William Peckover

William Peckover was a gunner in the Royal Navy and served on several vessels most notably commanded by James Cook and William Bligh. He was born 17 June 1748, son of Daniel Peckover and Mary Avies in Aynho in the Cherwell Valley, Northamptonshire. Early navy career Peckover joined Captain Cook's Endeavour expedition aged 21, on 25 July 1768 as an Able-bodied seaman. On the return to Britain, he petitioned Joseph Banks requesting to gain him a berth as a midshipman on Cook's next voyage. Peckover wrote "as you were so good to me During your last Voyage & so generous sinc your Return I am Determined to haxard my Life… I ham now Emboldend to solicit your Goodness to have me appointed Supernumery Midshipman in one of the Ships newly Commissioned for the South Seas". He was unsuccessful, but was appointed on 4 February 1772 as gunner's mate in Resolution. On Cook's third and final voyage (on the Discovery), which he joined on 16 February 1776, Peckover was appointed ships gunner. Bounty voyage By the time Peckover was a crewmember on HMAV Bounty he was one of the most experienced on the vessel. He sailed on all three of Captain James Cook's pacific expeditions, had already visited Tahiti four times and was fluent in the Polynesian language. Bounty landed at Tahiti October 1788, where Bligh had Peckover supervise trading negotiations with the islanders while breadfruit plants were collected for transportation.