Friday, September 25, 2009
On April 28, 1789, Fletcher Christian staged the most famous mutiny in history, on the English ship "HMS Bounty", in the South Pacific. The captain, William Bligh, and those loyal to him, were set adrift in an overloaded lifeboat, which they miraculously navigated 3700 miles to Timor.The mutineers on the Bounty immediately began quarrelling about what to do next. Fletcher returned to Tahiti, where he left some of the mutineers, kidnapped some women, took some slaves, and travelled with the remaining mutineers 1000 miles to the uninhabited Pitcairn Island. There their group quickly unravelled. They distilled whisky from a native plant. Drunkenness and fighting characterised their colony. Disease and murder eventually took the lives of all the men, except one - Alexander Smith. Smith found himself the only man on the island surrounded by an assortment of women and children.
Then Smith found the Bounty's neglected Bible. As he read it, his heart was transformed and he began to instruct the survivors of their community. He taught the Scriptures and helped to implement its instructions. The message of Christ so transformed their lives that, 20 years later, in 1808, when the crew of the Topaz landed on the island, they found a joyful society of Christians living in prosperity and peace, free from crime, disease, murder and mutiny.
That Bible resides on display in the Church in Pitcairn as a monument to its transforming message. That is exactly what the Bible can do - transform lives.
Here are some of my favorite verses on the Bible:
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. Psalm 119:18
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. Psalm 119:18
For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colosians 3:16
Do not let the Book of this Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and succesful. Joshua 1:8
There's no book like the Bible!
Pastor Tim
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Dear Pastor Tim,
The 'Bible' indeed can transform many lives!
William Bligh's life too, was transformed not long after that fateful day of April 28, 1789. For he went on to not only succeed in transplanting the breadfruit plants to St. Vincent and Jamaica, but also to serve a distinguished Naval career with the Royal Navy and to become the Governor of New South Wales and to finally retire with the British Royal Navy as Vice-Admiral of the Blue and a Fellow of the Royal Society (R.N., F.R.S.).
The 'Bible' as seen in this photograph, is "factually" the 'Family Bible and property of William Bligh'(and his descendants) which still resides on Pitcairn Island and has yet to be returned to the 'Bligh Family descendants.' Think of the lives It would transform today if it were returned to where it belongs.
However it has been moved to the Pitcairn Island Museum from the church where it had remained for so long.
And it did indeed transformed the life of one of the HMAV Bounty's pirates and their descendants.
He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111 v. 4
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18 v. 19
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true; and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Revelation 22 v. 6
David Townsend
g.g.g.g. nephew of
Thomas Denman Ledward of the Bounty
The 'Bible' indeed can transform many lives!
William Bligh's life too, was transformed not long after that fateful day of April 28, 1789. For he went on to not only succeed in transplanting the breadfruit plants to St. Vincent and Jamaica, but also to serve a distinguished Naval career with the Royal Navy and to become the Governor of New South Wales and to finally retire with the British Royal Navy as Vice-Admiral of the Blue and a Fellow of the Royal Society (R.N., F.R.S.).
The 'Bible' as seen in this photograph, is "factually" the 'Family Bible and property of William Bligh'(and his descendants) which still resides on Pitcairn Island and has yet to be returned to the 'Bligh Family descendants.' Think of the lives It would transform today if it were returned to where it belongs.
However it has been moved to the Pitcairn Island Museum from the church where it had remained for so long.
And it did indeed transformed the life of one of the HMAV Bounty's pirates and their descendants.
He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111 v. 4
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18 v. 19
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true; and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Revelation 22 v. 6
David Townsend
g.g.g.g. nephew of
Thomas Denman Ledward of the Bounty
Dear Pastor Tim,
May I just point out that the so-called 'Bounty's Bible' was in fact one that belonged to the then Captain William Bligh, later Vice-Admiral, RN., FRS. It was his marriage certificate that was found inside the bible when HMAV (His Majesty's Armed Vessel) not 'HMS' Bounty was taken by those who were known and recorded in history as 'pirates' or 'piratical villains' and not the kind of 'mutineers' or strikers myth, legend and Hollywood has made them out to be.
I appreciate that for some people --who have only ever read novels or seen the movies made about the ill-fated voyage of the 'Bounty'-- it's very difficult to come to terms with was is history and truth, and the facts are so contradictory to so much that so many millions have been led to believe for generations. But the archives in Great Britain, Australia etc., containing original documents are irrefutable evidence that historians know about and can quote specifically.
I write as one who has visited Pitcairn Island and have friends living there and elsewhere; a friendship that has lasted for almost 40 years. These descendants know that Bligh's bible among a whole list of items that remained aboard the 'Bounty' are still, in law, stolen property. However, I believe that William Bligh as a God-fearing and devoted family man would have been delighted to have seen that this, the world's greatest book, was the salvation of the Pitcairn community after so much bloodshed and discord among those who landed in 'Bounty Bay' on Pitcairn Island.
I cannot speak for the entire Bligh family of descendants, but as a great-great-great-grandson of William Bligh, I would dearly like to make that bible 'legitimate' and ensure that it remained forever the property of my dear friends by receiving it back and then presenting as a heart-felt gift to the community for future generations. Sentimental? Yes, I am and I'm not ashamed to be so. Isn't there enough conflict and hatred in this world already, not to need more? Best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Maurice Bligh
United Kingdom.
May I just point out that the so-called 'Bounty's Bible' was in fact one that belonged to the then Captain William Bligh, later Vice-Admiral, RN., FRS. It was his marriage certificate that was found inside the bible when HMAV (His Majesty's Armed Vessel) not 'HMS' Bounty was taken by those who were known and recorded in history as 'pirates' or 'piratical villains' and not the kind of 'mutineers' or strikers myth, legend and Hollywood has made them out to be.
I appreciate that for some people --who have only ever read novels or seen the movies made about the ill-fated voyage of the 'Bounty'-- it's very difficult to come to terms with was is history and truth, and the facts are so contradictory to so much that so many millions have been led to believe for generations. But the archives in Great Britain, Australia etc., containing original documents are irrefutable evidence that historians know about and can quote specifically.
I write as one who has visited Pitcairn Island and have friends living there and elsewhere; a friendship that has lasted for almost 40 years. These descendants know that Bligh's bible among a whole list of items that remained aboard the 'Bounty' are still, in law, stolen property. However, I believe that William Bligh as a God-fearing and devoted family man would have been delighted to have seen that this, the world's greatest book, was the salvation of the Pitcairn community after so much bloodshed and discord among those who landed in 'Bounty Bay' on Pitcairn Island.
I cannot speak for the entire Bligh family of descendants, but as a great-great-great-grandson of William Bligh, I would dearly like to make that bible 'legitimate' and ensure that it remained forever the property of my dear friends by receiving it back and then presenting as a heart-felt gift to the community for future generations. Sentimental? Yes, I am and I'm not ashamed to be so. Isn't there enough conflict and hatred in this world already, not to need more? Best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Maurice Bligh
United Kingdom.
# posted by 
: 2:23 AM
: 2:23 AM
Pastor Tim, your story is basically true, but with a few reservations: The women on Bounty were on the ship by choice when she put out from Tahiti in search of a safe hiding place. When they found the ship sailing away one of them jumped overboard and swam to shore. Presumably all could have done that; there is no record of force. Same with the men who were aboard. So "kidnapped" is too strong a word to describe how all came to be on the ship. It is also not clear that Adams used the "Bounty" Bible in his teaching on Pitcairn. There were two Bibles in play, one belonging to the ship, the other in a seabag belonging to Christian. In addition, there was a prayer book of the Church of England and it played an important role in the way in which the Pitcairners, under Adams, ordered religion in their lives. One of the two Bibles is now in the Pitcairn museum (moved there about a year ago from the Pitcairn Seventh-day Adventist Church). The other is in the New York City Public Library. Both of these Bibles were traded for by a sailor who called at Pitcairn many years ago, and it is a happy circumstance that they are both publicly available for study.
- Herbert Ford, Director, Pitcairn Islands Study Center, Pacific Union College, Angwin, California. pitcairnstudycenter.org
- Herbert Ford, Director, Pitcairn Islands Study Center, Pacific Union College, Angwin, California. pitcairnstudycenter.org
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