Prosecuting the mutineers

At Cape Town, the 10 surviving mutineers were transferred from the Vredenburg to HMS Gorgon, a homeward-bound British warship. They arrived in England in June 1792. They were transported directly to Portsmouth to stand trial. Their trials were held that September onboard HMS Duke. The charge was mutiny. If found guilty, a mandatory death sentence would follow.

Charles Norman, William McIntosh, Michael Byrne and Joseph Coleman were found not guilty and immediately released, as William Bligh had vouched for their innocence. However, the six other prisoners (Peter Heywood, James Morrison, William Muspratt, Thomas Ellison, John Millward and Thomas Burkitt) were all found guilty as charged, and sentenced to death.

However, only Tom Ellison, John Millward and Tom Burkitt were actually executed. Upon appeal, William Muspratt was acquitted on a legal technicality. James Morrison and Peter Heywood received a Royal pardon. See Subsequent careers.

The following speech has been attributed to John Millward, before he was hanged with Ellison and Burkitt onboard HMS Brunswick in October 1792:

"You see before you 3 lusty young fellows about to suffer a shameful death for the dreadful crime of mutiny and desertion. Take warning by our example never to desert your officers and, should they behave ill to you, remember it is not their cause, it is the cause of your country that you are bound to support."

No further attempt was made to capture the remaining mutineers. No attempt was ever made to salvage the Pandora.