William Bligh
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| William Bligh | |
 1814 portrait |
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| Born | September 9, 1754 Plymouth, Devon, England |
|---|---|
| Died | December 7, 1817 London, England |
| Occupation | Sailor, Explorer, Governor, Vice-Admiral |
| Spouse | Elizabeth (Betsy) Betham |
William Bligh (September 9 1754 – December 7 1817) was an English officer in the British Navy. He sailed with Captain James Cook on his third and final voyage in 1776. In 1787 Bligh was made captain of HMS Bounty and sailed to Tahiti to collect breadfruit trees. The Bounty left Tahiti loaded with breadfruit trees on April 4, 1789. Three weeks later, a seaman named Fletcher Christian led a mutiny (take over) of the ship and went back to Tahiti. Bligh and 18 seamen were put into a small boat, with some food, water, a sextant, a pocket watch, but no map. They were able to get to Batavia (now Jakarta), a distance of 6701 km, in 47 days. Bligh later became Governor of New South Wales.
