Vice Adm
William
Bligh
RN
Born in Plymouth, Devon, England
Ancestors 
Son of Francis Bligh
and Jane (Balsam) Bligh
Brother of
Catherine (Pearce) Bond [half]
Husband of
Elizabeth (Betham) Bligh
— married
4 Feb 1781 in Onchan, Isle of Man
Descendants 
Father of
Harriet Maria (Bligh) Barker, Mary (Bligh) O'Connell, Elizabeth Bligh, Frances Bligh, Jane Bligh, Anne Campbell Bligh, Henry Bligh and William Bligh
Died
at age 63
in 25 Bond Street, London, England, United Kingdom
Profile last modified
| Created 29 Jul 2014
This page has been accessed 18,040 times.
| William Bligh RN is managed by the Australia Project. Join: Australia Project Discuss: australia |
| Preceded by Captain Philip Gidley King RN |
4th Governor of New South Wales 13 Aug 1806 to 26 Jan 1808  |
Succeeded by Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB |
Biography
William Bligh RN is Notable.
Vice Admiral of the Blue William Bligh, FRS, RN (9 September 1754 – 7 December 1817) was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A historic mutiny occurred during his command of HMS Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, 3,618 nautical miles (6,701 km; 4,164 mi), after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers. Fifteen years after the Bounty mutiny, he was appointed Governor of New South Wales in Australia, with orders to clean up the corrupt rum trade of the New South Wales Corps, resulting in the so-called Rum Rebellion.[1]
William Bligh was born on 9 September 1754 at Plymouth, Devon, England.[2] He was the son of Francis Bligh and Jane Balsam.[3] He was baptised on 4 October 1754 at St. Andrew's Church, Plymouth, Devon, England. [4][5] [6]
He married Elizabeth Betham, daughter of Richard Betham and Mary Campbell, on 4 February 1781 at St Peters Church, Onchan, Isle of Man. The register has the notation "Mr William Bligh and Miss Elizabeth Betham of the town of Douglas" were married by license by Thomas Quayle, Vicar. Witnesses were Alexander McNaight and Charles Calvin (who witnessed all the marriages - he was possibly the parish clerk).[7]
Vice Admiral William Bligh died on 7 December 1817 at age 63 in London, England.[8] His death notice was in the Morning Chronicle on 11 December 1817: "DIED. On the 7th inst. in Bond-street, Vice-Admiral William Bligh, F.R.S. of Farningham House, Kent, aged 63."[9]
He was buried 15 December 1817 at St. Mary, Lambeth, Surrey, England.[10] The burial register recorded his abode as "St George's Han'r Square".[11]
Children of Vice-Admiral William Bligh and Elizabeth Betham[12]:
- Harriet Maria Bligh b. 15 Nov 1781, d. 26 Feb 1856
- Mary Bligh b. 1783, d. 4 Dec 1864
- Elizabeth Bligh b. 24 Mar 1786, d. 17 Jul 1854
- Jane Bligh b. 11 May 1788, d. 1875
- Frances Bligh b. 11 May 1788, d. 1862
- Anne Campbell Bligh b. 1791, d. 1 Nov 1843
- William Bligh b. 1795, d. 1795
- Henry Bligh b. 1795, d. 1795
Bligh’s grandson, William Russell Wilson Bligh (1827-1914), donated the famous Mutiny of the Bounty log books to the State Library of New South Wales in 1902.[13]
Research Notes
Some biographies have his birthplace at Cornwall. This appears to have originated from a misunderstanding by the Cornish historian, the Reverend Richard Polwhele. A discussion about this is by Pieter van der Merwe of the Royal Museums Greenwich.[14]
Sources
- ↑ William Bligh: Wikipedia entry
- ↑ Glynn Christian, Fragile Paradise: The discovery of Fletcher Christian, Bounty mutineer, 2nd ed. (U.S.A.: Bounty Books, 2005), page 53. According to Glynn Christian, his date of birth 9 September 1754 was recorded in the family Bible.
- ↑ Matthew H.C.G., editor, Dictionary of National Biography on CD-ROM (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1995).
- ↑ Glynn Christian, Fragile Paradise: The discovery of Fletcher Christian, Bounty mutineer, 2nd ed. (U.S.A.: Bounty Books, 2005), page 53.
- ↑ Baptism 4 October 1754: "Wm son of Francis & Jane Bligh", Devon Baptisms, Plymouth, St Andrew, Plymouth & West Devon Record Office 358/5, digitized on Find My Past website https://search.findmypast.com.au/record?id=GBPRS%2FPLY%2F004634292%2F00044&parentid=GBPRS%2FB%2F31081867%2F1
- ↑ William Bligh, Devon, 4 Oct 1754 "William, son of Francis and Jane Bligh ("England, Devon, Parish Registers, 1538-1912", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KC9F-C2Q : 29 July 2021), Wm Bligh, 1754. Image https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-QW12-2?i=43&cc=1804330) (accessed 14 December 2021)
- ↑ Image of the register can be seen at Isle of Man Parish Registers, 1598-2009 Onchan Marriages 1757-1832 (MS09754-3-1) Familysearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-65MG-37?i=18&cc=1784428&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXZBR-236 (Note that the IGI incorrectly had the marriage in 1780) (accessed 14 December 2021)
- ↑ Dictionary of National Biography, Volumes 1-22 Beal - Browell (Vol 02) https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1981/images/31205_Vol2-00698?pId=10083 (accessed 14 December 2021)
- ↑ English newspapers, Find My Past https://search.findmypast.com.au/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000082%2f18171211%2f016&stringtohighlight=william%20bligh (accessed 14 December 2021)
- ↑ Find a Grave, database and images Find a Grave Memorial ID 1895, citing St. Mary's Churchyard, Lambeth, London Borough of Lambeth, Greater London, England ; Maintained by Find a Grave .
- ↑ London, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-2003 for William Bligh, St Mary at Lambeth, Lambeth Road 1813-1819 https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1559/images/31280_195109-00550?pId=8791051 (accessed 14 December 2021)
- ↑ Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Irish Family Records. London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976.
- ↑ "Series 08: William Russell Bligh, papers", Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/9AL4DvRY (accessed 14 December 2021)
- ↑ Pieter van der Merwe, "Captain Bligh, Cornishman?" 11 May 2017, Royal Museums Greenwich https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/blog/curatorial/captain-bligh-cornishman (accessed 14 December 2021)
- A. G. L. Shaw, 'Bligh, William (1754–1817)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University
- Three Decks profile for William Bligh, https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_crewman&id=124 ,Accessed 13 Nov 2021
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Featured National Park champion connections: William is 16 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 16 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 19 degrees from George Catlin, 18 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 25 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 17 degrees from George Grinnell, 20 degrees from Anton Kröller, 19 degrees from Stephen Mather, 20 degrees from Kara McKean, 20 degrees from John Muir, 10 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 27 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Australia, Colonial Notables | Australia, Project Managed Profiles | Famous Mutinies | British Admirals | HMS Resolution (1771) | HMS Crescent (1779) | HMS Berwick (1775) | HMS Princess Amelia (1757) | HMS Cambridge (1755) | HMS Bounty (1787) | HMS Glatton (1795) | Colony of New South Wales, Governors to 1900 | Rum Rebellion, New South Wales | Cornwall, Notables | Example Profiles of the Week | Featured Connections Archive 2020 | England, Notables | Notables
Apparently he is one of my ancestors too! During his mutiny while he was in the Ha'apai group, Tonga he and Miss Lesieli Taufa Tofua had a daughter, Alisi "Selai" Taufatofua Bligh. Not sure if they married or not. I am still trying to find all the links that connects my great great great great grandmother Loise (daughter of Taufa Tofua and unknown woman) who married Taniela Fifi Ha'amoa who had a son Silivenusi Taumoepeau whose line i come from. If anyone here can find the link please let me know! :-) Siosifa M. Taumoepeau
see discussion here in Captain Bligh, Cornishman? https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/blog/curatorial/captain-bligh-cornishman
And there is a baptismal record of William Bligh, Devon, 4 Oct 1754 "William, son of Francis and Jane Bligh ("England, Devon, Parish Registers, 1538-1912", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KC9F-C2Q : 29 July 2021), Wm Bligh, 1754. Image https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-QW12-2?i=43&cc=1804330)
That discussion in Captain Bligh, Cornishman? explains that he was born in Devon but he said he had a family allegiance to Cornwall as it was the birthplace of his grandfather, Richard Bligh (1680–1757). Thank you for correcting his profile.
I've just stumbled across further confirmation that William Bligh was born in Devon in the first chapter of George Mackaness The Life of Vice-Admiral Bligh published c. 1931
He notes the Polewhele's assertion that Bligh 'was a native of St Tudy' but then goes on to quote Sir John Barrow (Pitcarin, 1857) - that William was the son of Francis and Jane Bligh, baptised 4 Oct 1754 & that Francis was the son of Richard Bligh of Tinten, a duchy estate in St Trudy, a few miles from Bodmin, Cornwall.
Mackaness goes on to note "The entry in the register of St Andrew's Church, Plymouth, is correct, and is corroborated by another entry in the Family Bible of Francis Bligh, the Admiral's father, of which a facismile is given (on page 4) and which reads: "William the Son of Francis and Jane Bligh was born the ninth day of September 1754, about one o'clock in the morning. The other positive confirmation is found among the Bligh papers in a manuscript drawn up in 1852 by Elizabeth Bligh, granddaughter of the Admiral. The relevant passage reads: Genealogy of the Bligh Family, as far as I know it ... Richard Bligh of Tinten-Parish of St Tudy, Cornwall-Gentleman-/ left only one son, Francis, born in 1721, who married firstly a Mrs Pearse, by whom he had only one child, the late Admiral Bligh, who was born on 9th September 1754. His father died and was buried in St. Andrew's Churchyard at Plymouth on 27th December 1780 ... his widow married a Mr Rotheray of Plymouth." (p 3-4). Mackaness also states (p 5) "in the Admiralty Records which states that in July 1770, when he [William] joined H.M.S. Hunter, he gave his birthplace as Plymouth."
Mackanass's biography of William Bligh is a weighty tome which appears to cover his career in detail, but I thought it worth adding Mackanass as a source, especially his references to the Family Bible, his granddaughter Elizabeth's comments and the reference to the Naval records as confirmation of his birth and certainly baptism in Devon.
edited by Jeanette (Curtis) O'Hagan
On my mother's side.
edited by Jamie Walker
edited by Robert Funderburk II
Thanks! Abby