"[Bligh made] dogmatic judgements which he felt himself entitled to make; he saw fools about him too easily... [Bligh] never learnt that you do not make friends of men by insulting them." - J.C. Beaglehole
William Bligh was a prodigy of navigation, serving as sailing master under Captain Cook during his third voyage to the Pacific.
He had a long and varied naval career but would forever be known throughout the Navy as "that Bounty bastard."
There is some debate as to whether or not Bligh was a total ass or just a huge jerk. In addition to the Bounty mutiny of 1789, the crew of HMS Director mutinied against him in 1797 as part of the larger Spithead Mutinies and half of Australia mutinied against him as governor in 1808 during the Rum Rebellion.
It should also be noted that he played a pivotal role at the Battle of Copenhagen in command of HMS Glatton under Horatio Nelson, which I mention only because Nelson is incredibly awesome.
Master's Mate Fletcher Christian
Described (by Bligh) as having "a dark, swarthy complexion" and "subject to violent perspiration", Fletcher Christian was the reluctant leader of Bounty's mutineers.
Born near Cockermouth, Cumberland to a high-born family fallen on bad times, Christian was an educated man, having attended school with such luminaries as William Wordsworth.
He entered the Navy in 1783 as a midshipman and was swiftly promoted due to his natural skill and aptitude.
Christian had sailed with Bligh on long voyages twice before, and they were apparently at least civil to each other as it was on Bligh's suggestion that he was made master's mate and later acting lieutenant on Bounty. Why things went south after that is anyone's guess.
Errol Flynn once claimed to be a descendant of Christian, though he was probably lying. Christian's actual descendants, and the descendants of many of the mutineers, populate Pitcairn Island to this day.
The Mutineers
Thomas Burkett, Able Seaman
Burkett was never a big fan of Bligh and was one of the mutineers who went in with Fletcher Christian to drag him out of his cabin during the mutiny.Burkett is a big fan of Celine Dion, but for God's sake don't mention it around the guys.
John Millward, Able Seaman
Millward doesn't talk much. He prefers instead to watch in quiet contemplation or curl up with a good book. In today's world he would be a crazy cat person, except that he likes dogs, and no sailor worth his salt wants anything to do with the cat.Instead, Millward has a dog named Mr. Jiggs. He once sent him to the grocery store to fetch a pound of figs.
Midshipman Ned Young
Young was the only officer to join the mutineers.His Wikipedia page mentions that he "was noted for his ability to sleep through important events". Young's twitter account mentions that "omg these bredfrut plnts r killing my asthma wtf?"
William Muspratt, Able Seaman
William Muspratt was rated Able Seaman, but he is on the books as Bounty's ship's tailor. He was one of three sailors to attempt to run away from the ship before the mutiny but was swiftly caught and returned.He dreams of one day opening up a shop in Otaheite and designing fabulous dresses for the Tahitian princesses.
The Loyalists
Cole loves rowing. Rowing rowing rowing.
Cole always felt out of place on Bounty, but now that they are all in the launch, he feels it's really his time to shine.
A career sailor, John Fryer had two great loves in his life: the sea, and his two wives.
Also, he was very poor at math.
Peckover had been to Tahiti four times previous to the Bounty expedition and so wasn't as impressed with the place as the mutineers seemed to be.
He isn't a fan of Bligh, but not of mutiny either. Peckover approaches life with a slow sigh of resignation and usually feels it's best to just grit teeth and wait for it to be over.
An enthusiastic lad, Hayward was the son of a minor official and a friend of Bligh's wife.
He was really, just so really happy to be there and as such was the second person pitched into the boat, after Bligh.
WARNING: I mostly* made that stuff up. Please do not cite me on your history paper.
*sorta.
