Bligh was born in 1780, the only son of Richard Rodney Bligh, who was later to become an Admiral, and his first wife Ann Worsley. The younger Bligh followed his father into the navy, joining his father's ship as a midshipman in 1794. Shortly after this a French squadron captured Alexander in an action on 6 November 1794. Bligh became a prisoner of war at Brest, spending six months there until he was able to escape and return to England. He went on to serve aboard a number of ships, including,,, and. He was promoted to lieutenant while serving aboard Endymion in 1801. He returned to serving aboard the Brunswick after this, before being transferred aboard Nelson's flagship HMS Victory in 1804.
Trafalgar
Bligh was present at Trafalgar as commander of Victorys forecastle, where he was wounded in the head and hit by a musket ball in the breast, becoming one of the high proportion of officers to be killed or wounded in the battle. Victorys signal Lieutenant John Pasco was also wounded in the battle, while Lieutenant William Ram was killed. Bligh was carried below to be seen by the surgeonWilliam Beatty. He was in the cockpit during the last hours of the mortally wounded Nelson's life, and was depicted in Arthur William Devis's painting The Death of Nelson, 21 October 1805. Bligh is depicted apparently dazed from a head wound, and with his left hand over the wound in his side. Bligh survived the battle and recovered in time to be present at Nelson's funeral. He was in a mourning coach on the morning of8 January, along with Captain Henry William Bayntun, who had commanded at Trafalgar, and Captain Thomas Hardy, of the Victory, as well as fellow Victory lieutenant Andrew King. Bligh was promoted to commander on 25 January 1806, in the rewards bestowed to those who had fought at Trafalgar. He was appointed to command the sloop and despatched to escort a convoy from Falmouth to the Mediterranean.
Command
Bligh remained in command of the Pylades for the next three years, distinguishing his time aboard her with the capture of the French privateerGrand Napoleon on 2 May 1808. A few days earlier, on 26 April, Bligh had also captured the French tartaneSt Honoré, which had been carrying 700 musket barrels and locks. Bligh was promoted to post-captain on 27 December 1808 and by early 1809 he was aboard, escorting a convoy back to England from Malta. He was then appointed to the 18-gun sloop, which was part of the British squadron protecting their base on the island of Lissa. When three suspicious sails were sighted early in the morning of 28 November, the British squadron put to sea, leaving Bligh, in Acorn, in charge of the station while the rest of the squadron fought an action the next day that resulted in a British victory. Bligh was appointed to the frigate in 1814, and sailed her to serve on the Jamaica station. He returned to Britain in July 1816, where Araxes was paid off and Bligh went ashore. He does not appear to have been actively employed again at sea.
