Pitcairn Relics

Rev. Nobbs’ Tahitian Testament Returned

11 TIDE publicity given to the return of ff the original “Bounty” Bible from USA to Pitcairn Island last year, joupled with an appeal by the Island’s leadmaster, Mr. A. W. Moverley (of the Western Pacific High Commission staff) ’or collectors of Pacificana to send back K) their home “Bounty” and early Pitcairn •elics, documents, books and letters, have lad worthwhile results.

Mr. Moverley was able to contact a lumber of people in Australia, NZ, Britain md USA, who apparently have in their >ossession items worthy of preservation in he archives of Pitcairn Island itself.

He is negotiating now, it is reported, for he return from an American collector of he “Bounty” oak tombstone originally >ver the grave of John Adams, last sur rivor of the “Bounty” crew, who died on vlarch 5, 1829—nearly 40 years after Letcher Christian and his men sought Lsylum on the lonely island after the amous “Bounty” mutiny, in 1790.

Another relic, a Tahitian Testament, iwned by Rev. George H. Nobbs, first irdained minister of Pitcairn, and in cribed “G. H. Nobbs, Chaplain, to Jack larris, December, 1856, Norfolk Island,” ms sent to Mr. Moverley early last month iy Mr. J. Downing, of Narrabeen, Sydney, t apparently had been a gift from Nobbs , short time after the ship Morayshire ransferred the whole over-crowded com aunity of 194 Pitcairners to Norfolk in aid-1856.

The Testament, which bears the imprint f the London Missionary Society, was lublished in 1844. It was a lucky “find” y Mr. Downing—in 1938, in an out-of he-way Sydney secondhand bookshop, diile he was making a purchase of the our-volumes edition of “Polynesian lesearches” by Rev. William Ellis at the argain price of £2/10/-, the bookseller asually offered him the Tahitian Testa aent for sixpence!

Another document Mr. Moverley hopes 0 acquire soon is a community letter rom the Pitcairners to the British Naval !haplain at Valparaiso (Chile), making plea for the ordination of Nobbs. The lissive has been preserved in Ulster by a escendant of the Valparaiso Chaplain.

George Hunn Nobbs, born in Ireland in 799, served in the British Navy and had colourful career in South America and Isewhere before he settled on Pitcairn 1 1828 to become the Island’s astor, schoolmaster, and surgeon. His arly days on the Island were not un arbulent, however —he was exiled for a [me to the Gambier Group (300 miles rest of Pitcairn) in the 1830’s, following ne advent of one Joshua Hill, a pompous dventurer, who claimed to have been uthorised to reside at Pitcairn Island by ae British Government. Hill eventually r as removed by the British warship tnogene and Nobbs returned to the com mnity.

In 1852, Nobbs went to England to be rdained as a priest of the Church of ngland. He died on Norfolk Island, 'here he served the Pitcairn community, i 1884.

Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Gray, who are n leave from North Borneo, were in uva, in May, to spend a month’s holi ay.

Mr. F. Stansfield, Fiji Government rinter, and Mrs. Stansfield, have left 3r the United Kingdom, where they will pend three months’ leave before proceed ig on transfer to Nyasaland.