Short Documentary on Captain William Bligh of the Mutiny on the Bounty

Short Documentary emphasising the Faith that William Bligh had in God. Many people today don't really know much about Bligh other than that he was a hard and seemingly strict disciplinarian. We do however find that there is another side of Bligh not commonly known or necessarily taught, that was his Faith in the God of the Bible. This is just one of many stories of Faith from the Colonisation of Australia. Watch the full documentary to find out more.
Bligh's story most notably involves the Mutiny on the Bounty and the Rum Rebellion. Bligh's trip in an open boat from Tonga to Fiji, the New Hebrides, through Providential Channel, and then onto Timor, through the South Pacific. It is still considered today to be the most arduous & difficult boat trip of all time. Bligh later became Governor of NSW and was sent from England to sort out the issue of corruption, where officers were involved in the illegal trade of Rum. Hence how we know it today as the Rum Rebellion.
This Video is released for Australia Day 2016 and can be freely distributed for educational and not for profit purposes

[@mrs.cracker4622]

Thank you so much for sharing this video. The more I learn about the mutiny on the Bounty the more sympathy and respect I have for Captain Bligh. God bless you. 🙂

[@Kotikjeff]

Bounty was built just across the river from where I was born. And Bligh made charts of the river in his early years. River Humber.

[@harrietharlow9929]

I've als o seen reproductions of some sketches he did and he was a very decent artist.

[@jasonmariani1258]

Excellent story well told. He was a commendable captain. A good person. A great leader and very intelligent man from what I gather. I watched the movie “The Bounty”, I’m sure Hollywood cannot tell the real story, but this video certainly cleared many questions I had about the man. Thanks for the video!

[@harrietharlow9929]

He wasn't half as bad as he was shown in "Mutiny on the Bounty"" (1935 and 1961).

[@2007Teina]

You gentlemen may not wish to read a previous post regarding your so called gentleman Bligh. Everything mentioned in the post is accurate. Their is another video from the Stranton University which also supports the post.🎓🤔

[@mangot589]

@@harrietharlow9929 Yeah, the closest one is the 1984 one. I mean, the guy is trying to keep control of a bunch of SAILORS from back then! They weren’t known for sweet dispositions. And who doesn’t get island fever?

[@harrietharlow9929]

@@mangot589 There was nothing wrong with Bligh. He was a captain who would verbally dress someone down where others would flog and would flog where others would hang. He didn't even have Marines aboard as was the case with many other RN ships of the era, to keep control. Add to that a spoiled brat like Christian, who I think was unfit by temperament to be an officer, to the mix and you have the powder keg that the Bounty became.

[@mangot589]

@@2007Teina Books say otherwise. 🤷‍♀️ as does tons of other documents. ‘Gentlemen’ has a complete different meaning then compared to now. And I don’t really take a university video made by a student terribly seriously. I tend to go with people who do this for a living, or at the very least, people who are unbiased with modern ideas. . Personally, I don’t care if he was “good” or “bad”. That’s not my main interest in this story. But the facts speak for themselves.

[@richardfarley2591]

The film the bounty 1984 is one of my favourite films

[@harrietharlow9929]

I have that and the 1960s version and I like "The Country" best. It really humanizes Blight in a way that the 1960s version does it. In the latter, Bligh comes off like some ignorant jarhead robot.

[@northernenglander1916]

Really enjoyed and was blessed by this video - thank you for posting it.

[@glengrieve544]

Great content and beautifully spoken thank you for showing this video

[@schmickaussie1038]

That's interesting to hear William Bligh's prayers. But to say that Bligh was righteous or lenient is a stretch. There are far better examples of Christian love than William Bligh. William Bligh was accused of causing the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789 and the 1808 Sydney rebellion when as Governor of NSW (1808) he was also accused of corruption, cruelty, thievery, lying and tyranny. Examples of Bligh’s less than loving behaviour are as follows: Prior the Bounty reaching Tahiti, Bligh accused all the Botany crew of stealing cheese from the ship’s barrel. The German cooper Henry Hillbrant, then informed Bligh that it was Bligh himself who took the large portions of cheese to his home prior to the Bounty leaving England. Bligh then threatened the German and said “I will give you a damn good flogging if you say any more about it”. The mood of the crew worsens when another crew member John Williams confirms Hillbrant’s version and Bligh’s corruption to other crew members. Bligh continues to blame the crew for the missing cheese and restricts the crew’s cheese consumption. Later Bligh accused Hillbrant of being part of the mutiny and this led to Hillbrant’s arrest in Tahiti. The German cooper who had shown no violence was violently killed due to Bligh’s accusation when Hillbrant was the only person chained to the ship Pandora when it sunk. Also prior to the Bounty reaching Tahiti, Bligh continued to abuse the crew. The Bounty’s doctor Dr Huggan certified that man after man in the small over-stretched crew was sick. Dr Huggan was then verbally attacked by Bligh. Dr Huggan then issued a sick note for himself. The abuse against the crew and Dr Huggan from Bligh continued. Then in the ultimate told you I wasn’t feeling well act the Bounty’s Dr Huggan died after reaching Tahiti. Bligh pretended to have the health of the crew as a high priority but this was blatantly false as this example starkly illustrates. After the Bounty left Tahiti, Bligh accuses the crew of stealing his coconuts. He threatens to cut down food allocations to all the crew. Bligh also threatens to kill half of the Bounty’s crew. This initiates the mutiny on the Bounty by Fletcher Christian and other crew members. Bligh and 18 others are given food, water, navigation equipment, maps, cooking equipment, personal effects, four cutlasses and 23 foot long boat with sails, anchor and oars. Fletcher Christian and the mutineers showed that they had no intention of killing Bligh and the non mutineers. However, Bligh keenly documents which members of his former crew he feels should be hanged. Bligh had highly skilled sailors on the 23 foot boat sailing over 5800 km to Timor. Yet Bligh continues his abuse of the non mutineer crew. Skilled carpenter William Purcell had saved the lives of all on the 23 foot boat repairing the broken rudder and keeping the boat afloat. Yet Bligh threatened William Purcell’s life with a cutlass at his throat on the 23 foot boat. The former Master of the Botany John Fryer was making more accurate navigation readings to Timor than Bligh. Yet Bligh wasted valuable time before relying on Fryer’s more accurate navigation skills. When they reached England, Purcell, Fryer and other non mutineer crew shared the experience of Bligh’s tyranny and corruption with Edward Christian, judge and law professor (older brother of Fletcher Christian) who documented Bligh’s tyranny. Bligh had documented that he felt that former Botany crew members Peter Heyward and James Morrison should be hanged for mutiny. Bligh had previously written to Peter Heyward’s mother stating that her son’s “baseness is beyond all description”. Yet both Peter Heyward and James Morrison were pardoned by the English King George III contrary to Bligh’s wishes. When Bligh commenced as Governor of NSW in 1806, the usual land grant was 100 acres for free settlers. However, Bligh had different plans for himself. Bligh arranged for the then NSW Governor King to approve the personal land grants to Bligh of 240 acres at Camperdown, 105 acres near Parramatta and 1000 acres near Rouse Hill. In return Bligh granted 790 acres to the former Governor King’s wife. For grants of this size the governors had been instructed to obtain the approbation of the secretary of state, Bligh failed to do this. There is no mention of these grants to Bligh or former Governor King’s wife in the dispatches to London. Bligh was just on the take. Bligh’s corruption extended further when supplying government money to help to the victims of Hawkesbury River flooding, Bligh used this disaster to buy land on the Hawkesbury River and he made profits from the same government money and equipment he had approved. In an attempt to display his power Bligh confiscated industrial scale alcohol producing equipment in Sydney. Both Australia and America had used alcohol as currency in British colonial times. Bligh’s power move backfired badly and caused serious economic hardship in both the civilian and armed forces communities in Sydney. Bligh had ignored a court ruling and falsely imprisoned popular Irish patriot Michael Dwyer. Major George Johnston, who was present at Dwyer's acquittal in the court in 1807, ordered that Michael Dwyer's freedom be reinstated after Bligh was arrested in the successful rebellion against Bligh in 1808. . Michael Dwyer was later to become Chief of Police (1813-1820) at Liverpool, New South Wales. Major George Johnston gave the reason for the successful rebellion against Bligh in Sydney was that 'insurrection and massacre' were imminent because Bligh was planning 'to subvert the laws of the country' and 'to terrify and influence the Courts of Justice'. Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie had known William Bligh for many years and said “Governor Bligh certainly is a most disagreeable person to have any dealings with, or public business to transact with; having no regard whatever to his promises or engagements however sacred, and his natural temper is uncommonly harsh and tyrannical in the extreme”. Bligh may have been a war hero at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. As captain of the Bounty and Governor of NSW, he was a real villain who caused extreme and unnecessary hardship with his dishonesty, bullying and tyranny.

[@2007Teina]

What an awesome and accurate account of Bligh, I expect numerous people will turn their backs on your post. Did Bligh not also suffer the ignominy of a third mutiny? Loved reading your post, well done. Sometimes the real truth is too hard to accept! 👍

[@davidlanger3295]

It’s Peter Heywood, not Peter “Hayward.” People often confuse Peter Heywood (accused mutineer) with Thomas Hayward (Bligh loyalist)

[@shable1436]

That's a history lesson

[@cardboardempire]

A friendly reminder that Fletcher Christian was running from debtors in England and they probably had a big impact on his decision to mutiny.

[@jameshilford6108]

Thanks for this

[@rosemerrynmcmillan1611]

wow!! Bligh was a HERO! AND A STRONG CHRISTIAN! No wonder the Australian leftist education system has slandered and misrepresented him to countless schools children such as myself. The truth always comes out.

[@raybon7939]

the disorderly and chaotic world we live in forces people of discipline to think of him as an ally.

[@2007Teina]

Unfortunately a doco aimed at putting Mr Bligh on a pedestal however, dig under a very thin layer and you'll discover that Mr Bligh was definitely not the Mr Nice guy portrayed in this doco. The real truth may sadly, be too hard to accept.

[@michaelmclennan6144]

Take the time to watch this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3m3qHl-o9Z6qJo The truth is that most of what we know of Bligh today has been made up at some point in the past. He was in fact known as the most lenient captain for his day. So there is a flip side to the commonly protrayed image of Bligh. But again watch the above doco.

[@animationsarehere6455]

Many thanks for this fine production. So interesting to get another take on Bligh and one with so many facts that get left out. You folk have put this together so well. Production should be proud! Very professional. Once again..thanks and it will make us all think again about William Bligh and his place in history. Well done !

[@thegoldenplaybutton8898]

I am related to captain Bligh

[@izabelledominguez1013]

Really

[@Realpoweronearth]

​@@izabelledominguez1013 not really😢

[@Thebonesoftrees]

Thank you for this. God bless :)

[@kayakman9845]

Great man he was

[@munkombwestanley5692]

I read the book about these men, in search of the breadfruit, but unfortunately, I lost it.

[@bishop8000]

No bias at all in this video.

[@GrahameGould]

Thank you for these videos. I came upon this video from watching the one on Richard Johnson, who does not get the credit he deserves. There are grammatical and spelling and pronunciation errors in this video. Firstly, there is a "who's" at around 14 secs that should be "whose". Secondly, in Australia "Leiutenant" is pronounced "Leftenant". The speaker uses the American pronunciation at around 2:59. I hope this is useful and look forward to watching more of your videos. Like Johnson, Bligh is not well enough known.

[@GrahameGould]

No, the Brits are same as Australia. Americans say "lootenant"

[@GrahameGould]

It's from the French. Think of the u as a v.

[@tiarnan76]

Grahame - quit bein a loo-testicle

[@aussiechristianhistory4957]

Will have to get you to proof for next video Graham!!!

[@GrahameGould]

@@aussiechristianhistory4957 Happy to! I think I can pick up most mistakes, and more than happy to help in any other way I can.

[@poky1958]

it seems we have been mis informed by hollywood movies

[@danielbentley6000]

Respect

[@valterek3315]

I met Bligh two weeks ago. We spoke for an hour. He was very thirsty...

[@scathatch]

Bligh was a very capable seaman. But also a notoriously difficult, unpleasant personality with a tendency to explosions of rage and a harsh disciplinarian. It's such a shame to see flawed human beings portrayed through some nonsensical Christian virtue rose coloured glasses.

[@treebeardtheent2200]

Another man of more recent history largely exemplifies many of those criticisms and observations. His name: General H. Norman Schwartzkopf. Will Hollywood and and the revisionists tarnish his name too for future generations?

[@donlove3741]

My dad was Captain Bligh . He was a mean kindly devilish saint . He beat up mercilessly but told funny jokes about feeding sharks with crewman.

[@tippy8817]

Clone vid preaching Christian message

[@SevenEllen]

Yeah right, I was just thinking "What has his faith got to do with anything?" and I mean that totally generally and non-aggressively - Bligh was a man who was overthrown by his crew and he sailed 3,600 miles with 18 other men who stayed loyal to him by using their wits, their discipline, and their skills in sailing. There was never any mention of what religion any of these people belonged to because it was besides the point.

[@NoProb4Rob]

If you read Captain Bligh's book you will read several times he thanks God Almighty for His protection especially at the end of the book. One note of the Dutch Reformers influence upon a certain area says this in chapter 18: 'The Dutch have been at some pains to establish Christianity among the natives: but it has not gained much ground, except in the neighbourhood of Coupang. The present king was christened by the name of Barnardus. His Indian name is Bacchee Bannock. The scriptures are translated into the Malay language, and prayers are performed, in the church at Coupang, by a Malay clergyman, in that language.' Therefore this video is only pointing out further evidence of the faith of William Bligh.

[@maninthewilderness5795]

So much hatred for Christ here....the producers of this video have every right to look at the Bounty story from a faith angle.

[@workingboat]

I suppose when your in Blighs position praying to a god must help in your safety and sanity....

[@midlifemotox]

Oh, for fucks sake.

[@miguelhernandez6489]

Your account of the events are not entirely correct Bligh was not without fault perhaps you should leave your feelings of morality out and focus on the truth

[@michaelmclennan6144]

Wouldn't you think though that the fault side has already been well established! I would also encourage you to watch this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3m3qHl-o9Z6qJo

[@majorFiqrieFaisal]

he is not a captain he is leftenant William Blight CAPTAIN of HMS Bounty ...

[@user-gv5bs3os5i]

What a crock they mutinered because of blighgs behaviour towards his crew he was a bully and a man who would flog his crew and call his crew lairs and thieves when he was the thief who stole two cheeses from the ship stores and when he was told he had ordered a crew member to deliver the chese to his home he called the man a liar dont believe this video that he was a good man he did not give a hoot about his crew

[@gor0356]

"How can one be intelligent and wise and believe in a god?" "Contradiction surely gov".

[@tf1090c]

In those days it was a lot easier to believe in a god whilst still being intelligent

[@johnbroomhead1039]

Sam not happy ha ha ha

[@johnbroomhead1039]

Sam not happy

[@Imashedjesscarabbit]

Einstein believed in god why is that as stupid as might sound to Atheists Religion actually helps people to live a good moral life.

[@euvh8880]

Never trust imitators or retrograde malingerers.

[@jmims912]

Yeah...just the fact that it's a "christian" twist says a lot about the lack of credibility...with that in mind, it proves to be just as expected, I'm afraid...

[@giantomaso1]

Just christian oriented re writer history

[@haleloi3018]

other stories told he was foul-mouthed, insulting and abusive on the crew.

[@chrismc410]

According to some, other than his mouth he loved to flog. Some say he gave out floggings like candy. None of us were there so no one really knows for how he was.

[@donlove3741]

Citations?

[@michaelmclennan6144]

I would encourage you to watch this doco... kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3m3qHl-o9Z6qJo Maybe It is also hard to draw conclusions from testimonies of men on death row!!!??

[@davidlanger3295]

Well, all this revisionist history of Lt. Bligh sounds nice, but of what I’ve read in several books about the mutiny, Lt Bligh might not have been as physically abusive as much as other captains but, he was extremely verbally abusive

[@larrymurphy6736]

What a "crock"!

[@treebeardtheent2200]

Never would have advanced beyond lieutenant if he had even half the deficiencies that popular mythology attributes to him. But then again popular mythology likes to celebrate even the devil's lies.

[@ericpeters5524]

Capt Edward Edwards was notorious for being sadistic and cruel. Considered the worst for his day and yet he received promotions.

[@marissadower-morgan3313]

What a crock of BS