Verdict and Sentence in the Court-Martial of the Bounty Mutineers Tuesday, 18th September, 1782 Image at left: The last page of the verdict in the Bounty court-martial, including the signatures of the members of the Court. |
The Prisoners brought in and Audience admitted. The
President having asked the Prisoners if they, or any of them, had
anything more to offer to the Court in their Defences, Mr. Haywood
produced a Certificate of his Birth which is hereto annexed, and the
others not having anything more to offer, the Court was cleared and
agreed: That the Charges had been proved against
the said Peter Heywood, James Morrison, Thomas Ellison, Thomas Burkitt,
John Mill–each of them to suffer Death by being hanged by the Neck, on
board such of His Majesty’s Ship or Ships of War, at such Time or Times
and at such Place or Places, as the Commissioners for executing the
Office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland etc. or any
three of them, for the Time being, should in Writing, under their Hands
direct; but the Court, in Consideration of various Circumstances, did
humbly and most earnestly recommend the said Peter Heywood and James
Morrison to His Majesty’s Royal Mercy–and the Court further agreed That
the Charges had not been proved against the said Charles Norman, Joseph
Coleman, Thomas McIntosh and Michael Byrn, and did adjudge them and
each of them to be acquitted. The Court was opened
and Audience admitted and Sentence passed accordingly, after which
William Muspratt delivered to the Court, a paper Writing, which was
read by the Judge Advocate as follows: To the Right Honble. Samuel
Lord Hood, President, and the Members of the Court Martial Assembled on
board His Majesty’s Ship the “Duke” for the Trial of William Muspratt
and others for the Mutiny and Desertion. My
Lord and Gentlemen, By
the King’s Command I have been tried by the Honorable Court and stand
convicted of Mutiny and Desertion. I haven not the most distant Idea of arraigning the Justice of the Court, but I have to lament that the Practice and usage of a Court Martial, should be so different from the Practice of all Criminal Courts of Justice on Shore, as that, by the one I have deen debarred calling Witnesses whose Evidence I have Reason to believe, would have tended to have proved my Innocence, whereas by the other I should have been permitted to call those very Witnesses on my behalf. This Difference, my Lord, is dreadful to the Subject and fatal to me. |