Talk:Fletcher Christian

Untitled
17 February 2006: I have added links to the Fletcher Christian page re: geneology. The information about Maimiti's marriage and relationship with Fletcher Christian is accurate with regards to information handed down within the family (i.e., NOT from Nordoff & Hall). (I, myself, am a descendent of F.C. and Maimiti.) I have also added links to some of the historical information that is available online via Norfolk Island and Pitcairn Island about the mutineers and Tahitians on Pitcairn Island. I believe that Bligh's reputation was tarnished by the family of one of the sailors, not the Christians, in order to protect the family's reputation. I don't have the citation for that, though. I'll look around and if I can find it, I'll post it. -- silverfern_nc

I have some concerns about this page. The first is the assertion that Christian married a Tahitian woman on his return to Tahiti and furthermore that she was the daughter of a chief. The story told by some surviving Pitcairner's as well as Christian's crew is that their second stop at Tahiti was only for a few hours, and that the Bounty departed without warning in the middle of the night (effectively kidnapping several Tahitian women). There also did not appear to be any evidence that any woman was Christian's particular favourite, or who she might have been if there was one. I believe that this marriage to a "Maimiti" is simply taken from the Nordhoff/Hall Bounty Trilogy, which fictionalized many aspects of the story. Unless references can be provided for this section (other than the Nordhoff/Hall book), I recommend it be edited, which I will do barring any objections.

Secondly, a whole section concerning the blackening of Bligh's reputation by Edward Christian was deleted. This section is important, interesting, and moreover supported by historical documents. Can the person who deleted it please give reasons why this was done? Otherwise I recommend it be returned to its original form. Dhris 19:44, 7 December 2006 (UTC)


 * 17 February 2006: I have added links to the Fletcher Christian page re: geneology.  The information about Maimiti's marriage and relationship with Fletcher Christian is accurate with regards to information handed down within the family (i.e., NOT from Nordoff & Hall).  (I, myself, am a descendent of F.C. and Maimiti.)  I have also added links to some of the historical information that is available online via Norfolk Island and Pitcairn Island about the mutineers and Tahitians on Pitcairn Island.  I believe that Bligh's reputation was tarnished by the family of one of the sailors, not the Christians, in order to protect the family's reputation.  I don't have the citation for that, though.  I'll look around and if I can find it, I'll post it. -- silverfern_nc


 * The article is still in bad shape in my opinion. The business about Maimiti (i.e. that they married on Tahiti and that she was the daughter of a chief) is unsourced and needs to come out unless a proper reference can be added. Claiming that it is an accurate representation of family lore does not make it acceptable for an article. Plus, I still like the old section about Edward Christian's attack on Bligh and I think its removal was inappropriate. It was indeed Edward Christian who wrote a pamphlet attacking Bligh with the help of several of the former crew of the Bounty. Finally, where did that painting of Fletcher Christian come from? To my knowledge no contemporary paintings or drawings of Christian exist. It claims to be an "official portrait" but that is highly dubious. Can whoever added it please comment? Otherwise, we need to either remove it, or explain in the caption that it is merely a modern rendering. Dhris (talk) 17:39, 18 April 2008 (UTC)


 * I have now removed the "official portrait". It was not an official portrait but was an item from a Bounty art site that sells prints. Rather than clarifying its provenance and then worrying about the copyright issues, I have chosen just to remove it. A fanciful painting of Christian adds nothing to the article anyway. Dhris (talk) 00:29, 27 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Above-referenced fanciful painting seems to have returned. Bigmac31 (talk) 16:22, 28 April 2009 (UTC)

17 July 2009: @Dhris...I just saw your comments from 2008 to my comments of 17 Feb 2006 ; I come back and forth to this page.

Re: your comment: "The business about Maimiti (i.e. that they married on Tahiti and that she was the daughter of a chief) is unsourced and needs to come out unless a proper reference can be added."

I understand your point, but...what would you consider a "proper reference"? Other than the link to the Peerage page, which I added c. 2006-2007, what documentation would you like to see or be linked to? Have you looked for any supporting evidence of a marriage? Have you found any sourced references that indicate a marriage did not take place and she was his consort only? If so, where did the marriage date come from and why is it in all of the genealogical documents, both online and what my family has, and what historians have studied?

The only source I can think of that would "prove" the marriage would be The Bounty's logs, and I have no way to access those...and that assumes the marriage was logged. The logs have been made into rare volumes (http://www.genesis-publications.com/fame/bounty.html) but I don't have access to it. Silverfern nc (talk) 05:30, 17 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Hi Silverfern. Thanks for the note. I think this article is in very rough shape, containing many glaring factual errors, as well as items that don't really belong in the article. I had kind of given up on it, but I am glad to engage in a discussion about it. For the time being, I guess we are talking about this:


 * "Abandoning the island, he stopped briefly in Tahiti where he married Maimiti, the daughter of one of the local chiefs, on June 16, 1789."


 * My objection stems from the fact that most accounts give Christian returning to Tahiti from Tubuai only for a short time and never actually going ashore. Also, statements given by the people who stayed at Tahiti seem to indicate that Christian was not attached to any particular woman. Here's two excerpts from an Appendix, from 1794, to published transcripts of the mutineer trials:
 * They reached Otaheite [Tahiti] on the 27th of September 1789, and came to an anchor in Matavai Bay about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and the sixteen were disembarked with their portions of the arms and other necessaries. Christian took leave of Mr. Stewart and Mr. Heywood, and told them he should sail that evening...


 * During his short stay at Otaheite, Christian was much pressed to go on shore to visit the King, but he declined it, saying, "How can I look him in the face, after the lie I told him when I was here last?" (The Bounty Mutiny, Penguin Classics, page 147)
 * Now, this appendix was written by Fletcher Christian's brother Edward based on interviews he did with the survivors from Tahiti, so some of it may be exaggerated to make Fletcher seem more sympathetic. However, the dates are surely not in question, so at the very least, the June 16, 1789 date for Christian's second stop in Tahiti and marriage is not correct. Perhaps one could argue that the June 16 date is correct for the marriage and it therefore needs to be placed during Christian's first return to Tahiti, before the attempt to settle Tubuai. However, Edward Christian goes on,
 * As this paragraph contains an assertion, that Christian had a favourite female at Otaheite, it is proper that it should be known, that although Christian was upon shore, and had the command of the tent all the time that Captain Bligh was at Otaheite with the Bounty, yet the officers who were with Christian upon the same duty declare, that he never had a female favourite at Otaheite, nor any attachment or particular connexion among the women.(The Bounty Mutiny, Penguin Classics, pages 148-149)
 * As I say, this may not be accurate, but I have seen no accounts that dispute it except for your Peerage link (and the fictionalized Nordhoff-Hall book). I have neither heard of nor read any statements given by any witnesses or people involved in the case that contain information about any marriage on Tahiti. A contemporary report that does mention it is what I would consider to be a proper reference. In my view, family lore does not qualify. Additionally, even if I did accept that the information in the Peerage is accurate (which is obviously possible), it contains no indication of who Maimiti's father was, and therefore the claim that she was the daughter of a local chief is unsupported. Now, you say there are some kind of family documents and if so, and they contain more information than what is in the Peerage link, it would be helpful if the rest of us could look at them somehow since they would need to appear in the article as a reference anyway.

Dhris (talk) 04:44, 10 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Ok, I have changed the sentence for now. I also edited the preceding sentence claiming Christian was "terrorized" on Tubuai by "cannibalistic natives". This is an exaggeration at best. Dhris (talk) 21:01, 18 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Of course, my edits got immediately reverted without comment. Can whoever did that please join in this discussion. Dhris (talk) 16:09, 19 August 2009 (UTC)


 * Your edit didn't get immediately reverted, part of it was reverted. The cannibalistic natives was left out. This isn't how such conflicting information is handled. If family accounts include the story that Christian married someone, then it should be presented. It can certainly be qualified by saying something to the effect of "family accounts state that Christian blah, blah", but it's beyond Wikipedia to decide what is true and what isn't true. All viewpoints must be presented, even if they conflict. Wildhartlivie (talk) 22:15, 19 August 2009 (UTC)
 * I don't agree that all viewpoints have their place in an encyclopedia article, especially when they are unsupported and unsourced. The problem I have with this part of the article is not only that the claim does not appear in any contemporary accounts (and there are a few of them), but that the reference used in the article for this information doesn't even support it. It doesn't mention that Christian's "wife" was the daughter of a chief and the date it gives for the marriage is well before Christian's second return to Tahiti. So at best, half of the disputed sentence is unsourced. Even family lore has to have a proper source if it is going to appear in an encyclopedia article. I could agree with the information being added in the way you suggest, by prefacing it with "family accounts state...", if a better reference exists and if it is also pointed out that it was not mentioned in the accounts of any of the witnesses to the events. Dhris (talk) 04:02, 20 August 2009 (UTC)


 * Dhris, this is, indeed, a mystery. When I say "family lore", I simply mean Miamiti is referred to as Christian's wife. Whether or not she was the daughter of a chief, I cannot say. The paper genealogy that my mother has (she lives several hours away) indicates they were married; P.J. Lareau's copy indicates that they were married on 16 June 1789. I'll contact some people and see what I can find re: verification. I located a copy of the Bounty's logs, forgetting that they went with Bligh once they were set adrift. However, in the Forward, written by Earl Mountbatten, he states, "Some of the Englishmen formed deep attachments and for them the departure of the Bounty was an agony. Among these was the ship's tall, handsome, second-in-command, Fletcher Christian, who fell romantically in love with a chieftain's daughter, whom he named Isabella". Mountbatten also wrote about spending time on Pitcairn. I agree this article needs more cleaning up, and I'll see what I can do to help in terms of quoting from direct sources. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Silverfern nc (talk • contribs) 22:30, 4 November 2009 (UTC)


 * Dhris, I wrote to an email address I found for Pitcairn Island and asked if there is anyone that can provide any further information. I will update this section as or if I receive a response. I may also contact the Norfolk Island Ctr, depending on the response from Pitcairn Island. -- Silverfern_nc


 * Well, this is getting curiouser and curiouser. According to the current Pitcairn Island registry and registrar, Fletcher and Miamiti were married in 1788. I've researched a few other books, the past few days, and they all give conflicting information. Now I'm curious as to where the 16 June 1789 date came from to begin with. I'm going to research this and speak with a few more relatives, as well. It will likely be January 2010 before I get back with some kind of answer. There is a lot of info to review and several people to write. Silverfern nc (talk) 22:27, 10 November 2009 (UTC)


 * This is exactly why this stuff needs to come out of the article. There is no good source for it. My preference would be to remove it immediately. We can always put things back if we can find sources but as it stands now, we have unsourced (and likely inaccurate) information in the article. Dhris (talk) 23:13, 4 January 2010 (UTC)

Untitled comments
Six Pitcairn men guilty of rape doesn't speak to highly of Christian's descendants, but it's something worth watching because of the jurisdiction issue. Sort of ties back into the Bounty as well.

Indeed so. Most reputable histories (as opposed to popular fiction) of the mutiny indicate that the mutineers were not generally very nice people. I've added text to the article which discusses the early Pitcairn history.

Would it be appropriate to create and internal link to St Bees School where Fletcher Christian was educated? Collieman 11:24, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

Biography assessment rating comment
The article may be improved by following the WikiProject Biography 11 easy steps to producing at least a B article. -- KenWalker | Talk 00:37, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

What about the Topaz?
There is a history channel documentary that says Pitcairn Island was run into in 1808 by the US Topaz a seal hunting ship captained by Mayhew Folger that discovered what happened to the mutainers. With the only male survior of the Bounty being the mutiner Alexander Smith. This is in direct odds with what's being presented in the article.
 * --Wowaconia 02:55, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

There were British sailors arriving there by 1814 but the details about Christians fate was already known thanks to the Topaz, so I am going to note that instead of the 1814 sailors as it stands now.--Wowaconia 03:10, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Ancestors of Fletcher Christian
Ancestors of Fletcher Christian, surely this should read "Descendents of Fletcher Christian." MickStep (talk) 14:14, 23 April 2011 (UTC)

Descent from the Earls of Warwick
Combining information from two sources (thepeerage.com and Betham's Baronetage of England) it appears that Fletcher Christian, and therefore probably the whole population of Pitcairn Island, is a descendant of Richard Neville, the 16th Earl of Warwick, as well as Henry Clifford, 10th Baron de Clifford. The latter descent is fully traced in the peerage.com entry; for the descent from Warwick, the peerage.com traces the descent as follows:

Fletcher Christian, son of Charles Christian, son of Bridget (Senhouse) Christian, daughter of Eleanor (Kirby) Christian, daughter of William Kirby, son of Agnes (Lowther) Kirby, daughter of Agnes (Fleming) Lowther, daughter of William Fleming, son of Joan (Huddlestone) Fleming, daughter of Margaret (Neville) Huddlestone.

The peerage.com entry ends with Margaret Neville. However, the Baronetage of England source includes the following lines: "Sir Richard Huddlestone, Knt, who married Margaret, daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick" And in the entry for the above Richard's son: "He had two sisters... the two sisters were married, Johan to Hugh Fleming, of Rydal, Esq" Since it appears Richard Neville only had two legitimate daughters, neither of whom was a Margaret, I would assume she was a natural daughter by an unknown mistress.

The Betham information can be located at: http://books.google.com/books?id=5ikwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA474&lpg=PA474&dq=%22richard+neville%22+huddleston&source=bl&ots=cCM8mdv53C&sig=-DuPE2MH8yZA8iIdPnpXwg5nti0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LU7uUPmAEIjq2QXih4GQBg&ved=0CFgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22richard%20neville%22%20huddleston&f=false PohranicniStraze (talk) 06:51, 10 January 2013 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 15:16, 29 April 2016 (UTC)

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Material moved from article
The following list was in the article in its own section headed Manuscript sources. I'm assuming it's not a source for the article (which would be inappropriate), and I don't know what else it's supposed to tell the reader, so I'm parking it here. EEng 23:21, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
 * Papers concerning the discovery of Pitcairn Island and the mutineers of HMS Bounty, 1808–1809, 1813–1815, &#91;1845&#93;, document 1 in this series was part of an accession of Banks papers purchased for the Mitchell Library from Sotheby's, London, in May 1929, documents 2–9 purchased in 1884 from Lord Brabourne by Sir Saul Samuel, the Agent-General for New South Wales and transferred to the Mitchell Library in 1910, State Library of New South Wales B 667
 * Letter received by Banks from William Bligh, 16 September 1796, purchased in 1884 from Lord Brabourne by Sir Saul Samuel, the Agent-General for New South Wales and transferred to the Mitchell Library in 1910, State Library of New South Wales digitised, SAFE/Banks Papers/Series 58.09
 * Diary at Pitcairn Island 12 July 1851–11 June 1853, see entries for 1 October 1852 and 20 November 1851. Fletcher Christian's illness and death 24 March, 5 April 1852 are described, Information transferred from Manuscripts Leaf Catalogue No. 1 (6-63A), State Library of New South Wales B 667
 * Glynn Christian research papers relating to Fragile Paradise, ca. 1790-1986, purchased from Glynn Christian, September 1999, State Library of New South Wales MLMSS 8794/Boxes 1–6, MLMSS 8794/Box 7X
 * Drafts of Peter Corris' historical novel, The Journal of Fletcher Christian 2005, purchased from Peter Corris, September 2008, State Library of New South Wales Peter Corris further papers, 1978-2008 MLMSS 9156, MLOH 731