Mutineer. An Able-bodied Seaman on the HMS Bounty, he had an active role in the mutiny on April 28, 1789. He later voted to sail with Fletcher Christian to Pitcairn and was one of the first three men (along with Christian and mutineer John Williams) to explore the uninhabited island. On "Massacre Day", September 20, 1793, McCoy narrowly escaped being killed by furious Tahitians, fleeing into the mountains with Matthew Quintal. McCoy's demise is one of the more mysterious among the Bounty crew. He had worked in a brewery before joining the navy, and in 1797 he succeeded in distilling a potent liquor from the ti-root. This ushered in a period of wild drunkeness on Pitcairn. According to mutineer John Adams, McCoy became addicted to his home brew and as a consequence suffered delirium tremens. On April 20th of 1798, during a bout of the DT's, McCoy allegedly tied a stone around his neck and threw himself into the sea from a high cliff while intoxicated. Years later, however, a Tahitian woman on Pitcairn claimed that when McCoy's body washed ashore, he was discovered with his hands and feet bound with rope, suggesting that his "suicide" was really the work of Adams and fellow mutineer Ned Young.
Mutineer. An Able-bodied Seaman on the HMS Bounty, he had an active role in the mutiny on April 28, 1789. He later voted to sail with Fletcher Christian to Pitcairn and was one of the first three men (along with Christian and mutineer John Williams) to explore the uninhabited island. On "Massacre Day", September 20, 1793, McCoy narrowly escaped being killed by furious Tahitians, fleeing into the mountains with Matthew Quintal. McCoy's demise is one of the more mysterious among the Bounty crew. He had worked in a brewery before joining the navy, and in 1797 he succeeded in distilling a potent liquor from the ti-root. This ushered in a period of wild drunkeness on Pitcairn. According to mutineer John Adams, McCoy became addicted to his home brew and as a consequence suffered delirium tremens. On April 20th of 1798, during a bout of the DT's, McCoy allegedly tied a stone around his neck and threw himself into the sea from a high cliff while intoxicated. Years later, however, a Tahitian woman on Pitcairn claimed that when McCoy's body washed ashore, he was discovered with his hands and feet bound with rope, suggesting that his "suicide" was really the work of Adams and fellow mutineer Ned Young.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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