Page "Rum Rebellion" Paragraph 21

Johnston appointed Charles Grimes, the Surveyor-General, as Judge-Advocate and ordered Macarthur and the six officers be tried ; they were found not guilty.

Macarthur was then appointed as Colonial Secretary and effectively ran the business affairs of the colony.

Another prominent opponent of Bligh, Macarthur's ally Thomas Jamison, was made the colony's Naval Officer ( the equivalent of Collector of Customs and Excise ).

Jamison was also reinstated as a magistrate, which enabled him and his fellow legal officers to scrutinise Bligh's personal papers for evidence of wrongdoing by the deposed governor.

In June 1809 Jamison sailed to London to bolster his business interests and give evidence against Bligh in any legal prosecutions that might be brought against the mutineers.

Jamison died in London at the beginning of 1811, however, so he did not have an opportunity to testify at Johnston's court martial, which was not conducted until June of that year ( see below ).