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Rear Admiral Francis Godolphin Bond may have lived in Starcross at anytime between his retirement from the navy in 1802, and his death in 1839, aged 74.
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I wonder if anyone in the Starcross History Group has done any work on Francis Godolphin Bond, 1765-1839? (Rear Admiral when he died in Exeter.) Bond sailed with Capt Bligh on the second voyage to collect Breadfruit from Tahiti (Bligh’s first trip was in the ‘Bounty’) and he donated some wonderful Tahitian objects to the Devon and Exeter Institution which are now in the RAMM collection in Exeter.
I understand that he spent some time in Starcross after he retired from the navy in 1802.
I’d be most grateful if you can direct me to any information you might have about this. I am researching Bond for the RAMM as part of a project researching their Pacific Collections.
Many thanks
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The Tahitan mourning costume donated to the Royal Albert memorial Museum by Rear Admiral Francis Godolphin Bond
Francis Godolphin Bond was born in Plymouth. He was just 11 years old when he joined the Royal Navy and was only 13 when he was badly injured in a battle. His most significant role came in 1791 when he served with the infamous Captain Bligh - who was his uncle. |
Bond served as First Lieutenant on the Providence, which took breadfruit plants to the Caribbean to be cultivated for food for slaves. Bond enjoyed a better relationship with his captain than the mutinous Fletcher Christian did aboard the Bounty in 1789.
In 1797 Bond was promoted to Captain. A few years later he retired from active service after his marriage, settling in Exeter on half pay. In 1839, shortly after reaching the rank of Rear admiral, he died.
Bond was a founder member of the Devon & Exeter Institution and donated some of the wonderful treasures he gathered during his naval career to their collection. The most spectacular is the costume of a chief mourner worn during the funeral of a nobleman, given to Bond in Tahiti in 1791. This extremely rare piece was later added to RAMM's collections.
In May 1816, F.G.Bond wrote a letter to Lord Viscount Melville at the Admiralty. In that letter Bond gave his address as Starcross. But it is not known if he was residing there or visiting.
ReplyDeleteF.G.Bond married at Cleve, Devon in 1801, the family initially lived at Teignmouth as their first 4 children were baptised there between 1803-1808. But then they crossed the river, as between 1811-1817 their next 4 children were baptised at Kenton. I wonder if they lived in Starcross, which lay within the parish of Kenton?
ReplyDeleteThankyou for this information. I will forward it to the researcher at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum
ReplyDeleteThe researcher is very grateful for your information, and is now at the writing-up stage. She sends this message:
ReplyDelete"Thank you for these contributions; I have seen the records you mention, Cliff and also noted that Bond gave his address as Starcross when listed amongst the Proprietors of the Devon and Exeter Institution in 1813. It may be possible that the family lived in Starcross but, as registers for the Starcross parish only commenced in 1828, this may explain why the children were registered under Teignmouth parish. Bond moved to the recently completed 4 Colleton Crescent in Exeter in 1818 or 1819. Thanks for your thoughts..."