... Lambeth is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth. ...

Sources

Contents

Early life

Naval career

The voyage of the Bounty

After the Bounty

Sources

Further reading

External links

Contents

Early life GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Naval career

The voyage of the Bounty

After the Bounty

Sources

Further reading

External links

Early life