The uninhabited Pitcairn Islands (so named after the man who first spotted
the major island in 1767) were (re)discovered by the British between 1767 and
1824. (1)
In 1790 mutineers of H.M.S. Bounty settled on Pitcairn Island and established
a small, isolated, selfgoverning community.
Soon overpopulation became a problem and after a first (brief) removal of all
inhebitants to Tahiti in 1831, the whole population was once again moved in
1856, now to Norfolk Island.
Between 1858 - 1863 many of them however elected to return to Pitcairn Island
where the community was once again restored.
In 1898 the island formally became a British dependency, which in 1898 became
part of the Western Pacific High Commissariate. (2)(1) The minor islands included :
- Ducie Island ("discovered" 1791)
- Henderson Island ("discovered" 1819)
- Oeno Island ("discovered" 1824)
They were only formally annexed to the dependency of Pitcairn by the
British Consul in Tahiti in 1902.
Apart for some failed attempts to exploit guano between 1867 and 1915
and an - also failed - attempt of colonization by Gilbert Islanders
in 1941 - 1945, they remained uninhabited, only being occasionally
visited by Pitcairners.
(2) The islanders themselves considered Pitcairn as a British dependency
since 1838 when Capt. Eliott of H.M.S. Fly gave them their first
constitution
___________________________________________________________________________
BRITISH CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Governors
1898 - 1952 The High Commissioners for the Western Pacific (3)
(3) Until ca 1918 locally represented by the British Consuls in Tahiti
(French Polynesia) who occasionally visited the islands
1894 - 1908 Robert Teesdale Simons 1850 -
1908 - 1909 Alphonse J. Du Temple*, Vice Consul 1870 - 1913
1909 - 191. Arthur Langford Shotto Rowley 1870 - 1953
1912 - 1920 H. A. Richards
____________________________________________________________________________
LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS
Chief magistrates
1870 - 1872 James Russell McCoy 1845 - ....
1873 Thursday October Christian II (5x) 1820 - 1911
1874 ...
1875 Moses Young (3x) 1829 - 1909
1876 Thursday October Christian II (6x)
1877 ...
1878 - 1879 James Russell McCoy (2x)
1880 Thursday October Christian II (7x)
1881 Moses Young (4x)
1882 Thursday October Christian II (8x)
1883 James Russell McCoy (3x)
1884 - 1885 Benjamin Stanley Young 1851 -
1886 - 1889 James Russell McCoy (4x)
1890 - 1891 Charles Carleton Vieder Young 1850 - 1941
1892 Benjamin Stanley Young (2x)
Presidents of the Council
1893 - 1896 James Russell McCoy s.a.
1897 William Alfred Young 1863 - 1911
1898 - 1904 James Russell McCoy (2x)
1904 William Alfred Young (2x)
Chief Magistrates
1904 - 1906 James Russell McCoy (5x)
1907 Arthur Herbert Young 1873 -
1908 William Alfred Young s.a.
1909 Matthew Edmond McCoy 1868 -
1910 - 1919 Gerard Bromley Robert Christian 1870 -
1920 Charles R. Parkin Christian 1883 - 1971
1921 Fred Christian
1922 Charles R. Parkin Christian (2x)
1923 - 1924 Edgar Allen Christian 1879 - 1960
1925 Charles R. Parkin Christian (3x)
1926 - 1929 Edgar Allen Christian (2x)
1930 - 1931 Arthur Herbert Young 1873 -
1932 Edgar Allen Christian (3x)
1933 - 1934 Charles R. Parkin Christian (4x)
1935 - 1939 Edgar Allen Christian (4x)
1940 Andrew Clarence David Young 1899 - 1988
1941 Frederick Martin Christian 1883 - 1971
1942 Charles R. Parkin Christian (5x)
1943 Frederick Martin Christian (2x)
1944 Charles R. Parkin Christian (6x)
1945 - 1948 Norris Henry Young 1887 - 1974
HOMEINDEX
