After becoming interested in the story of The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel HMS Bounty, John O’Conner began collecting artefacts on the subject, eventually owning some of Bligh’s most personal possessions. The collection will be sold as part of our Books and Maps timed auction in September
14 September 2021
Personal effects once owned by Lieutenant William Bligh (1754-1817) of HMS Bounty fame come for sale in our Books and Maps timed auction this September. The sale, which runs from Friday 17 – Sunday 26 September 2021 will offer the collection of the late John O’Conner (1940-2020), an authority on the subject who first became interested in the Bounty story after watching a rerun of a 1935 movie. He collected for many years and visited Pitcairn Island, where the descendants of the mutineers still live, on three different occasions.
Buying at auction and through other collectors, O’Conner owned some of Bligh’s most personal possessions.
His silver pair cased verge pocket watch hallmarked London 1802 (pictured above) is expected to sell for up to £5,000. It has a provenance to Bligh's eldest daughter Harriet Maria Barker (1781-1856) and a Christie's sale in 1997 while two horn beakers, once owned by Bligh's daughters Frances (1788-1862) and Jane (1788-1875) bought at Bonhams in 1996 are guided at £200-300.
A green-stained bone handled knife and fork (estimate £200-300) and a yew wood walking stick (estimate £400-600) both have a provenance to Mary Putland (1783-1864), Bligh’s second eldest daughter who accompanied him to Australia when he became the fourth governor of New South Wales (1806-08).
A green glass wine bottle, believed to have been carried onboard HMS Bounty on its infamous journey, comes with documentation with expectations of £200-300.
The mutiny on the Bounty occurred in the South Pacific on 28 April 1789. On a mission to collect bread-fruit trees from Tahiti and take them to plantations in the West Indies, disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain and set him and 18 loyalists adrift in the ship's open launch. Bligh navigated more than 3500 nautical miles in the launch to reach safety in Timor while the mutineers variously settled on Tahiti and on Pitcairn.
Debate still continues as to whether Bligh was victim or a villain. Much of what is known of the story comes from Bligh’s personal account, published shortly after he was honourably acquitted at a Royal Navy court martial inquiry in October 1790.
First edition copies are included in the sale. A Narrative of the Mutiny on board His Majesty's Ship Bounty; and the Subsequent Voyage of Part of the Crew, in the Ship's Boat (1790) is guided at £1,000-2,000 while A Voyage to the South Sea... for the Purpose of Conveying the Bread-fruit Tree to the West Indies (1792) is expected to bring £500-800.
Books and Maps | Friday 17 - Sunday 26 September 2021
For more information about the collection, please contact
auctions@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778
Ahead of our 21 May Fine Jewellery & Watches sale, join us as we explore the resurgence of bold and nature-inspired sixties and seventies jewellery designs, celebrating their timeless charm and contemporary appeal.
26 April 2024
We're pleased to present this timed auction of modern and contemporary sculpture for Eddie Powell and The Sculpture Park team. To those who know him, Eddie is a force of nature, a man whose drive, imagination and vision have led the Surrey-based park to become the fantastical wonderland that it is today, and it was clear from the outset that he would be applying this trademark enthusiasm to the creation of this sale.
25 April 2024
Discover the unexpected journey of Dan aka Mr Bigglesworthy, a chartered accountant turned design connoisseur, whose love affair with modern design began with a simple fascination for the value of vintage pieces.
25 April 2024