Revised Jun 5 2021
Minutes taken At a Court Martial assembled on board His Majesty's Ship Royal William at Spithead on the 22nd day of October 1790.
Present.
The Honble Samuel Barrington Admiral of the Blue and second Officer in the Command of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels at Portsmouth and Spithead, President
Rear Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton Bart.
Rear Admiral Sir John Jervis K.B.
Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Hood K.B.
Rear Admiral The Honble John Levison Gower
Sir Roger Curtis K.B. first Captain to the Commander in Chief
The President reported that Vice Admiral William Hotham was ill and could not attend his duty as a Member of the Court.
The Court pursuant to an order from the Right Honble Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty dated the 15th day of October Instant and directed to the President proceeded to inquire into the Cause and Circumstances of the Seizure of His Majesty's Armed Vessel the Bounty commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh which had been violently and forcibly taken from him on the 28th of April 1789 by Fletcher Christian, who was Mate of her and Officer of the Watch, assisted by others of the inferior Officers and Men, armed with Musquiets and Bayonets, on her return from Otaheite, with a large Cargo of Bread Fruit Trees and other useful Plants, the Product of the Society Islands in the South Seas, in a very flourishing State, and to try the said Lieutenant Bligh and such of the Officers and Ship's Company as were returned to England for their Conduct on that occasion.
The Members of the Court and the Judge Advocate then in open Court and before they proceeded respectably took the several Oaths, injoined and directed in and by an Act of Parliament made and passed in the 22nd year of the Reign of His late Majesty King George 2nd intitled "An Act for amending explaining and reducing into one Act of Parliament, the Laws relating to the Government of His Majesty's Ships, Vessels and Forces by Sea."