Commissioners Picture Gallery

Onchan claims connections with the Mutiny on the Bounty particularly through Captain Bligh who as a young 26 year old Lieutenant married Elizabeth Betham in Onchan Parish Church.

This was not the present church of St Peter's but the previous church which stood in the centre of the oldest part of the churchyard.

Elizabeth lived with her parents at The Hague which lies just off Summerhill Road.

Peter Heywood the young midship who accidentally ended up as a mutineer had uncles who lived at Glencrutchery and Bemahague in Onchan and lie buried in St Peter's churchyard as do Bligh's parent-in-law.

The leader of the mutineers was Fletcher Christian, who when he settled in Pitcairn became the father of Thursday October Christian, Charles Christian and Mary Christian who all had the colouring and features of their Tahitian mother.

There are many descendants of the Christian family including Tom Christian who came to the island for Tynwald Week in 2002.

Learning of his pending visit the commissioners invited Tom and his daughter Sheri to visit Onchan. They were shown The Hague, the headstone of the Betham family and the Heywood vaults as well as visiting the commissioners' offices for signing the visitors' book.

The photograph shows Tom Christian MBE signing the visitors book in the boardroom at the Commissioners' offices, watched by his daughter Sheri and board chairman Terry Black JP. Back row (left to right) Mark Williams (Deputy Clerk), Keith Watterson , Gordon Astill, Edward Smith (Clerk), David Quirk, Ellis Killey and Peter Kelly (Administrator).

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