The descendants of the Bounty mutineers include the modern-day Pitcairn Islanders as well as a little less than half of the population of Norfolk Island. Their common ancestors were the nine surviving mutineers from the mutiny on HMS Bounty which occurred in the south Pacific Ocean in 1789. Their descendants also live in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.
Origins
The nine surviving mutineers from HMS Bounty arrived on Pitcairn on 15 January 1790 with eleven Tahitian women and six men. Each of the mutineers took one woman as a wife, with the two remaining women to be shared by the six Tahitian men, which they resented. According to author Caroline Alexander, the women were "passed around from one 'husband' to the other". Fletcher Christian, Ned Young, John Adams, John Mills, William McCoy, and Matthew Quintal had relationships with six Tahitian women. Mauatua, Toofaiti, Vahineatua, and Teio had children from two of the mutineers and one of their sons. Tevarua and Teraura had only one partner. Together they had 24 children, who in turn had 77 children. Because of the scarcity of people on the island, many of the mutineers' children and grandchildren intermarried, with some marrying first and second cousins.
When John Williams and John Adams' wives died, they commandeered two of the Polynesian men's wives, who plotted to kill the men in retribution. Two of the plotters were killed instead. On 20 September 1793, the four remaining Polynesian men stole muskets and killed Christian, Mills, Brown, Martin, and Williams. The remaining seamen—Adams, McCoy, Quintal, and Young, with the assistance of Teraura, the wife of Ned Young—who beheaded the Polynesian Tetahiti while he slept—soon killed the Polynesian men. In 1798, McCoy built a still. He, Quintal, and some of the women were continually drunk. On 20 April 1798, McCoy attached a rock to his neck with a rope and leaped over a cliff to his death. Quintal became increasingly erratic and threatened to kill the other seamen and their wives. In 1799, Adams and Young killed him. Young died of an asthma attack in 1800. Adams lived until 1829. Occasionally a new person would arrive on the island bringing with them a new surname (like Samuel Russell Warren from the United States, whose descendants still live on the island today).
First generations
Fletcher Christian (25 September 1764 – 20 September 1793) m. Mauatua a.k.a. Maimiti, Mi'Mitti, Mainmast, Isabella; also consort of Ned Young (c. 1730-40 – 1841) Thursday October Christian I (7 October 1790 – 21 April 1831) m. Teraura, a.k.a. Susan (c. 1775 – 1850); also consort of Ned Young Joseph John Christian (1805 – 24 November 1831) Charles Christian (January 1808 – 25 June 1831) m. Maria Christian, granddaughter of Fletcher Christian, his first cousin Mary Christian (1810 – 25 October 1852), consort of John Buffett, an English sailor who volunteered to remain on the island as teacher Polly Christian (1814 – 16 May 1831) m. Edward Young, son of Ned Young Peggy Christian (1815 – 12 May 1884) m. 1) Daniel McCoy, grandson of William McCoy; m. 2) Fletcher Christian II, her first cousin Thursday October Christian II (October 1820 – 27 May 1911) m. Mary Polly Young, granddaughter of Ned Young Charles Christian (c. 1792 – 14 January 1842) m. Sully or Sarah (Mar 1789 – 7 Mar 1826), daughter of Teio Sarah Christian (1810 – 5 December 1899) m. George Hunn Nobbs, Pitcairn's first minister Fletcher Christian II (1812 – 5 April 1852) m. Peggy Christian, granddaughter of Fletcher Christian, his first cousin Edward Christian (1814 – 3 June 1831) unmarried Maria Christian (1816 – 12 January 1889) m. 1) Charles Christian, grandson of Fletcher Christian, her first cousin (see); m. 2) John Quintal, grandson of Matthew Quintal (see); m. 3) William Quintal, grandson of Matthew Quintal (see) Charles Christian II (1818 – 22 May 1886) m. Charlotte Quintal, granddaughter of Matthew Quintal Mary Christian (1819 – 25 April 1843) m. Arthur Quintal, son of Matthew Quintal (see) Margaret Christian (22 February 1822 – 30 November 1874) m. Matthew McCoy, grandson of William McCoy (see) Isaac Christian (26 April 1825 – 31 October 1877) m. Miriam Young, granddaughter of Ned Young Mary Ann Christian (21 September 1793 – 2 January 1866)