John England joined Discovery on 8 April, 1776, at Deptford as Quarter gunner. He was an able seaman (AB) from 31 December, 1776.
Like many men in Resolution and Discovery during Cook’s Third Voyage, John England was not mentioned in the journals. After the voyage, England became a gunner, and The National Archives, Kew, has at least two records of his appointments in the early 1780s.1
John England was gunner in HMS Providence under Captain William Bligh during Bligh’s second breadfruit voyage to the Pacific from 1791 to 1793. England is mentioned early in the voyage at the Cape Verde Islands:
Mr. Portlock was warned by Mr. England, gunner of the Providence, who had served here in the sloop Fairy, that “a prodigious sea sets into the bay two months in the year. It is called the Rollers, and it is absolutely necessary for ships to put to sea or they may founder at their anchors. The Fairy once only just escaped them. She was then protecting Mr. Braithwaite and his companions who were recovering with a diving machine the treasure of the E.I.C. ship Hartwell which had run ashore at Bonavista”.
Providence had a companion vessel, HMS Assistant, commanded by Nathaniel Portlock (another of Cook’s men). A midshipman in Assistant was Thomas England, possibly a relation of John England. Thomas rose to be a commander before dying in 1818.
A memorandum of Sir Joseph Banks from about 1791 refers to John England.
John England, gunner of the Providence. Gunner of the Fairy 8 years. Seaman in the discovery in her Cook voyage. Now gunner of the Jason in ordinary at Deptford. Wishes [indecipherable] service in a Third Rate. was in the Crocodile with Capt King & promoted by him.2
John England appears on the record again in 1803, when he was retiring from active service.
John England; Rank: Gunner; Born: [Not Given]; Age on entry: [Not Given]; Dates served: 11 April 1782-3 November 18023.
By 1810, John England was listed as a superannuated gunner of third rates (entering the list on 9 July 1803).
John England was baptised on 4 February, 1759, in Hibaldstow, Lincolnshire, the son of Martin and Jane England. He died in 1819, and was buried in his home village of Hibaldstow on 23 March, 1819.
John Robson
References
- In 1782, reference ADM 6/22/460. In 1783, reference ADM 6/23/28. Both held at The National Archives (TNA), Kew.
- Memorandum concerning John England, ca May 1791 (Series 53.06) - No. 0001. Online at https://transcripts.sl.nsw.gov.au/page/memorandum-concerning-john-england-ca-may-1791-series-5306-no-0001
- Reference ADM 29/1/115. Held at TNA.
Originally published in Cook's Log, page 3, volume 49, number 2 (2026).