Boatswain on board the Bounty.
A loyalist.
Bligh had been furious with Cole in Tahiti when it was discovered that a set of new sails had been allowed to mildew and rot. On January 17, 1789, he wrote in his log:
"This morning, the sail room being cleared to take the sales to short to air. The new fore topsail and fore sail, main top mt stay sale and main stay sail were found very much mildewed and rotten in many places. If I had any officers to supercede the Master John Fryer and Boatswain William Cole, or was capable of doing without them, considering them as commen sea men, they should no longer occupy their respective stations."
Cole was one of the men on board in whom Christian had confided his plan to leave the ship on a raft shortly before the mutiny. He did not mention it when he came back to England, simply because it was dangerous to have even discussed desertion.
Cole certainly understood Christian well. During the mutiny he and Purcell urged Christian to stop what he was doing, and when Christian reminded them of how ill he had been treated by Bligh, Cole said: "I know it very well, Mr. Christian. We all know it, but drop it for God's sake!"
It was Cole who demanded that the loyalists be given the Bounty's launch rather than one of the two other boats which were not seaworthy. It was also he who demanded and – when Quintal refused – insisted, that they be given a compass.
At the subsequent court-martial Cole confirmed Heywood's innocence, although in vain. He also spoke up for Morrison, also in vain. However, his testimony may have contributed to the pardon Heywood and Morrison were granted after being found guilty.
Cole died at the Royal Navy Hospital in 1833 after a long retirement.
Boatswain on board the Bounty.
A loyalist.
Bligh had been furious with Cole in Tahiti when it was discovered that a set of new sails had been allowed to mildew and rot. On January 17, 1789, he wrote in his log:
"This morning, the sail room being cleared to take the sales to short to air. The new fore topsail and fore sail, main top mt stay sale and main stay sail were found very much mildewed and rotten in many places. If I had any officers to supercede the Master John Fryer and Boatswain William Cole, or was capable of doing without them, considering them as commen sea men, they should no longer occupy their respective stations."
Cole was one of the men on board in whom Christian had confided his plan to leave the ship on a raft shortly before the mutiny. He did not mention it when he came back to England, simply because it was dangerous to have even discussed desertion.
Cole certainly understood Christian well. During the mutiny he and Purcell urged Christian to stop what he was doing, and when Christian reminded them of how ill he had been treated by Bligh, Cole said: "I know it very well, Mr. Christian. We all know it, but drop it for God's sake!"
It was Cole who demanded that the loyalists be given the Bounty's launch rather than one of the two other boats which were not seaworthy. It was also he who demanded and – when Quintal refused – insisted, that they be given a compass.
At the subsequent court-martial Cole confirmed Heywood's innocence, although in vain. He also spoke up for Morrison, also in vain. However, his testimony may have contributed to the pardon Heywood and Morrison were granted after being found guilty.
Cole died at the Royal Navy Hospital in 1833 after a long retirement.
