Peter Heywood (June 6, 1772 - February 10, 1831) was a British naval officer and hydrographer active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, England. Heywood is best remembered for his association with William Bligh, the highly capable but notorious captain of the mutinous H.M.S. Bounty. At the beginning of the Bounty's fateful voyage, Bligh recognized Heywood, then just 15 and a family friend, along with Fletcher Christian, as smart and capable sailors, of which he wrote, 'These two had been objects of my particular regard and attention, and I had taken great pains to instruct them.' It is thus likely that Heywood was taught hydrography and marine surveying directly under Bligh. He was nonetheless among those who mutinied against Bligh on April 28, 1789 - Bligh's testimony even named him an instigator. He was captured in Tahiti, tried as a mutineer, condemned to death, and, in a remarkable twist of fate, pardoned, after which he returned to a long and privileged naval career. Historian Caroline Alexander suggests that Heywood suffered a sense of guilt over his pardon, knowing that he had 'perjured himself' in saying that he was kept below and therefore prevented from joining Bligh. He nonetheless remained in the Royal Navy for the next 29 years, putting Bligh's hydrographic training to good use in Ceylon (1803), India, Macao (1804), Morocco, South America, Sumatra, and northwestern Australia. His work received high praise from James Horsburgh, Hydrographer to the East India Company, who wrote that Heywood 'essentially contributed to making my Sailing Directory for the Indian navigation much more perfect than it would otherwise have been.' Heywood retired from Navy life in 1816, settling near Highgate, London. In retirement, he compiled a Tahitian language dictionary, compiled his papers, and corresponded widely with the luminaries of his generations, including Francis Beaufort and Charles Lamb. More by this mapmaker...

Richard Holmes Laurie (December 2, 1777 - January 19, 1858) was a British map and chart publisher and seller. Born in London to publisher Robert Laurie and his wife Esther Jouret, R. H. Laurie took over his father's share of the Laurie and Whittle publishing firm upon his father's retirement in 1812 and began trading as Whittle and Laurie. After Whittle died in 1818, Laurie continued the business by himself, trading under the imprint R. H. Laurie. During the 1820s and 1830s, Laurie expanded the nautical chart business until he was overtaken by Admiralty charts. Laurie married Susan Ann Coates on February 6, 1814 and later married Mary Ann Dennison on October 15, 1833. He left his business and all his property in trust for his two surviving daughters (both of whom were minors) with his principal engraver, Alexander George Findlay. Findlay continued the business in Laurie's name after acquiring its equity from his daughters. Learn More...

Benjamin Smith (1774 - 1817) was a British engraver and publisher active from about 1799 to his death in 1817. Smith was born in London to Benjamin Smith, the elder (1754 - 1833), also an engraver. He apprenticed as an engraver and stationer under Joseph Ellis. In 1799, he partnered with Edward Jones, publishing as alternatively 'Jones and Smith' or 'Smith and Jones.' Around 1801, a third partner, Joseph Bye, was added, and the imprint changed to 'Jones, Smith and Bye' or 'Jones Smith and Company.' Around 1804, the partnership dissolved as Smith and Bye were on their way to Portugal for business when their ship was seized by French privateers, and they were imprisoned in France for the next four years. Gaining their freedom in 1814, Smith and Bye jointly moved to Edinburgh where they took work as engravers for the William and Daniel Lizars firm. Meanwhile, they developed aliases as James Johnson and George Williams, under which they began issuing forged Margate Bank notes. They were arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death at Dover on November 3, 1817. Learn More...