Teio, also known as Te'o, Mary, and Sore Mummy, (died March 14, 1829) was a Tahitian woman who settled on

Pitcairn Island Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands, in the southern Pacific Ocean, of which many inhabitants are descendants of mutineers of HMS ''Bounty''. Geography The island is of volcanic origin, with a rugged cliff ...

with the ''Bounty'' mutineers. Alongside Mauatua and Teraura, she is one of the island's six original matriarchs. The Tahitian-born Teio's first connection to the ''Bounty'' crew was as the consort of Thomas McIntosh, who brought her to

Tubuai Tupuai ( ) is the main island of the Austral Island group, located south of Tahiti. In addition to Tubuai, the group of islands include Rimatara, Rurutu, Raivavae, Rapa and the uninhabited Îles Maria. They are part of the Austral Islands ...

. McIntosh was a loyalist and did not join the mutineers, remaining in Tahiti. However, Teio sailed with the mutineers to Pitcairn in 1789, although it is unknown whether she went willingly or was brought by force. She brought her daughter with a previous Tahitian partner, a 10-month-old known as Sully, Sarah, or Susannah by the mutineers, to the island, becoming the only woman in the party to arrive with a child. On Pitcairn, Teio partnered with William McCoy, with whom she had two children: Daniel, born in 1792, and Kate or Catherine, born in 1799. McCoy died by suicide in 1798, shortly before their daughter's birth. Teio remained on the island, and a little over a decade later she began a relationship with

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

, whose consort Vahineatua had died. Teio and Adams, who were formally married by the visiting

Frederick William Beechey Rear-Admiral Frederick William Beechey (17 February 1796 – 29 November 1856) was an English naval officer, artist, explorer, hydrographer and writer. Life and career He was the son of two painters, Sir William Beechey, RA and his sec ...

in 1825, had one son, George Adams, in 1804. Teio grew blind later in life, and she died in 1829, less than two weeks after her husband. Hers is one of very few marked graves on the island from this period. Teio's descendants contributed significantly to the population of Pitcairn: Sarah had eight children with Charles Christian, including Charles Christian II and

Fletcher Christian II Fletcher Christian II (1812 – 5 April 1852) served as magistrate of the British Overseas Territory of Pitcairn Island in 1842. Christian was the grandson of Fletcher Christian Fletcher Christian (25 September 1764 – 20 September 1793) was ...

; Daniel had nine children with Sarah Quintal, including Matthew McCoy; Catherine had nine children with

Arthur Quintal I Arthur Quintal (6 May 1795 – 19 November 1873) was a Pitcairn Islander who served as the island's second magistrate from 1840 to 1841. Quintal was the son of Matthew Quintal, the bounty mutineer, and his wife Tevarua. The elder Quintal was kil ...

, including

Arthur Quintal II Arthur Quintal, Jr. (c. 1816 – 20 August 1902) served as Magistrate of the Overseas British Territory of Pitcairn Island on three occasions between 1845 and 1854, he served as Magistrate of Norfolk Island twice between 1862 and 1885. Quintal was ...

; and George had three children with Polly Young.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teio 18th-century births 1829 deaths Year of birth unknown Tahitian women Pitcairn Islands people of Polynesian descent

See also

References