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1 TRANSCRIPTION OF PITCAIRN ISLAND DIARY AND REGISTER WRITTEN BY GEORGE HUNN NOBBS 1853 - 1858 INTRODUCTION The story of the mutiny on board Her Majesty’s Armed Transport “Bounty” in April 1789 and the dramatic adventures of some of the mutineers and their Polynesian consorts up to their arrival at Pitcairn Island in October that year have been recounted many times. The violent events that took place during the next eleven years left only one European man alive, John Adams (alias Alexander Smith), among 8 Polynesian women and around 20 children of mixed race. He became not only the leader of this group but also their pastor and schoolmaster. 34 years after the mutiny, in 1823, John Buffett and John Evans landed on Pitcairn. Buffett took over leadership of the community from Adams and became the schoolmaster. John Buffett began to record significant events in the “Pitcairn Island Register Book” (‘The Register’). It covers the years 1790 to February 1854. George Hunn Nobbs landed on Pitcairn 5 years after Buffett on 5th November 1828; he took over writing the Register from Buffett in March 1839 and continued for the next 15 years with the exception of 9 months during his return to England for ordination in 1852. (During this time Revd W H Holman, chaplain of HMS Portland, stayed on Pitcairn and took on the task). Nobbs began to write the “Diary and Register” (‘The Diary’) in May 1853 on his return from England. There is some overlap of the two records (Register and Diary) which Nobbs was writing until the final entry in the Register in July 1854. REASON FOR THIS TRANSCRIPTION In the autumn of 2011 a fellow descendant of George Hunn Nobbs (Rawdon Dalrymple) paid a visit to my family and drew my attention to George H Nobbs’ Diary, a copy of which is held by the Mitchell Library of New South Wales (FM/7365). As far as I know, this is the first complete transcription of the Diary to be published. When Nobbs took over the Register from Buffett, he began to include more detail and commentary rather than simply facts such as births, marriages, deaths and visiting vessels. In the Diary he includes even more detail than was recorded in the older Register. Extracts from the Diary have been quoted in various places (for example in Raymond Nobbs’ book “George Hunn Nobbs 1799 -1884 – Chaplain on Pitcairn and Norfolk Island”). Life in Pitcairn Island comes alive in this diary with details of accidents, sickness, joint work as a community, details of visiting captains and their crews etc. It also covers the move from Pitcairn to Norfolk Island, the difficulties encountered, and changes in community cooperation resulting from the move to a larger island. Visits by the Governor General of New South Wales Sir William Denison and Bishop of New Zealand George Augustus Selwyn are recorded in great detail and the proposal to establish a Melanesian Mission on Norfolk Island reluctantly discussed. LAYOUT OF THE TRANSCRIPTION For each entry I have included the day and date to make reference simpler. I apologize for any errors; some of the writing is difficult to decipher, in particularly some of the more archaic medical terms. My admiration for my great great grandfather has been greatly increased during the work of transcription. The way in which he filled the roles of doctor, teacher, pastor and community leader during the period of the diary is, in my view, quite extraordinary. His descriptions of some of the sad events that occurred in Pitcairn Island are truly moving. Lt Col Christopher K. ff. Nobbs December 2013 Reverend George Hunn Nobbs papers, 15 May 1853-24 April 1861 MLMSS 3886 / Box 1 / Items 1-2 Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW 2 TRANSCRIPTION OF A MICROFILM COPY HELD IN THE MITCHELL LIBRARY N.S.W. (REFERENCE FM4/7365) REVD. GEORGE HUNN NOBBS’ “REGISTER AND MEMORANDUM” WRITTEN IN PITCAIRN AND NORFOLK ISLANDS BETWEEN 1853 AND 1861 CONTENTS PAGE Introduction 1 Diary 1853 & 1854 3 Diary 1855 22 Diary 1856 46 Diary 1857 75 Diary 1858 94 Diary 1859 110 Diary 1860 118 122 Diary 1861 (To April) Reverend George Hunn Nobbs papers, 15 May 1853-24 April 1861 MLMSS 3886 / Box 1 / Items 1-2 Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW 3 DATES A.D.1853 Pitcairn’s May 1853 Sun May 15th Having sighted the Island shortly before dark yesterday morning at a distance of 1853 about 50 miles we were at daylight this morning within 15 miles of the Landing Place; but as the wind was remarkably light, it did not get up till 12 o’clock when a boat came off from the shore and reported all well in the Island; although a few months before they have had a most awful visitation in the accidental death of their Chief Magistrate Mr Matthew McCoy, by the discharge of the gun of the “Bounty” while endeavouring to fire a salute for HM Steamer “Virago”. Pitcairn’s January 1854 Sun Jan 1st Commencement of a new year. Preached a sermon in aid of the Society for the 1854 propagation of the Gospel. Dispensed the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper to 44 persons (little more than half the professed Communicants) a melancholy proof that something is wrong: party spirit is one cause, but not the principal. Mon Jan 2nd Attendance at the Magistrate’s house pursuant to the annual custom of electing a magistrate. The present magistrate re-elected; I fear this will be a year of trouble, there is a very bad spirit extant among certain parties and which can only be put down by someone being sent out from England as Resident or Governor, I should be right glad if so desirable an object can be obtained. John Adams was very improperly treated by certain persons; who I trust will be brought to see the enormity of their conduct. I shall write to the Bishop of London to be superceded, for I cannot possibly continue to hold my present position with satisfaction to myself and benefit to others while so much malice and dissimulation exists in certain individuals. I now very much regret being ordained for formerly if any dissatisfaction existed my reply was the compact between us lasts no longer than it is perfectly agreeable to both parties and here the matter ended. But now the matter is altogether different; I am an ordained clergyman, though if the Rev Mr Homan’s report to Admiral Moresby is to be credited a very unacceptable one to a large majority of the people, now I cannot resign this chaplaincy unless permission is obtained from my Diocesan; this I am inclined to think he will not grant, and I must confess I think he is in the right; But I feel I should have been much happier had I continued a layman with my mode of action unshackled save only by the dictates of an approving conscience. However a clergyman I am and a clergyman I hope to remain till the day of my death, but I humbly pray that God of his infinite mercy and goodness will remove this foul and malignant party spirit now so prevalent in this island or send hither some one who may be the honoured instrument of doing so. Tue 3rd Jan The weather for some weeks have been very rainy and still continues very wet; it 1854 rained so much today that I could not go to church. It is my intention to have public service every evening of the week, except Saturdays, from this period (D.V.) until the yam harvest when the people will be engaged in their yam plantations at a distance from home; then there will be public worship only twice in the week; Wednesday and Friday evening. Wed 4th Jan The weather is still very unsettled such a continuation of rainy weather at this season of the year I have never before witnessed both yam and potato crops thriving well and there is every prospect of its being a plentiful year. Blessed be God for all his mercies; how easy and how pleasant it is to express our gratitude to Him who doeth all things well when our temporal affairs progress smoothly and prosperously; but alas, how few are they who can help the hard that “strikes their comforts dead”, - can Reverend George Hunn Nobbs papers, 15 May 1853-24 April 1861 MLMSS 3886 / Box 1 / Items 1-2 Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW 4 repose implicit confidence in the who “Behind frowning providence conceals a smiling face”: happy is the man who in some degree attained to it. – Public service this afternoon; a very small congregation. Thu 5th Jan The weather continues cloudy and sometimes showery, about 10 o’clock a sail was 1854 reported in the south east. She has a fair wind to come in with. At 1 o’clock made her out to be a whaler, at 5, 2 canoes went on board when the ship headed off shore she was close enough to enable us to read her name on her stern “Falcon New Bedford”. The Captain came on shore at sunset. One of my children while playing with some others at jumping across a dry water course fell into it and badly sprained his foot; he was brought home by George Adams. Through the night the poor child has suffered much pain his mother and myself have been kept awake much of the night. Fri 6th Jan The Captain of the ship in the offing wishes to obtain forty barrels of yam, but there is none to be had, some of the community have potatoes to spare but it is doubtful whether they will trade as the captain asks 25 cents a pound for soap and other things in proportion.
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