100-487: The Pitcairn Islands ( / ˈ p ɪ t k ɛər n / PIT -kairn ; Pitkern : Pitkern Ailen ), officially Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands , are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four islands— Pitcairn , Henderson , Ducie and Oeno —are scattered across several hundred kilometres of ocean and have
200-552: A British overseas territory with a degree of local government. The King of the United Kingdom is represented by a Governor, who also holds office as British High Commissioner to New Zealand and is based in Wellington . The 2010 constitution gives authority for the islands to operate as a representative democracy , with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for matters such as defence and foreign affairs. The Governor and
300-554: A Manxman and a distant relation of Christian's. His recommendation came from Bligh's father-in-law, who was a Heywood family friend. The two botanists, or "gardeners", were chosen by Sir Joseph Banks , the president of the Royal Society and the expedition's chief promoter. The chief botanist, David Nelson , was another veteran of Cook's third voyage and had learned some of the Tahitians' language. Nelson's assistant, William Brown,
400-454: A cutter , the smallest category of warship—this meant that she was commanded not by a captain but by a lieutenant , with no other commissioned officers aboard, and without the usual detachment of Royal Marines that ships' commanders could use to enforce their authority. Directly beneath Bligh in the chain of command were his warrant officers , appointed by the Navy Board and headed by
500-471: A "sparrow", is endemic to Pitcairn Island; formerly common, it was added to the endangered species list in 2008. A small population of humpback whales migrate to the islands annually, to over-winter and breed. The four islands in the Pitcairn group have been identified by BirdLife International as separate Important Bird Areas (IBAs). Pitcairn Island is recognised because it is the only nesting site of
600-520: A British colony on 30 November 1838, at the same time becoming one of the first territories to extend voting rights to women . By the mid-1850s, the Pitcairn community was outgrowing the island; its leaders appealed to the British government for assistance, and were offered Norfolk Island . On 3 May 1856, the entire population of 193 people set sail for Norfolk on board the Morayshire , arriving on 8 June after
700-538: A chance to remove everything of value from the ship as a safety precaution to avoid the ship giving their location away to the British Navy. It is not known if he took the action on his own or if he was ordered to. He led the others in oppressing the Polynesians. On 20 September 1793, the four remaining Polynesian men stole muskets and killed Christian, Mills, Brown, Martin, and Williams. Quintal barely escaped being one of
800-501: A combined land area of about 47 square kilometres (18 square miles). Henderson Island accounts for 86% of the land area, but only Pitcairn Island is inhabited. The inhabited islands nearest to the Pitcairn Islands are Mangareva (of French Polynesia ), 688 km to the west, as well as Easter Island , 1,929 km to the east. The Pitcairn Islanders are a biracial ethnic group descended mostly from nine Bounty mutineers and
900-553: A conflict broke out between the Tahitian men and the mutineers, resulting in the deaths of all the Tahitian men, Fletcher Christian ( Manx ), and four of the Englishmen. McCoy (Scottish) was one of the survivors. McCoy discovered how to distill alcohol from the sweet syrup of the ti tree root. He, Matthew Quintal , and some of the women would lie around all day in a drunken stupor. On 20 April 1798, while drunk, he killed himself by tying
1000-601: A crowd of mutineers that were jeering their powerless ex-captain and "publicly insulting" him. Able seaman Ellison was seriously outranked by Hayward, who had been promoted to lieutenant , and had no means to hire counsel for his defence or to impeach this damning testimony. As a forlorn hope, the doomed man wrote out a paper for the Judge Advocate, pleading his case and describing the mutiny from his point of view. In this paper he concluded: I hope, honorable Gentlemen, yo'll be so Kind as to take my Case into Consideration as I
1100-686: A difficult five-week trip. However, just 18 months later, 17 of the Pitcairn Islanders returned to their home island, and another 27 followed five years later. HMS Thetis visited Pitcairn Island on 18 April 1881 and "found the people very happy and contented, and in perfect health". At that time the population was 96, an increase of six since the visit of Admiral de Horsey in September 1878. Stores had recently been delivered from friends in England, including two whale-boats and Portland cement , which
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#17328403993051200-534: A draft list of the crew before the voyage includes several who did not sail, including two pressed men who are thought to have deserted. Of the eventual crew, William Peckover, the gunner, and Joseph Coleman, the armourer, had been with Bligh when he was Captain James Cook 's sailing master on HMS Resolution during the explorer's third voyage (1776–80). Several others had sailed under Bligh more recently, including Christian, who had twice voyaged with Bligh to
1300-552: A handful of Tahitian consorts. As of 2023, the territory had only 35 permanent inhabitants. Various forms of evidence show the earliest settlers of the Pitcairn Islands were Polynesians who occupied Pitcairn and Henderson for several centuries until the islands were abandoned: Henderson most likely before the 16th century and Pitcairn in the 17th or early 18th century. The islands were uninhabited when they were discovered by Europeans. Portuguese sailor Pedro Fernandes de Queirós came upon Ducie and Henderson Islands while sailing for
1400-564: A major role on Pitcairn. Tourism is the focus for building the economy. It focuses on small groups coming by charter vessel and staying at "home stays". About ten times a year, passengers from expedition-type cruise ships come ashore for a day, weather permitting. As of 2019, the government has been operating the MV Silver Supporter as the island's only dedicated passenger/cargo vessel, providing adventure tourism holidays to Pitcairn every week. Tourists stay with local families and experience
1500-471: A man to play the violin and I preferred at last to take one two-thirds blind than come without one," and described him as being "5 feet 6 inches high. Fair complexion and is almost blind. Plays the fiddle. Has the mark of an issue in the back of his neck." During the mutiny on 28 April 1789, Byrne was notably the sole able seaman who was a loyalist, but he remained on the ship with the mutineers, apparently because his near-blindness added to his confusion. He
1600-477: A rich variety of animals in its nearly inaccessible interior, is also capable of supporting a small human population despite its scarce fresh water, but access is difficult, owing to its outer shores being steep limestone cliffs covered by sharp coral. In 1988, this island was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The other islands are at a distance of more than 100 km (62 mi) and are not habitable. Pitcairn Island has no permanent water source; however,
1700-424: A stone to his neck and leaping off a cliff. William Muspratt (1759–1797) was an able seaman (AB) on His Majesty's Armed Ship Bounty . After participating in the mutiny, he was court-martialed at Spithead in September 1792, and sentenced to death, but his conviction was overturned on appeal. He returned to active service in the British navy, and probably perished in 1797 aboard HMS Bellerophon . On
1800-471: A temporary assignment on Pitcairn, and began uncovering allegations of sexual abuse. When a 15-year-old girl decided to press rape charges in 1999, criminal proceedings (code-named "Operation Unique") were set in motion. The charges include 21 counts of rape , 41 of indecent assault , and two of gross indecency with a child under 14. Over the following two years, police officers in Australia , New Zealand and
1900-598: A very good Boy and will do very well." Bligh also instructed his clerk, John Samuel, to teach "Writing and Arithmetick" to the illiterate teenager. During the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, Ellison was standing his watch as the ship's wheelsman , which gave him a vantage point to view the personal confrontation between Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian at the heart of the mutiny. Ellison described himself as continuing to obey
2000-405: Is a volcanic remnant primarily formed of tuff , where the north side of the cone has been eroded. Pitcairn is the only permanently inhabited island. Adamstown, the main settlement on the island, lies within the volcanic basin. Pitcairn is accessible only by boat through Bounty Bay, due to the island's steep cliffs. Henderson Island, covering about 86% of the territory's total land area and supporting
2100-567: Is endemic to Pitcairn and Henderson Islands. Pitcairn is part of the Tuamotu tropical moist forests terrestrial ecoregion. Between 1937 and 1951, Irving Johnson , skipper of the 29-metre (96 ft) brigantine Yankee Five , introduced five Galápagos giant tortoises to Pitcairn. Turpen, also known as Mr Turpen , or Mr. T, is the sole survivor. Turpen usually lives at Tedside by Western Harbour. A protection order makes it an offence should anyone kill, injure, capture, maim, or cause harm or distress to
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#17328403993052200-714: Is not standardised. The sentences below are excerpted from a longer dialogue held in 1951 between a teenage speaker of Pitkern and A.W. Moverley, a foreigner who worked as a schoolteacher on Pitcairn during the mid-20th century. The dialogue was recorded by Moverley and later transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet by A.C. Gimson, with translations to English provided by Moverley. Some poetry exists in Pitkern. The poems of Meralda Warren are of particular note. Ned Young The complement of HMS Bounty ,
2300-487: Is not very developed because of Pitcairn's small population. The most traditional meal is pota, mash from palm leaves and coconut . Domestic tropical plants are abundantly used. These include basil , breadfruit , sugar cane , coconut , bananas and beans . Meat courses consist mainly of fish and beef . Given that most of the population's ancestry is from the UK, the cuisine is influenced by British cuisine ; for example,
2400-452: Is remarkably productive and its benign climate supports a wide range of tropical and temperate crops. All land allocation for any use including agriculture is under the discretion of the government. If the government deems agricultural production excessive then it may tax the land. If the agricultural land has been deemed not up to the standards of the government it may confiscate and transfer the land without compensation. Fish are plentiful in
2500-420: Is reportedly a favourite of King Charles and formerly Queen Elizabeth . The Pitcairn Islanders, under the "Bounty Products" and "Delectable Bounty" brands, also export dried fruit including bananas, papayas, pineapples, and mangoes to New Zealand. Honey production and all honey-related products are a protected monopoly. All funds and management are under the supervision and discretion of the government. Cuisine
2600-583: The Britannia . The youngest aboard were Hallett and Heywood, who were both 15 when they left England. Michael Byrne was born in Kilkenny , Ireland , in 1761. He went to sea as an able seaman at the age of 19. He had served on five naval ships by 1787, when he was signed as an able seaman by Captain Bligh on the Bounty, primarily to play the fiddle. Bligh wrote, "I had great difficulty before I left England to get
2700-693: The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Harwell, Oxfordshire to monitor vessel activity and to gather the information needed to prosecute unauthorised trawling. In March 2019 the International Dark-Sky Association approved the Pitcairn Islands as a Dark Sky Sanctuary. The sanctuary encompasses all 4 islands in the Pitcairn Islands Group for a total land area of 43.25 km (16 3 ⁄ 4 sq. mi.). The Pitcairn Islands are
2800-474: The Pitcairn reed warbler . Henderson Island is important for its endemic land-birds as well as its breeding seabirds . Oeno's ornithological significance derives principally from its Murphy's petrel colony. Ducie is important for its colonies of Murphy's , herald and Kermadec petrels , and Christmas shearwaters . In March 2015 the British government established one of the largest marine protected areas in
2900-503: The Royal Navy ship on which a historic mutiny occurred in the south Pacific on 28 April 1789, comprised 46 men on its departure from England in December 1787 and 44 at the time of the mutiny, including her commander Lieutenant William Bligh . All but two of those aboard were Royal Navy personnel; the exceptions were two civilian botanists engaged to supervise the breadfruit plants Bounty
3000-509: The Seventh-day Adventist layman John Tay visited Pitcairn and persuaded most of the islanders to accept his faith. He returned in 1890 on the missionary schooner Pitcairn with an ordained minister to perform baptisms . Since then, the majority of Pitcairn Islanders have been Adventists. The islands of Henderson, Oeno and Ducie were annexed by Britain in 1902: Henderson on 1 July, Oeno on 10 July, and Ducie on 19 December. In 1938,
3100-461: The United Kingdom interviewed every woman who had lived on Pitcairn in the past 20 years, as well as all of the accused men. These interviews revealed stories of girls as young as three being sexually assaulted and as young as 10 being gang-raped. The file was held by Pitcairn's first Public Prosecutor Simon Moore, an Auckland Crown Solicitor appointed to the position by the British government for
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3200-454: The exclusive economic zone , which extends 370 km (230 mi) offshore and comprises 880,000 km (340,000 sq mi). In 1998, the UK's overseas aid agency, the Department for International Development , funded an apiculture programme for Pitcairn which included training for Pitcairn's beekeepers and a detailed analysis of Pitcairn's bees and honey with particular regard to
3300-451: The meat pie . The cuisine of Norfolk Island is very similar to that of the Pitcairn Islands, as Norfolk Islanders trace their origins to Pitcairn. The local cuisine is a blend of British cuisine and Tahitian cuisine . Recipes from Norfolk Island of Pitcairn origin include mudda (green banana dumplings) and kumara pilhi. The island's cuisine also includes foods not found on Pitcairn, such as chopped salads and fruit pies. Tourism plays
3400-431: The Bounty , by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall , portrays Ellison as a heroic character. His youthful optimism is depicted as raising the spirits of his fellow mutineer-prisoners, and his conviction and execution are characterised as a miscarriage of justice . In the 1984 film The Bounty , he is played by Dexter Fletcher . John Fryer (15 August 1753 – 26 May 1817) was the sailing master on Bounty. He
3500-580: The English mutineers could communicate with the Tahitian women they brought to the previously uninhabited Pitcairn Island. The Pitkern language was influenced by the diverse English dialects and accents of the crew. Geographically, the mutineers were drawn from as far as the West Indies, with one mutineer being described as speaking a forerunner of a Caribbean patois. One was a Scot from the Isle of Lewis . At least one,
3600-480: The Island Council may enact laws for the " peace, order and good government " of Pitcairn. The Island Council customarily appoints a Mayor of Pitcairn as a day-to-day head of the local administration. Since 2015, same-sex marriage has been legal on Pitcairn Island, although there are no people on the island known to be in such a relationship. The Pitcairn Islands have the smallest population of any democracy in
3700-641: The Pitcairn population have meant that a serious comparison of the two languages for mutual intelligibility has proven difficult. The exact relationship between these two languages is a point of contention for scholars. Some believe that the difference between Pitkern and Norf'k is negligible, while others believe that Standard English is more present in Norf'k than it is in Pitkern. Pronouns included aklen , commonly spelled uklun 'we/us' (or just 'us', with wi for 'we'); , hami 'you and I' / 'you and us', and yoli 'you (plural)'. Note: Pitkern spelling
3800-640: The Pitcairn valleys, such as Isaac's Valley on the gentle slopes southeast of Adamstown , produces a wide variety of fruits, including bananas (Pitkern: plun ), papaya ( paw paws ), pineapples , mangoes , watermelons , cantaloupes , passionfruit , breadfruit , coconuts , avocadoes , and citrus (including mandarin oranges , grapefruit , lemons and limes ). Vegetables include sweet potatoes (kumura), carrots, sweet corn , tomatoes, taro , yams , peas , and beans . Arrowroot ( Maranta arundinacea ) and sugarcane are grown and harvested to produce arrowroot flour and molasses , respectively. Pitcairn Island
3900-519: The Spanish Crown, arriving on 26 January 1606. He named them La Encarnación (" The Incarnation ") and San Juan Bautista ("Saint John the Baptist "), respectively. However, some sources express doubt about exactly which of the islands were visited and named by Queirós, suggesting that La Encarnación may actually have been Henderson Island, and San Juan Bautista may have been Pitcairn Island. Pitcairn Island
4000-469: The West Indies on the merchantman Britannia . The two had formed a master-pupil relationship through which Christian had become a highly skilled navigator; Bligh gave him one of the master's mate's berths on Bounty , and in March 1788, promoted him to the rank of Acting Lieutenant, effectively making Christian second-in-command. Another of the young gentlemen recommended to Bligh was 15-year-old Peter Heywood ,
4100-459: The boat carrying the loyalists, the first being Bligh himself. Heywood also disliked Hayward, calling him a 'worldling', raised a little in society, as a result of which he typically affected airs and graces beyond his station. Upon returning to England with Bligh, Hayward set out as third lieutenant under Captain Edward Edwards on HMS Pandora . Although they succeeded in finding some of
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4200-452: The books of the Bounty , Muspratt is listed not only as an able seaman but also as the ship's tailor . His status as a craftsman did not grant any special privileges and, like the other AB's of the ship's crew, Muspratt was subject to the discipline of the ship's captain, William Bligh . Upon the Bounty's landfall in Tahiti in late 1788, Muspratt soon fell foul of his commanding officers and
4300-421: The captain's orders to "clap the helm down". However, the young seaman then handed control of the helm to a mutineer, John Mills, and left the scene to ask for advice from a loyal crewman, Lawrence LeBogue. When the time came for Ellison to tell his story at his court-martial , he tried to portray this incident as an attempt to establish his loyalty; but LeBogue – who would within minutes be set adrift with Bligh in
4400-489: The entire community; Adams and Young killed Quintal to prevent this from happening, making themselves the only two surviving mutineers. It was after this episode that the distillery was shut down by Young. Meanwhile, they had established fruit plantations and had many children by their Tahitian wives. In 1799 Young began to experience asthma . At about the same time, he became more religious. The other islanders converted to Christianity , and Young taught Adams and several of
4500-540: The failure of captain James Cook to locate the island in July 1773. In 1790, nine of the mutineers from the British naval vessel HMS Bounty , along with the native Tahitian men and women who were with them (six men, 11 women, and a baby girl), settled on Pitcairn Island and set fire to the Bounty . The inhabitants of the island were well aware of the Bounty ' s location, which is still visible underwater in Bounty Bay , but
4600-634: The first to visit the island, when the crew spent ten hours on Pitcairn in February 1808. Whalers subsequently became regular visitors to the island. The last recorded whaler to visit was the James Arnold in 1888. A report of Folger's discovery was forwarded to the Admiralty , mentioning the mutineers and giving a more precise location of the island: 25°02′S 130°00′W / 25.033°S 130.000°W / -25.033; -130.000 . However, this
4700-551: The island has three seasonal semi-permanent springs. Includes reef flat and lagoon of the atolls. Pitcairn is located just south of the Tropic of Capricorn and experiences year-round warm weather. About nine plant species are thought to be endemic to Pitcairn. These include tapau, formerly an important timber resource, and the giant nehe fern . Some, such as red berry ( Coprosma rapensis var. Benefica ), are perilously close to extinction. The plant species Glochidion pitcairnense
4800-629: The island's culture while contributing to the local economy. Providing accommodation is a growing source of revenue, and some families have invested in private self-contained units adjacent to their homes for tourists to rent. Pitkern Pitkern , also known as Pitcairn-Norfolk or Pitcairnese , is a language spoken on Pitcairn and Norfolk islands. It is a mixture of English and Tahitian , and has been given many classifications by scholars, including cant , patois , and Atlantic creole. Although spoken on Pacific Ocean islands, it has been described as an Atlantic or semi-Atlantic creole due to
4900-421: The island's mayor at the time. In 2004, the islanders had about 20 firearms among them, which they surrendered ahead of the sexual assault trials . After the six men lost their final appeal, the British government set up a prison on the island at Bob's Valley. The men began serving their sentences in late 2006. By 2010, all had served their sentences or been granted home detention status. The Pitcairn Islands form
5000-525: The lack of connections with other English-based creoles of the Pacific. There are fewer than 50 speakers on Pitcairn Island, a number which has been steadily decreasing since 1971. Following the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, the British mutineers stopped at Tahiti and took 18 Polynesians, mostly women, to remote Pitcairn Island and settled there. A pidgin was formed based on English and Tahitian so that
5100-491: The language started to be used in church and school. In 1856, 194 residents of Pitcairn Island moved to Norfolk Island, where many residents continued to use Pitkern in their households. After 1914, the Australian government tried to end the use of Pitkern/Norf'k by restricting its use in public spaces. Norf'k is descended predominantly from Pitkern. When the residents of Pitcairn Island moved to Norfolk Island, they brought
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#17328403993055200-406: The language with them. The language developed and changed over time. The relative ease of travel from English-speaking countries such as Australia , New Zealand or Papua New Guinea to Norfolk Island, particularly when compared with that of travel to the Pitcairn Islands, has meant that Norf'k has been exposed to much greater contact with English relative to Pitkern. The difficulties in accessing
5300-444: The leader Fletcher Christian , was a well-educated man, which at the time made a major difference in speech. Both Geordie and West Country dialects have obvious links to some Pitkern phrases and words, such as whettles , meaning food, from victuals . The first children born on Pitcairn Island mainly spoke a mixture of non-standard varieties of English and the contact language. In the 1830s, Pitkern's local prestige increased, and
5400-512: The matter before the Island Council (the legislative body which doubles as the island's court), but was rebuffed. One councillor told him, "Look, the age of consent has always been 12 and it doesn't hurt them." A study of island records confirmed anecdotal evidence that most girls bore their first child between the ages of 12 and 15. "I think the girls were conditioned to accept that it was a man's world and once they turned 12, they were eligible," Tosen said. Mothers and grandmothers were resigned to
5500-490: The mutineers on Tahiti, and Hayward evidently performed well, it was an unfortunate voyage, ending with Pandora shipwrecked, and for the second time in as many years Hayward found himself without a ship, in an open boat making for safety. He eventually returned to England with other survivors from the Pandora , after which his career is uncertain. It has been suggested, based mainly on nearly illegible papers, that Hayward commanded
5600-407: The mutineers, and that he would never attempt to return to England. He joined Christian on the voyage to Pitcairn. On Pitcairn, Young took charge of the distillery and brewed a primitive alcohol. In October 1793, when conflict broke out between the mutineers and the four surviving Tahitian men, Young slept through most of this battle as well, and was protected by a Tahitian woman who largely supported
5700-486: The mutineers. Young did help to hunt down and kill Neho, one of the Tahitian men. The other three surviving mutineers were Matthew Quintal , William McCoy and John Adams . Young was accepted as the leader of the island, and Adams became his friend and deputy, though some sources seem to indicate that the two men had an equal amount of power. They gained much more respect than McCoy and Quintal, who became alcoholics. Quintal became increasingly alcoholic and threatened to kill
5800-486: The mutiny, he remained in Tahiti rather than continuing on to the Pitcairn Islands , and in 1791 voluntarily turned himself in to the seamen of HMS Pandora to face justice in England. He was court-martialed at Spithead in September 1792, sentenced to death, and hanged on 29 October. Questions continue as to the degree of Ellison's culpability in the mutiny. Ellison, although he was only 15 years old when he
5900-410: The newly invented marine chronometer , charted the island at 25°02′S 133°21′W / 25.033°S 133.350°W / -25.033; -133.350 , and although the latitude was reasonably accurate, his recorded longitude was incorrect by about 3°, putting his coordinates 330 km (210 mi) to the west of the actual island. This made Pitcairn difficult to find, as highlighted by
6000-456: The presence or absence of disease. Pitcairn has one of the best examples of disease-free bee populations anywhere in the world and the honey produced was and remains exceptionally high in quality. Pitcairn bees are also a placid variety and, within a short time, beekeepers are able to work with them wearing minimal protection. As a result, Pitcairn exports honey to New Zealand and to the United Kingdom. In London, Fortnum & Mason sells it and it
6100-452: The purposes of the investigation. Australian Seventh-day Adventist pastor Neville Tosen, who spent two years on Pitcairn around the turn of the millennium, said that on his arrival, he had been taken aback by the conduct of the children, but he had not immediately realised what was happening. "I noticed worrying signs such as inexplicable mood swings," he said. "It took me three months to realise they were being abused." Tosen tried to bring
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#17328403993056200-523: The ranks. His subsequent service was short, however. His will, probated in January 1798, indicated that his service ended aboard HMS Bellerophon , a ship of the line . Matthew Quintal (baptised 3 March 1766 as Mathew Quintril, Padstow , Cornwall – 1799, Pitcairn Island ) was a Cornish able seaman . His surname was, in all probability, the result of misspelling the Cornish surname " Quintrell ". He
6300-517: The sailing master John Fryer . The other warrant officers were the boatswain , the surgeon , the carpenter, and the gunner. Two master's mates and two midshipmen were rated as petty officers; to these were added several honorary midshipmen—so-called " young gentlemen " who aspired to naval careers. They signed on the ship's roster as able seamen, but were quartered with the midshipmen and treated on equal terms with them. Most on Bounty were chosen by Bligh, or were recommended to him. However,
6400-559: The seas around Pitcairn. Spiny lobster and a large variety of fish are caught for meals and for trading aboard passing ships. Almost every day someone will go fishing, whether it is from the rocks, from a longboat, or diving with a spear gun. There are numerous types of fish around the island. Fish such as nanwee, white fish, moi, and opapa are caught in shallow water, while snapper, big eye, and cod are caught in deep water, and yellow tail and wahoo are caught by trawling. Manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver and zinc have been discovered within
6500-455: The ship's Bible as their guide for a new and peaceful society. Young eventually died of an asthmatic infection. Ducie Island was rediscovered in 1791 by Royal Navy captain Edward Edwards aboard HMS Pandora , while searching for the Bounty mutineers. He named it after Francis Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Baron Ducie , also a captain in the Royal Navy. The Pitcairn islanders reported it
6600-422: The ship's boat – was less than helpful or sympathetic to the confused youth: He being wex'd, I believe, answerd me in a Sharp surly manner, told me to go to hell and not bother him; this Reception from my old ship mate quite Disheartened me from making an application to any One else. He gave himself up voluntarily when HMS Pandora arrived in 1791, and was placed in irons as a mutineer. He subsequently survived
6700-446: The situation, telling him that their own childhood experience had been the same; they regarded it as just a part of life on Pitcairn. One grandmother wondered what all the fuss was about. Tosen was convinced, however, that the early sexual experience was very damaging to the girls, outright stating, "They can't settle or form solid relationships. They did suffer, no doubt about it." In 2016, Mike Warren , Pitcairn mayor from 2008 to 2013,
6800-605: The sloop HMS Swift . If so, he drowned when the ship was lost with all hands in a typhoon in the South China Sea in 1797 or 1798. Hayward is not to be confused with Peter Heywood – a fellow Bounty midshipman – because of their similar-sounding names. William McCoy (c.1763 – 20 April 1798) was a Scottish sailor who was with Fletcher Christian on the voyage from Tahiti to Pitcairn Island , settling there in January 1790. McCoy had one consort, Teio , and fathered two children, Daniel and Catherine. After three years,
6900-451: The southeasternmost extension of the geological archipelago of the Tuamotus of French Polynesia , and consist of four islands: Pitcairn Island , Oeno Island (atoll with five islets, one of which is Sandy Island), Henderson Island and Ducie Island (atoll with four islets). The Pitcairn Islands were formed by a centre of upwelling magma called the Pitcairn hotspot . Pitcairn Island
7000-404: The three islands, along with Pitcairn, were incorporated into a single administrative unit called the "Pitcairn Group of Islands". The population peaked at 233 in 1937. It has since decreased owing to emigration, primarily to Australia and New Zealand. Three cases of imprisonment for raping underage girls were reported in the 1950s. In 1999, Gail Cox, a police officer from Kent , UK , served on
7100-634: The time, because he and William McCoy were drunk most of the time, consuming the ti-root brandy that McCoy had succeeded in distilling. Tevarua fell – or, some believe, killed herself by leaping – off a cliff in 1799. After McCoy killed himself, Quintal became increasingly erratic. He demanded to take Isabella, Fletcher Christian's widow, as his wife, and threatened to kill Christian's children if his demands were not granted. Ned Young and John Adams invited him to Young's home and overpowered him, then killed him with an axe. Quintal's descendants reside on Norfolk Island to this day. A descendant, Malcolm Champion ,
7200-450: The tortoise. The birds of Pitcairn fall into several groups. These include seabirds, wading birds and a small number of resident land-bird species. Of 20 breeding species, Henderson Island has 16, including the unique flightless Henderson crake ; Oeno hosts 12; Ducie 13 and Pitcairn six species. Birds breeding on Pitcairn include the fairy tern , common noddy and red-tailed tropicbird . The Pitcairn reed warbler , known by Pitcairners as
7300-566: The victims by hiding in the mountains with William McCoy . McCoy discovered a means of distilling alcohol from one of the island's fruits. He and Quintal quickly descended into alcoholism, often abusing and bullying both the Polynesian men and women, including his consort Tevarua. Rosalind Young, a descendant of Ned Young , relayed a story handed down to her that Tevarua went fishing one day and failed to catch enough fish to satisfy him. He punished her by biting off her ear. He may have been drunk at
7400-522: The whaler Oeno . In 1832, having tried and failed to petition the British government and the London Missionary Society , Joshua Hill , an American adventurer, arrived. He reported that by March 1833, he had founded a Temperance Society to combat drunkenness, a " Maundy Thursday Society ", a monthly prayer meeting, a juvenile society, a Peace Society and a school. Traditionally, Pitcairn Islanders consider that their islands officially became
7500-604: The world around the Pitcairn Islands. The reserve covers the islands' entire exclusive economic zone —834,334 square kilometres (322,138 sq mi). The intention is to protect some of the world's most pristine ocean habitat from illegal fishing activities. A satellite "watchroom" dubbed Project Eyes on the Seas has been established by the Satellite Applications Catapult and the Pew Charitable Trusts at
7600-801: The world. The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes the Pitcairn Islands on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories . The Pitcairn Islands are a British Overseas Territory ; defence is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and the British Armed Forces . The Royal Navy maintains two offshore patrol vessels in the Indo-Pacific region, HMS Tamar and HMS Spey . Either may be periodically employed for sovereignty protection and other duties around Pitcairn and her associated islands. The fertile soil of
7700-416: The wreck of his prison ship , and was forwarded, still as a prisoner, to England for court-martial proceedings. Ellison faced his judges in September 1792. In his court-martial testimony, the loyal midshipman Thomas Hayward , who had also witnessed the mutiny, recalled seeing young Ellison holding a bayonet and saying of Bligh, "Damn him, I will be sentry over him." Hayward also said he saw Ellison in
7800-408: The wreckage gained significant attention in 1957 when documented by National Geographic explorer Luis Marden . Although the settlers survived by farming and fishing, the initial period of settlement was marked by serious tensions among them. Alcoholism , murder , disease and other ills took the lives of most mutineers and Tahitian men. John Adams and Ned Young turned to the scriptures , using
7900-504: Was No more than between Sixteen and Seventeen Years of age when this of [sic] done. Honourable Gentlemen, I leave my self at the Clemency and Mercy of this Honourable Court. This plea appears to be Ellison's own work, as it contains phonetic misspellings characteristic of his Cockney dialect. It did not, however, save the seaman from the gallows. He was convicted of mutiny and hanged at Spithead on 29 October 1792. The 1932 novel Mutiny on
8000-549: Was a former midshipman who had seen naval action against the French. Banks also helped to secure the midshipmen's berths for two of his protégés, Thomas Hayward and John Hallett . Overall, Bounty ' s crew was relatively youthful, the majority being under 30. At the time of departure Bligh was 33 years old and Fryer a year older. Among the older crew members were the gunner, William Peckover, who had sailed on all three of Cook's voyages, and Lawrence Lebogue, formerly sailmaker on
8100-410: Was a noted physician. Hayward's oldest sister, Ann, was a close friend of Betsy Betham, who married William Bligh . Through Betsy, Hayward managed to obtain a position as a midshipman on the Bounty . His service on the Bounty seems to have been lacklustre, but he remained loyal to Bligh and a staunch opponent of Fletcher Christian , who disliked him immensely. He was the second person ordered into
8200-659: Was a strong critic of both Lieutenant William Bligh and mutiny leader Fletcher Christian , at one time even accusing Bligh of favouring Christian. Despite his anger at Bligh, he did not support the mutiny. Fryer was born at Wells-next-the-Sea , Norfolk. After his naval service, he returned to Wells, and his grave in the churchyard is now clearly identified. In 1787, Fryer was appointed master of HMS Bounty , with Fletcher Christian serving as master's mate . On 10 January 1788, Bligh put his crew on three watches, giving one of them to Christian, and on 2 March, promoted Christian to acting lieutenant. Some have speculated that this
8300-472: Was a swimmer in the 1912 Summer Olympics , becoming New Zealand 's first ever gold medalist. Edward "Ned" Young (c. 1762 – 25 December 1800), was a British sailor, mutineer and co-founder of the mutineers' Pitcairn Island settlement. Young was born on the West Indian island of Saint Kitts . He apparently came from a poor family, but he did attend school. An 1825 Royal Navy biography reports that he
8400-416: Was among those recaptured and returned to England to stand trial for mutiny . One key element in the outcome of this trial was that Muspratt, although a common seaman, was able to find an attorney to defend him. Although eyewitness testimony depicted the seaman as having been armed during the mutiny, and he was convicted and sentenced to death, he was able successfully to appeal his conviction and return to
8500-574: Was armed during the take-over with a musket , which he never used nor fired. The mutineer left the Bounty when it again called at Tahiti. Bligh had meanwhile returned to England and written out descriptions of the mutineers; from this record we learn that Muspratt was "5 feet 6 inches high. Dark complexion, brown hair, slender made. Very strong black beard under his scarred chin. Tattooed in several places." When HMS Pandora arrived in Tahiti to try to recapture those mutineers that could be found, Muspratt
8600-412: Was assisted by Fryer in publishing a counterweight to Bligh's version. Fryer never received promotion, but served in the Royal Navy until 1812. In the 1935 film , Fryer was played by DeWitt Jennings , while Eddie Byrne portrayed him in the 1962 Mutiny on the Bounty . Daniel Day-Lewis portrayed him in the 1984 film The Bounty . John Hallett (1772–1794) was a midshipman on the Bounty . He
8700-460: Was convicted and sentenced to 20 months imprisonment for possession of child pornography. In 2004, charges were laid against seven men living on Pitcairn and six living abroad. This accounted for nearly a third of the male population, and half of the island's adult males. After extensive trials, most of the men were convicted, some on multiple counts of sexual assaults on children. On 25 October 2004, six men were convicted, including Steve Christian ,
8800-674: Was granted amnesty for his part in the mutiny. Henderson Island was rediscovered on 17 January 1819 by British Captain James Henderson of the British East India Company ship Hercules . Captain Henry King, sailing on Elizabeth , landed on 2 March to find the king's colours already flying. His crew scratched the name of their ship into a tree. Oeno Island was discovered on 26 January 1824 by American captain George Worth aboard
8900-516: Was mustered aboard captain William Bligh's armed vessel Bounty as it sailed from Spithead for Tahiti , was already an experienced able seaman who had seen service in the merchant navy under Bligh in the West Indies . He was short (5 ft 3 in, 1.60 m) and was described as dark-haired and fair-skinned. In records of the outbound voyage, Bligh praised the lad as "improving" and "is
9000-489: Was not known to Sir Thomas Staines , who commanded a Royal Navy flotilla of two ships, HMS Briton and HMS Tagus , which found the island at 25°04′S 130°25′W / 25.067°S 130.417°W / -25.067; -130.417 (by meridian observation) on 17 September 1814. Staines sent a party ashore and wrote a detailed report for the Admiralty. By that time, only one mutineer, John Adams, remained alive. He
9100-468: Was not until 27 December 1795 that the first ship since the Bounty was seen from the island, but it did not approach the land and they could not make out the nationality. A second ship appeared in 1801, but made no attempt to communicate with them. A third came sufficiently near to see their house, but did not try to send a boat on shore. Finally, the American sealing ship Topaz , under Mayhew Folger , became
9200-570: Was only 15 when he signed on, and 17 at the time of the mutiny; he accompanied Captain William Bligh on his open boat voyage to the Dutch East Indies . After his return to England he was promoted to lieutenant . He died on 1 December 1794 in Bedford , England, aged 22. Thomas Hayward (1767–1798?) was a sailor present during the mutiny. He was born in Hackney , where his father, Francis Hayward M.D.,
9300-525: Was put ashore on Tahiti by Fletcher Christian . He gave himself up voluntarily when the Pandora arrived in 1791, and subsequently survived the wreck of the Pandora . He was acquitted of mutiny at court-martial in 1792. He later served with Bligh's nephew, Francis Bond , on the Prompte ; his subsequent fate is unknown. Thomas Ellison (1772 – 29 October 1792) was an able seaman . After participating in
9400-460: Was sentenced in December to a dozen lashes with the cat o' nine tails for "neglect of duty." The seaman appears to have responded to this treatment by attempting to desert the ship, for on 5 January 1789, he absconded with two shipmates. All were recaptured and Muspratt was re-sentenced to four dozen additional lashes. Soon after the Bounty made sail for the West Indies in early 1789, the mutiny occurred. Witnesses later testified that Muspratt
9500-545: Was sighted on 3 July 1767 by the crew of the British sloop HMS Swallow , commanded by Captain Philip Carteret . The island was named after midshipman Robert Pitcairn , a 15-year-old crew member who was the first to sight the island. Robert Pitcairn was a son of British Marine Major John Pitcairn , who was later killed at the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill in the American War of Independence . Carteret, who sailed without
9600-635: Was tasked to take from Tahiti to the West Indies. Of the 44 aboard at the time of the mutiny, 19 (including Bligh) were set adrift in the ship's launch, while 25, a mixture of mutineers and detainees, remained on board under Fletcher Christian . Bligh led his loyalists 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) to safety in the open boat, and ultimately back to England. The mutineers divided—most settled on Tahiti, where they were captured by HMS Pandora in 1791 and returned to England for trial, while Christian and eight others evaded discovery on Pitcairn Island . The Admiralty rated Bounty as
9700-403: Was the last of the mutineers to be murdered on Pitcairn Island . He was murdered or executed by Ned Young and John Adams , leaving them the last two mutineers alive on the island. Quintal was the first crew member punished by flogging "for Insolence and Contempt." He readily joined the mutiny. Five days after landing on Pitcairn Island, Quintal burned the Bounty , before the settlers had had
9800-423: Was the nephew of Sir George Young, Baronet . He joined the crew of the Bounty as a midshipman . Young was asleep during the mutiny, and did not wake until after it was over. Thus, he neither participated in the mutiny nor was able to fight against it or join Bligh and others who left the ship in a long boat. Young was the only crew member to sleep through this ordeal. However, he soon fully supported Christian and
9900-407: Was the source of the ill-will that later developed between Fryer and Bligh. However, as a master, Fryer would never have been promoted to lieutenant at sea. Indeed, he never did become a lieutenant. Fryer remained loyal, and accompanied Bligh in reaching Timor . Bligh's account of the mutiny vilified Fryer, but Fryer gave fair evidence at Bligh's court-martial. Edward Christian , Fletcher's brother,
10000-403: Was used to make the reservoir watertight. HMS Thetis gave the islanders 200 lb (91 kg) of ship's biscuits , 100 lb (45 kg) of candles, and 100 lb of soap and clothing to the value of £31, donated by the ship's company . An American trading ship called Venus had in 1882 bestowed a supply of cotton seed , to provide the islanders with a crop for future trade. In 1886,
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