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Vice Admiral of the Blue William Bligh, FRS, RN (9 September 1754 – 7 December 1817) was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A historic mutiny occurred during his command of HMS ''Bounty'' in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, , after being set adrift in the ''Bounty's'' launch by the mutineers. Fifteen years after the ''Bounty'' mutiny, he was appointed Governor of New South Wales in Australia, with orders to clean up the corrupt rum trade of the New South Wales Corps. His activities resulted in the so-called Rum Rebellion, during which Bligh was again placed under arrest and deposed from his command. ==Early life== William Bligh was born on 9 September 1754 but it is not clear where. It is likely that he was born in Plymouth, Devon, where Bligh's father, Francis (1721-1780), was serving as a Customs Officer. Bligh's ancestral home of Tinten Manor in St Tudy near Bodmin, Cornwall, is also a possibility. Bligh's mother, Jane Pearce (1713-1768), was a widow (née Balsam) who married Francis at the age of 40.〔(Vice-Admiral William Bligh )〕 Bligh was signed for the Royal Navy at age seven, at a time when it was common to sign on a "young gentleman" simply to gain the experience at sea required for promotion. In 1770, at age 16, he joined HMS ''Hunter'' as an able seaman, the term used because there was no vacancy for a midshipman. He became a midshipman early in the following year. In September 1771, Bligh was transferred to the ''Crescent'' and remained in the ship for three years. In 1776, Bligh was selected by Captain James Cook for the position of sailing master of the ''Resolution'' and accompanied Cook in July 1776 on Cook's third and fatal voyage to the Pacific. Bligh returned to England at the end of 1780 and was able to give details of Cook's last voyage. Bligh married Elizabeth Betham, daughter of a Customs Collector (stationed in Douglas, Isle of Man), on 4 February 1781. The wedding took place at nearby Onchan.〔Trevor Kneale, ''The Isle of Man'', Pevensey Island Guides, Brunel House, Newton Abbot, Devon, 2007, ISBN 1-898630-25-9〕 A few days later, he was appointed to serve in HMS ''Belle Poule'' as master (senior warrant officer responsible for navigation). Soon after this, in August 1781, he fought in the Battle of Dogger Bank under Admiral Parker. For the next 18 months, he was a lieutenant on various ships. He also fought with Lord Howe at Gibraltar in 1782. Between 1783 and 1787, Bligh was a captain in the merchant service. Like many lieutenants he would have found full-pay employment in the Navy hard to obtain with the fleet largely demobilised at the end of the War of American Independence. In 1787, Bligh was selected as commander of the ''Bounty''. He rose eventually to the rank of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「William Bligh」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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