Thursday October Christian I
Encyclopedia
Thursday October Christian (14 October 1790 – 21 April 1831) was the first son of Fletcher Christian
(leader of the historical mutiny on the Bounty
) and his Tahitian wife Mauatua. He was conceived on Tahiti
, and was the first child born on the Pitcairn Islands
after the mutineers took refuge on the island
. Born on a Thursday in October, he was given his unusual name because Fletcher Christian wanted his son to have "no name that will remind me of England
."
Thursday married into his parents' generation
. At age 16 he married Teraura (Susannah), who had been Ned Young
’s original consort, and was past 30 then. The ceremony was carried out with a ring
that had belonged to Ned Young.
s Briton and Tagus arrived at Pitcairn on the morning of 17 September 1814, Thursday and George Young paddled out in canoes to meet them. Both spoke English
well, and gave a good impression to the officers and men of the ships as they met on the deck of the Briton. Their demeanour helped persuade the two captains that John Adams
had created a civilized society, and did not merit prosecution for the mutiny. The ships stayed only for a few hours, and sailed away later that evening. This was when the only surviving portrait of Thursday was drawn.
Captain Philip Pipon, commander of the Tagus, describes Thursday as being "about twenty five years of age, a tall fine young man about six feet high, with dark black hair, and a countenance extremely open and interesting. He wore no clothes
except a piece of cloth
round his loins, a straw hat
ornamented with black cock’s feather
s, and occasionally a peacock’s, nearly similar to that worn by the Spaniards
in South America
, though smaller."
Pipon refers to him as "Friday October Christian," because they had discovered that the islanders' calendar
was off by one day. The Bounty had crossed the international date line
going eastwards, but the mutineers had not adjusted their calendar for this. Thursday soon went back to his original name, but the Pitcairn Islands stamp
that shows his picture identifies him as Friday October Christian.
. Deprived of leadership, the group left Tahiti on 14 August 1831 to return to Pitcairn. His wife outlived him by 19 years. Thursday's third son was Thursday October Christian II
(1820–1911).
For many years Thursday's house
was the oldest building still standing on the island, until it was demolished on 12 March 2004 because of termite
damage.
in The Lonely Island; or, The Refuge of the Mutineers (1880). He also appears in Charles Dickens
' The Long Voyage
(1853).
Thursday October Christian is also mentioned on the Rasputina album Oh Perilous World
.
Fletcher Christian
Fletcher Christian was a master's mate on board the Bounty during William Bligh's fateful voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants...
(leader of the historical mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the...
) and his Tahitian wife Mauatua. He was conceived on Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, and was the first child born on the Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
after the mutineers took refuge on the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
. Born on a Thursday in October, he was given his unusual name because Fletcher Christian wanted his son to have "no name that will remind me of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
."
Thursday married into his parents' generation
Generation
Generation , also known as procreation in biological sciences, is the act of producing offspring....
. At age 16 he married Teraura (Susannah), who had been Ned Young
Ned Young
Edward "Ned" Young , was a British sailor, mutineer from the famous HMS Bounty incident, and co-founder of the mutineers' Pitcairn Island settlement. He was noted for his ability to sleep through important events....
’s original consort, and was past 30 then. The ceremony was carried out with a ring
Wedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...
that had belonged to Ned Young.
Negotiating with the British
When the British frigateFrigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s Briton and Tagus arrived at Pitcairn on the morning of 17 September 1814, Thursday and George Young paddled out in canoes to meet them. Both spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
well, and gave a good impression to the officers and men of the ships as they met on the deck of the Briton. Their demeanour helped persuade the two captains that John Adams
John Adams (mutineer)
John Adams was the last survivor of the Bounty mutineers who settled on Pitcairn Island in January 1790, the year after the mutiny. His real name was John Adams; He used the name Alexander Smith until he was discovered in 1808 by Captain Mayhew Folger of the ship Topaz...
had created a civilized society, and did not merit prosecution for the mutiny. The ships stayed only for a few hours, and sailed away later that evening. This was when the only surviving portrait of Thursday was drawn.
Captain Philip Pipon, commander of the Tagus, describes Thursday as being "about twenty five years of age, a tall fine young man about six feet high, with dark black hair, and a countenance extremely open and interesting. He wore no clothes
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
except a piece of cloth
Loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece male garment, sometimes kept in place by a belt, which covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks.-History and types:Loincloths are being and have been worn:*in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted...
round his loins, a straw hat
Straw hat
A straw hat is a brimmed hat that is woven out of straw or reeds. The hat is designed to protect the head from the sun and against heatstroke, but straw hats were also used in fashion and as a decorative element of a uniform.- Manufacture :...
ornamented with black cock’s feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s, and occasionally a peacock’s, nearly similar to that worn by the Spaniards
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, though smaller."
Pipon refers to him as "Friday October Christian," because they had discovered that the islanders' calendar
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
was off by one day. The Bounty had crossed the international date line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
going eastwards, but the mutineers had not adjusted their calendar for this. Thursday soon went back to his original name, but the Pitcairn Islands stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
that shows his picture identifies him as Friday October Christian.
Death in Tahiti
Along with a number of other Pitcairners, he migrated to Tahiti in 1831, but having no immunity to the diseases of the island he died on 21 April. At that point he had been "the oldest and perhaps the most respected of the first generation of native born islanders." Eleven other Pitcairners died in the same epidemicEpidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
. Deprived of leadership, the group left Tahiti on 14 August 1831 to return to Pitcairn. His wife outlived him by 19 years. Thursday's third son was Thursday October Christian II
Thursday October Christian II
Thursday October Christian, Jr. was a Pitcairn Islands political leader. He was the grandson of Fletcher Christian and son of Thursday October Christian , and mother, Teraura . He was also known as "Doctor", "Duddie" or "Doodie". He spent several years on Norfolk Island but returned to Pitcairn in...
(1820–1911).
For many years Thursday's house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
was the oldest building still standing on the island, until it was demolished on 12 March 2004 because of termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
damage.
Ancestry
Literary references
Thursday's life story was written by RM BallantyneRobert Michael Ballantyne
R. M. Ballantyne was a Scottish juvenile fiction writer.Born Robert Michael Ballantyne in Edinburgh, he was part of a famous family of printers and publishers. At the age of 16 he went to Canada and was six years in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company...
in The Lonely Island; or, The Refuge of the Mutineers (1880). He also appears in Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' The Long Voyage
The Long Voyage
The Long Voyage is a New Year's Eve short story by Charles Dickens. It was originally published in the 31 December 1853 issue of Household Words magazine.-Plot summary:...
(1853).
Thursday October Christian is also mentioned on the Rasputina album Oh Perilous World
Oh Perilous World
Standard Edition bonus tracks# "The Question of Time" - 2:39# "Identity Tokens" - 4:54# "The Humanized Mice" - 2:19# "The Pruning " - 4:17# "Flood Corps" - 1:36# "Incapable of Regret" - 2:02# "Desert Vampire" - 1:36...
.