Human Toll

The Pandora wreck’s 35 dead:
4 prisoners died along with 31 men belonging to the Pandora’s crew. Bligh described the ‘Bountys’ but there are no known descriptions of the ‘Pandoras’….
  • The Bounty prisoners’ dead resulting from the Pandora’s wrecking (29th Aug 1791)
    [Source: Wm. Bligh’s log (Adm. 55/151)]

    Names William Bligh’s description of the “pirates”
    (written shortly after the mutiny in 1789)
    Richard SKINNER, AB and barber, from Tunbridge Wells –22 years, 5 feet 6 inches high, fair complexion, light-brown hair, very well made. Scars on both ankles and on right shin. Is tattooed and by trade a Hair Deeper
    George STEWART, midshipman, from
    Orkney
    –23 years, 5 feet 7 inches high, Good complexion, dark hair, slender made, narrow chested and long necked – on his left breast (is) tattowed a star and also one on his left arm, on which likewise is tattowed a heart with darts – tattowed on the backside – very small features
    Henry (Heinrich?) HILBRANDT, cooper, from Hanover,
    Germany
    –25 years, 5 feet 7 inches high. Fair complexion, sandy hair, very strong made. His left arm is shorter that the right, having been broke. Is a Hanoverian and speaks bad English. He is tattooed in several places.
    John SUMNER , from Liverpool –24 years old, 5 feet 8 inches high, fair complexion, Brown hair. Slender made; a scar on the left cheek and tattooed in several places.

     

    List of the Pandora’s 31 men ‘discharged dead’ following the wrecking on 29th Aug 1791 (Sources: Adm.35/1360, Adm.36/11085, Adm. 36/11136, International Genealogical Index, Gesner 2009 in Press)

    Petty Officers and Able Seamen (AB) 

    John ANDREWS – Age? Quarter-master; volunteer, appeared on 16th Sept. 1790 as an AB. He received £3 bounty and was promoted on 30th Sept. 1790. He also received £4.18s advance; his ‘neat wages’ were apparently not paid out!

    Alexander ARBUTHNOT – Age? AB, pressed at or off Great Yarmouth by a press gang from HMS Richard. Appeared 26th Oct.1790; from HMS Royal William, promoted sail-maker’s mate; 1st Dec.1790.

    Robert BOWLER – Age 28. From London; he was baptised on 6th Jan 1763 at St James, Westminster, (cf. IGI) A volunteer who appeared on 10th Aug 1790 as an ordinary seaman (Ord)  He received £3.14s advance pay and a £2 bounty. He was appointed purser’s steward on 30th Sept. 1790. He was ‘discharged dead’ on 29th Aug 1791. His sister Theodosia Bowler (one of 3 siblings, cf. IGI) received £8 1s.6d in Bowler’s ‘neat wages’ on 13th Nov.1792. (Adm.35/1360)

    Robert BROWN – Age? AB; pressed by HMS Champion, appeared 8 Oct.1790 from HMS Sandwich as AB, promoted 8th Oct.1790. A carpenter on a ‘Greenland ship’ (whaler); pressed at sea off Whitby; his ‘neat wages’ were apparently not paid out!

    John GRIMWOOD – Age? Master-at-arms, volunteer; appeared 26th Aug 1790 as AB. He was paid a £3 bounty, promoted on 14th Sept. 1790 to corporal and on 22nd Oct.1790 to Master at Arms. He received £3 12s 9d; 2 month’s advance paid. His ‘neat wages’ were apparently not paid out!  He reportedly jumped off the sinking ship  yelling to the remaining prisoners inside the Box, “Never fear my boys, we’ll all go to hell together.”

    William RODERICK – Age? Ship’s corporal, volunteer; appeared on 21st Sept. 1790 from HMS Defence as Ord, paid £2 bounty, promoted on 1st Nov.1790; ‘neat wages’ apparently not paid out! He jumped off the ‘box’ with Grimwood.

    Thomas BRIXLEY – Age? AB, pressed, appeared on 3rd Nov.1790 from HMS Flirt (sloop) as ORD. Promoted to AB on 1 April 1791. Recruited near Lymington.

    Thomas CARROLL or Carrol, Age? AB, volunteer, recruited in Scottish waters (off Leith or Peterhead) appeared on 8 Sept. 1790. From HMS David (tender), £3 bounty paid.

    William CARTER – Age? AB, pressed from a ‘Greenland ship’ (whaler) at King’s Lynn or Burlington Bay? Appeared on 8th Oct. 1790 from HMS Sandwich.

    James CULLEMORE (Cullimore) – Age 25, from Bromley. He appeared on 22nd Aug 1790 as an LM, promoted AB 1st Dec.1790, £2.18s advance paid.; he left a will in favour of his sister Elinor (sic)  who was a milliner and mantua maker in Bromley. £9.14s.6d was remitted to his heirs; among whom, his sister Eleanor Roberts, who received another 2d at final pay-out on 23rd April 1793!

    William DEDWORTH – Age? He appeared on 8th Oct.1790 from HMS Sandwich. An AB, pressed by HMS Champion; from the ‘Greenland ship’ The Fountain. His name is also spelled as Deadworth.

    Daniel DURLING – Age? Volunteer, appeared 16 Sept. 1790 as LM, bounty paid £1, promoted AB 1st April 1791; £6.12s 6d neat wages paid to his uncle, John Brock.

    George EGLINGTON (Eglinton?) – Age 22. Volunteer, AB, from Orkney, appeared 8th Sept. 1790, from HMS David (tender), £3 bounty paid, recruited by HMS David on 4th  Aug 1790 while in Kirkwall Roads (Orkney).

    William FLETCHER – Age? Volunteer, AB, appeared 3rd Oct.1790.

    Samuel HAMMOND, – Age? Volunteer, appeared 2nd Oct.1790 as Ord, £2 bounty paid, promoted AB 1st Nov.1790. Recruited off Shields, Whitby or Scarborough by HMS Richard.

    Patrick HENRY – Age? Volunteer, appeared 8th Sept. 1790 as LM, £1 bounty paid, promoted AB 1st April 1791.

    William LION (Lyon?) – Age? AB, volunteer, probably from Devon or Somerset, appeared on 2nd Oct.1790 from HMS Richard (tender) as Ord, bounty paid £2, promoted 1 Nov.1790. His son William and daughter Margaret received £9.0s.6d neat wages; made his last will in favour of his son William (in Seaton, Devonshire) and wife Mary (from Hyde Littleton, Somerset).

    William PERRYMAN – Age? AB, pressed, appeared 26thJuly 1790; as Ord, promoted 1 Oct.1790

    William REEVES (Reeve) – Age? AB, volunteer, appeared 16 Sept. 1790 as LM, however he was paid £1 bounty, promoted on 1 April 1791.

    William SKELTON – Age? Pressed, appeared 26 Oct.1790 from HMS Royal William as Ord, promoted AB 1st April 1791.

    William SWAN – Age? Volunteer, £2 bounty paid, appeared 22nd July 1790 as Ord, promoted  an AB on 1st  Nov.1790.

    Ordinary seamen (Ord) and ‘landsmen’ (LM) 

    William CRAY (Croy?) – Age 26, volunteer, Ord; £2 bounty paid. He appeared on 8th Sept. 1790, from HMS Sandwich; he was from Orkney, recruited by HMS David (tender) on 15th Aug 1790. (Adm. 36/11085) William Croy was baptised on 4th June 1764 in Stronsay. D.o.b: 4th May 1764. (cf. IGI)

    Robert FEA – Age 21, Ord, volunteer, £2 bounty paid. He appeared on 8th Sept. 1790, from HMS David (tender). He was from Orkney and recruited by HMS David on 17th Aug 1790 at Kirkwall Roads. D.o.b: 26th April 1769, baptised in Stronsay, 2nd May 1769. (cf. IGI)

    James GORDON – Age 21, Ord, volunteer, appeared on 8th Sept. 1790, from HMS David (tender), £2 bounty paid. Recruited by HMS David in Scottish waters, off Leith?

    Richard MACKIE (Mackey?) – Age 24, from Stronsay, Orkney; Ord, volunteer, he appeared on 8th Sept. 1790, from HMS David (tender), £2 bounty paid; recruited by HMS David on 17th Aug 1790 at Kirkwall Roads.

    Martin MAYSONER – Age? Volunteer, Ord, appeared 6 Sept. 1790, from HMS Sandwich, £2 bounty paid. From Faversham, Kent.

    James MILLER – Age 21, from Orkney, recruited by HMS David; appeared 8 Sept. 1790, from David (tender), Volunteer, Ord, £2 bounty paid, £5 12s 6d ‘neat’ wages paid on 26 June 1793 to a William Miller of Eday, Orkney.

    William THOMPSON – Volunteer, he appeared on 8th Sept. 1790, from HMS David (tender), Ord £2 bounty paid. Recruited by HMS David, off Leith.

    Robert WEBBER – Ord, a pressed man, he appeared on 26th Oct.1790 from HMS Royal William.

    Joseph BANDY – He appeared on 26 July 1790; volunteer, landsman, he was paid a £1 bounty. His  neat wages were paid to a brother called Samuel. (cf. Adm.35/1360)  

    NB: At one stage I surmised that he was possibly from the Bedfordshire branch of the Bandy family and that Joseph was born in Houghton Regis on March 1774; in which case he was 17 years old at the time of the wreck. This Joseph Bandy was however most likely not the man who died in the Pandora as it can be attested that “the Joseph (…) from Houghton Regis is not your man because he married twice, had 18 children and was buried in HR in 1832.” (pers.comm. Derek Bandy)  

    Evan JONES – Volunteer, landsman, appeared 21 Sept. 1790, from HMS Defence. He was paid a £1 bounty.