Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 05.djvu/228

 the colony; and in this as well as in other respects he received the loyal support of Lord Castlereagh; but on 26 Jan. 1808 Governor Bligh was forcibly deposed by Major George Johnston of the 102nd foot, an was inprisoned until March 1810 (cf., New South Wales, and , Curious Facts of Old Colonial Days). For this act Major Johnston was tried at Chelsea Hospital in 1811, and was cashiered. Bligh on his release returned to England, and in the following year, on 31 July 1811, obtained his flag as rear-admiral of the blue, proceeding to vice-admiral of the blue in June 1814. He resided, towards the close of his life, at the Manor House, Farningham, Kent, and died in Bond Street, London, on 7 Dec. 1817 (Gent. Mag. lxxxvii. 630). He was buried in the eastern part of Lambeth churchyard, near the Tradescant tomb, by the side of his wife. She was a woman of superior attainments, whose father was a scholar, and the friend of Hume, Black, Adam Smith, and Robertson. Bligh left six daughters and three sons, one of whom, Richard [q. v.], was the author of several legal works.

 BLIGHT, WILLIAM (1785–1862), captain in the royal navy, was entered 9 May 1793, as a volunteer on board the Intrepid, 64 guns, under the command of Captain the Hon. Charles Carpenter. In that ship he continued as midshipman, masters mate, and acting lieutenant, most of the time in the East and West Indies, until confirmed as lieutenant, 15 April 1803, and appointed to the Britannia of 100 guns, with Captain, and afterwards Rear-admiral, the Earl of Northesk. In the Britannia he had his share in the glory of Trafalgar, and was sent to take possession of the French Aigle of 74 guns, which was lost in the gale immediately after the battle. Blight, however, was fortunately rescued in time, and in the spring of 1806 followed Lord Northesk into the Dreadnought. In August 1806 he was appointed to the Néréide, 36 guns, with Captain Corbet, and served in the attack on Buenos Ayres July 1807. The Néréide afterwards went to the East Indies, and in February 1809, when Captain Corbet was tried for cruelty [see ], Blight, then first lieutenant, was the principal witness in defence. He was afterwards, 1812-14, agent for transports at Palermo ; in 1819-21 first lieutenant of the Queen Charlotte, flagship at Portsmouth; and 12 Feb. 1821 was promoted to the rank of commander. In May 1828 he was appointed to the Britannia, carrying the flag of Lord Northesk as commander-in-chief at Plymouth, from which he was transferred to the St. Vincent, and was posted from her on 22 July 1830. He held no further appointment in the navy, and retired with the rank of rear-admiral 27 Sept. 1855. He died 22 July 1862.

 BLISS, NATHANIEL (1700–1764), astronomer-royal, was born 28 Nov. 1700. He was the son of Nathaniel Bliss, gentleman, of Bisley, Gloucestershire. He graduated at Pembroke College, Oxford, B.A. 27 June 1720, and M.A. 2 May 1723. He became rector of St. Ebbe's, Oxford, in 1736. He succeeded Halley as Savllian professor of geometry 18 Feb. 1742, and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society 20 May following, He opened in the same year an astronomical correspondence with Bradley, communicating to him, 15 Dec. 1742, his observations of Jupiter’s satellites. Subsequently he aided him at the Royal Observatory on some special occasions, and, thus virtually designated as his successor, was, on his death in 1762, promoted to the post of astronomer-royal. He held it, however, only two years, dying 2 Sept.. 1764.

The observations made under his supervision by Charles Green (his, and formerly Bradley's assistant), being regarded as private property, were purchased from his widow by the board of longitude, and deposited at the Royal Observatory until 1 March 1804, when they were offered to the delegates of the Clarendon Press for publication. They were accordingly appended, with those made by Green after Bliss’s death down to 15 March 1765, to the second folio volume of Bradley’s observations, issued, under Professor Abram Robertson’s editorship, in 1805. Although including only what was indispensable in order to deduce the places of the sun, moon, and planets at the most important points of their orbits (see, Hist. de l’Astr. au 18e Siècle, p. 425), they are of value as being made on Bradley's system, and with Bradley’s instruments; yet they have never been reduced.

Bliss was a frequent guest and scientidc co-adjutor of George, earl of Macclesfield. On 12 Feb. 1744-5, Bliss wrote requesting him to attempt a meridian observation of the brilliant comet then approaching the sun, which was successfully accomplished near noon, 28 and 29 Feb., both at Shirburn Castle and 