Who could Harry be?

Whatever the actual events during the night of the wrecking then, it should be assumed that Harry is one of the 31 names on the list of the Pandora's dead.

However, this list can be pared down a little further. There are two men on the list of the 31 Pandoras who died in the wreck whose skeletal remains are less likely to be found in the wreck. Master-at-Arms John Grimwood and Corporal William Rodrick-both are reported to have jumped off the "box" into the water moments before the vessel sank (Rutter, 1935:127). After they drowned, their bodies would most likely have floated away. Grimwood's and Rodrick's names can therefore confidently be eliminated from the list, thereby lowering the number to 29 possibilities.

With more archival research, it should be possible to lower this number even further; in light of the fact that anatomical analysis of Harry's bones and teeth has determined that when he died he was between 28 and 32 years old. This eliminates the teenagers and the men in their early twenties at the time of the voyage.

Archival research has yet to be completed to determine the ages of all of the Pandoras at the time they were mustered. This research is not as straight forward as it might appear at first glance, as the Pandora's muster book unfortunately does not contain these details-i.e. the relevant columns "Whence and whether prest", "Place & county where born" and "Age at time of entry in this ship" were not filled in by the Pandora's clerk (The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO) ADM 36/11136).

In some cases, however, there are entries documenting that some of the Pandoras in question were transferred from other ships. In the other cases, a note is made about whether the men were pressed into service or whether they volunteered (TNA: PRO ADM 36/11136).

To date, this research has been a slow process, because access to primary source material in the UK has been difficult. In summary, all that has been found so far is that the ships the men were transferred from were either "holding ships" (e.g. HMS Sandwich and HMS Royal William) for pressed men as well as for "volunteers", or "impressment" vessels-i.e. vessels that were actually engaged on impressment voyage (e.g. HMS Champion and HMS Richard).

Unfortunately, the relevant musters of these voyages also do not always contain information about age and origins of the crew. However, in some cases, it is possible to determine where-and by which press gangs and impressment vessels-some of the men were recruited.

For instance, George Eglington (22), Robert Fea (21), Richard Mackie (24), William Cray (26) and James Miller (21) were all recruited-as "volunteers"-at Orkney (Shetland Is.) by HMS David in August 1790 (TNA: PRO ADM 36/11085). Fortunately, the David's muster book does give the ages of the men, so at least four of the aforementioned five cannot be Harry. William Cray should perhaps not be ruled out entirely, as his age is close to the minimum determined age for Harry! This brings the list of possibilities for Harry down to 25 names.

Unfortunately, however, an age was not given for William Dedworth, who was pressed with Robert Milton from the "Greenland ship" (whaler) The Fountain by HMS Champion in August 1790. HMS Champion also pressed William Carter and Robert Brown, both taken from the crews of other Greenland ships off the east coast, at Burlington Bay (TNA: PRO ADM 36/10776). Nor was an age given for Samuel Hammond, who "volunteered" in Whitby in September 1790 and was delivered to HMS Sandwich by HMS Richard; a vessel employed in the "impressment service" and commanded by Lt Robert Corner* (later assigned to the Pandora as the second lieutenant!) (TNA: PRO ADM36/11092). Alexander Arbuthnott and William Skelton (both from Yarmouth) were also pressed by HMS Richard. Unfortunately their ages were not recorded.

* Incidentally, Robert Corner was assigned to the Pandora in late August 1790 (although he did not appear onboard until October). According to the Richard's musters (TNA: PRO ADM 36/11092), it seems he may have been instrumental in arranging the transfer-from HMS Richard to the Pandora-of John Marshall, James Dodds and Jonathan Cameron (belonging to the Richard's crew) as well as of Robert Foster and John Manners (members of Corner's press gang). This suggests that these men may have followed Corner, or been recommended by him as useful men, whom he knew could effectively assist him to accomplish the capture of the wayward Bounty mutineers when the Pandora caught up with them!