Revised Jun 19 2021
"The Humble Petition of the Principal Native Inhabitants of Pitcairn's Island, dated 19th June, 1834, to His Excellency Lord James Townshend, Commander in Chief of His Britannic Majesty's Naval Forces upon the west coast of South America, &c. &c. &c.
"Sir,—We, the undersigned public functionaries of Pitcairn's Island, humbly beg leave to address your Lordship, and thus implore, that your Lordship will be pleased to have pity on us, and take cognizance of our truly unfortunate case. Your Lordship will, in the first place, be pleased to understand, that ever since the death of old Mr. John Adams (i. e. Alexander Smith, of H. B. M. S. Bounty, now about five years, we have been divided in party spirit, through the presence alone of three worthless fellows (runaway English sailors, whom, alas! we allowed to stop on the island), by the names of John Buffett, George Nobbs, and John Evans. At times we have had two schools and two churches, whilst at other times we have had neither the one nor the other, and at best very deficient, as may naturally be supposed; until the month of October, 1832, when Mr. Joshua Hill, an English gentleman (our actual teacher and pastor), providentially, as we conceive, arrived here in the barque Pomare from Tahiti, where, it would seem, he had been doing them all the good in his power, as it seems he had previously done at the Sandwich islands. Mr. Hill brought us a very strong letter of introduction from our friends (as we were then willing and happy to consider the Reverend gentlemen), the Missionaries at the beautiful Tahiti; though, alas! unrestrained people. And ever since Mr. Hill's arrival, more than a year and a half we have, the Lord be praised! had a regular school, and the Church of England service twice every Sabbath, with a lecture on some good subject. Besides, Mr. Hill established at once a Temperance Society (which we very much needed), and our present government, such as it is, of elders, sub-elders and cadets; as well as prayer meetings and various other necessary things for our good, in which he is constantly employed; and who has throughout, and in all respects, acted towards us all as a real father. We have recently improved considerably our bad landing-place; the road to the village, &c.; but lamentable to state, whilst thus occupied for the general interest and welfare of our little commonwealth, these three licentious men were putting every difficulty and impediment in the way that they could possibly invent or forge by false reports, slanders, or misleading and corrupting the more ignorant of the people. Capt. Freemantle, R.N., of H. B. M. S.Challenger, whilst here, a little after Mr. Hill's arrival, did, it is true, judge and sentence them to leave the island, that is, Buffett and Nobbs (and Evans we have also been obliged since to condemn); but, unfortunately for us, Capt. Freemautle forgot and omitted, after going on board the frigate, in the hurry of sailing in the evening, to send as we expected. a memorandum, or written paper, of what he had done, agreeable to his promise. He was highly satisfied that Mr. Hill had agreed to sacrifice his time here for our interest, till he could hear from home, and receive answers from the British Government on the subject, which he has not yet been honoured with. Mar 8, 1834 Capt. Freemantle, moreover, promised on his arrival at home, to use his influence in procuring a proper person to succeed Mr. Hill. On the 8th March, an English whaler (the Tuscan of London) arrived, and we succeeded with the master to take the three said exiles off, and he would have taken their families as well had they wished him, but they had no desire then to take them. Hence, they proceeded direct to Tahiti, and there, it appears, represented to the Missionaries the greatest falsehoods; and which, strange to conceive, were believed or regarded by them, notwithstanding they had been made duly acquainted with the facts by us (as an act of mere courtesy on our part to the Reverend gentlemen), Jun 11, 1834 that these three troublesome men had been sent off and exiled for ever from the island But, however, on the 11th June, 1834, the barque Pomare, Ebril, master, of and from Tahiti, arrived off here with our three said exiles on board, and they (the master Ebril and his brother-in-law, a Capt. Henry, the son and son-in-jaw of one of the Missionaries of Tahiti) represented to us, that they were charged by the Missionaries of Tahiti, to place George Nobbs (one of our exiles) either here again or at Gambier's Isle, as a colleague and Missionary from them. We told them that these men had been banished the island by Capt. Freemantle and ourselves, and hence we could not upon any account whatever allow either of them to land; when Henry hastily remarked, 'Who is Capt. Freemantle?' (recovering himself a little, continued) 'he's but a mere man!' This Capt. Henry wished to make us believe, that he had also received a commission from the British Government, to come here and settle all our difficulties, as a regular consul for the islands in the Pacific. But upon our venerable teacher begging him to favour us with a sight of said credentials, as it regarded Pitcairn's, we heard no more about his consulship. They then determined on taking off the three exiles again, together with their families and all their things. They also took with them three other persons, whom they corrupted to accompany them to Hood's Island, as they pretended, to settle there; but in truth, we think they have certain designs hereafter, with respect to our island again. They further represent, that 'there was at Tahiti an American brig with fifty-five men on board, about coming to destroy Pitcairn's,' for sending off these three men. Your Lordship will, perhaps, scarcely credit that this Capt. Henry (the son of a Tahitian Missionary, an Irishman), during the two days here, tried all he could to corrupt our women, both married and single, he being a married man himself. He actually took away with him one of our men, George Adams, who has left behind his wife and three children, under a promise, it is said, that the Missionaries at Tahiti would send him home, and recommend him to the British Government; which, it is added, would be sufficient for the appointing him, George Adams, governor of Pitcairn's Island That then he would send off our old teacher (meaning our present respected and aged pastor), and recal the exiles from Hood's Island, was the inference. Moreover, George Nobbs, beyond a doubt, with a man named Bunker (the master, Nobbs being his mate), ran away with the latter vessel or boat, in which they two alone came here, about five years ago, from the Spanish coast; and we have received four different accounts, that their boat's crew was actually made away with before they set out. In case your Lordship should wish to know the truth of this affair, your Lordship would only have to give directions to the Spanish public authorities on the coast, to make the necessary inquiries touching the subject. The little vessel in which the master (Bunker) and the mate (Nobbs) came here about five years ago, entirely alone, had been employed in the sealing trade, among the little islands on the coast; and they themselves said that at the port of Guayaquil they fitted out, but their accounts thus are not to be depended upon. It is said that there were five or six men (their little crew) made away with. Bunker committed suicide, and Nobbs destroyed his papers. The vessel was broken up here; and unfortunately, from that time Nobbs became our teacher in opposition to Buffett who already was bad enough. It may not perhaps be amiss to acquaint your Lordship further, that another main object of these three lazy men has been to get and obtain for their children as much of our land from us as possible. But Mr. Hill having opened our eyes thus, Capt. Freemantle at once decreed, that no one, otherwise than a native born, was to hold or possess any land whatever upon the island For, as their families augmented in number, and it was pretty fast (fourteen children between the three exiles), they must have more land or give up keeping school. What could we do? but to work their ground besides, and their women labour hard, whilst themselves would scarcely do more than to overlook, 'eat, drink, and be merry.'
"Your Lordship's petitioners most humbly beseech and entreat your Lordship's benevolence, thus protecting us all here under the British flag, as loyal subjects. And that your Lordship will be pleased, as early as may be possibly convenient to honour and forward to us a letter of instructions as to how we should act and conduct ourselves aright, which is, and ever shall be our main object. We wish to follow the orders of the British Government only, or, which is the same, that of a Captain in the British Royal Navy. We beg now to offer the assurance of unfeigned deference and respect with which we have the honour to be your Lordship's most faithful and obedient humble servants.
"(Signed) "WILLIAM × YOUNG,
"EDWARD × QUINTAL,
"JOHN QUINTAL,
"Elders.
"FLETCHER CHRISTIAN,
"WILLIAM × MCCOY,
"Sub-elders.
"ARTHUR QUINTAL,
"WILLIAM QUINTAL,
"MATTHEW QUINTAL,
"CHARLES CHRISTIAN, Jun.
"Cadets."
× his mark
"We the undersigned certify that the foregoing is a true copy from the original, written by me,
"This the said copy being written by me,
"Done at the express orders of all the public functionaries on Pitcairn's Island.
"ARTHUR QUINTAL, Jun.,
"WILLIAM QUINTAL,
"Cadets."