Richard Pickersgill

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Richard Pickersgill (born April 18, 1749 in West Tanfield, North Yorkshire , England , † July 1779 in London ) was an English naval officer who accompanied the navigator and explorer James Cook on two of his South Seas voyages .

Richard Pickersgill was born in West Tanfield, not far from Ripon , in 1749 to Richard and Ann Pickersgill (née Lee). Pickersgill was the nephew of John Lee, the servant of George Jackson, a senior executive in the Admiralty. It is believed that his uncle managed to post him on his first ships through his relationships.

In 1766, at the age of 17, he took part in the circumnavigation of the world under Captain Samuel Wallis on the Dolphin . Two years later, on August 26, 1768, Pickersgill was a non-commissioned officer on the Endeavor crew , who set out with James Cook on his first voyage to the South Seas. On this trip he also impressed Cook, who had a high opinion of his skills as a surveyor, his dealings with the indigenous peoples they encountered, and his judgment. When Robert Molineux, the captain of the Endeavor, died on the return voyage to England, Pickersgill was promoted to captain on April 16, 1771. On his return to London, Pickersgill was promoted to lieutenant on Cook's recommendation. On July 13, 1772, Cook began his second expedition with the Resolution and Richard Pickersgill was back on the team as the third lieutenant.

He did not accompany Cook on his third voyage, but was given command of the ship Lyon in April 1776 and was sent to Baffin Bay on the east coast of Canada.

Richard Pickersgill died in 1779 at the age of 30 when he accidentally fell into the Thames while boarding a ship and drowned in the process.

The Pickersgill Islands in the South Atlantic and Pickersgill Harbor , a natural harbor in New Zealand , were named after Richard Pickersgill .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Ralph Jackson's diary - Part 5: Richard Pickersgill. Captain Cook Society, accessed March 13, 2018 .
  2. ↑ a b Captain James Cook RN Crew Database Richard Pickersgill. Captain Cook Society, accessed March 13, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Captain Cook's Journal. University of Adelaide, March 27, 2016, accessed March 13, 2018 .
  4. ^ Pickersgill Interview Broadcast on Radio. Captain Cook Society, accessed March 13, 2018 .
  5. ^ Glyn Williams: Voyages of Delusion . Yale University Press, New Haven 2003, ISBN 978-0-300-09866-2 , pp. 305-306 (English).
personal data
SURNAME Pickersgill, Richard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English navigator and explorer
DATE OF BIRTH April 18, 1749
PLACE OF BIRTH West Tanfield, North Yorkshire , England
DATE OF DEATH July 1779
Place of death London , England