December 7, 1817 - Vice Admiral William Bligh (left) of HMS Bounty fame dies in London at age sixty-three. Entering the Royal Navy in 1770, Bligh proved a gifted sailor and was selected serve as sailing master for explorer Captain James Cook's final voyage in 1776. Returning home four years later he saw regular postings until he was selected to command HMAV Bounty in 1787. Sailing for Tahiti with orders to transport breadfruit trees to the West Indies, Bligh was overthrown in a famous mutiny in April 1789. Put over the side by the mutineers, Bligh and those loyal to him endured a 3,618-mile open boat voyage to Timor. Acquitted by a court martial in 1790, Bligh saw service during the wars with revolutionary France. During this time he fought under Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen and later at the Battle of Camperdown. A tenacious fighter and an able leader, Bligh later served as the Governor of New South Wales (Australia) and attained the rank of vice admiral.
British Naval Leaders - Age of Sail:
- Sir Francis Drake
- Admiral George Anson
- Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson
- Admiral Lord Thomas Cochrane
Photograph Source: Public Domain
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