History is riddled with myths and mistakes of fact that often invade the true historical record for many years, until they are noticed, challenged and refuted. Invariably, these myths usually have some vague link or 'grain of truth' that has been 'stretched' or 'assumed' to associate with the true record.

By way of example is the most notorious myth of Columbus' 'discovery' of America.

This now recognized 'mistake' was taught hand in hand with the popular children's rhyme: "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Of course, Columbus did indeed sail the Atlantic Ocean that year, but you cannot 'discover' a place that is already inhabited. You can survey lands, chart seaways and create maps for one's own education and economic pursuits-but you cannot legitimately claim "discovery".

There is one current Bermuda myth which mysteriously surfaced a few years ago, and which has been increasing in circulation on local websites, blogs and brochures promoting the Island's history.

If this myth were to be put to rhyme, it would go something like this: "In 1872, Captain Moresby started Cup Match too!" I use the word "too" because there has been no doubt that Moresby's most visible claim to fame in Bermuda has survived since 1881 in the form of "Moresby's Plain" at the entrance to the Royal Naval Dockyard.

Over a century later, however, in addition to this accomplishment, Captain Moresby is suddenly being credited with organizing and starting a sporting match between descendants of slaves in Bermuda-the forerunner of our most significant cultural event-the two-day Cup Match holiday.

The Myth

I first encountered mention of Moresby's alleged connection to the first cricket game played by blacks during emancipation celebrations in the August/September 2007 issue of the local RG Magazine.

After announcing that the sport of cricket was first played in Bermuda in the 1840s "by officers and men of the British garrison", the writer continued in the second sentence: "In 1872, the Royal Navy's Captain J. Moresby introduced it at a carnival in Somerset '40 years since the unjust thralldom of slavery.'"

Not having heard this before, I was intrigued.

I did not know about the event in 1872, so (without the benefit of the writer's citation) I decided to search for documentation of this specific event in the emancipation celebrations of August 1872, in the hopes that it had been found of sufficient interest to warrant recording.

The microfilmed issue of the Bermuda Royal Gazette of August 13th, 1872, yielded a successful find!

With barely concealed excitement, I read a very detailed, spirited account of what appeared to be the first cricket match-described as a "maiden event"-between the "Alexandrina Lodge No. 1026 of Hamilton" and the "Victoria and Albert Lodge No. 1027 of Somerset."

The match was played on Thursday, 8th August 1872 at the "Naval Cricket Ground" located in Somerset, and was distinctly mentioned as a "most interesting and notable feature in the customary August rejoicings."

The article itself is dated 10th August 1872, and although the author is not identified, it reads like an eye-witness account.

There was one problem, however. No mention was made of Captain Moresby who was said by the RG writer to have "introduced" the game at this event.

This, in itself, posed no real cause for concern, as modesty may have precluded the good Captain from taking center stage.

In digging a little further, however, I could only muffle my shock when I discovered that it was not modesty that had omitted Moresby from the record-Moresby could not have organized or "introduced" the maiden cricket match in 1872 between the two black lodges for one basic reason: he was not here!

The Myth Continues

Over the course of months, while I was grappling in my spare time with this inexplicable anomaly, the myth of Moresby and the 1872 match continued to spread like wildfire.

It appeared on the Bermuda Tourism website, the "Limey in Bermuda" blog, and the Style Bermuda website.

The blog "Wikispaces" heralded Moresby's "unique legacy" as the "inventor" of Cup Match and provided several links to local web pages which continue to perpetuate this story.

And as a final seal of approval to this now accepted 'fact of history' the Mid-Ocean News' feature column "Heritage Matters" included "Bermuda Heritage Byte No. 19" in its October 17, 2008 issue, which read: "Did You Know … that Capt. J. Moresby of the Royal Navy began Cup Match in 1872 in commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery on 1 August 1834?"

Meanwhile, the Bermuda Almanacs of the day were clear that Moresby was not the Captain of the Royal Naval Dockyard in 1872…or 1874…or 1876.

Moresby in Bermuda

According to public record, Captain John Moresby R.N., arrived in Bermuda on 1st April, 1878 on board the Mail Steamer Canima from New York, and succeeded Captain Somerset as Superintendant of the Naval Establishment at the Dockyard.

His appointment as Justice of the Peace by the Governor of the day in November that same year was (as an interesting aside) featured on the same page of The Royal Gazette that reported on the verdict of "Wilful Murder"[sic] against Edward James Skeeters following his trial of the murder of his wife, Anna.

According to the report Moresby had, on request, "very kindly sent a vessel and diver to the spot" where Anna Skeeters' body was suspected to have been clandestinely submerged-the diver unfortunately confirming the gruesome finding.

During his three-year assignment in Bermuda, Captain Moresby initiated and completed many projects of benefit to the community-his final feat being the transformation of "about six acres" of "an agglomeration of great mounds of rubbish, deep hollows, boulders, and loose shingle" into "a space as level and firm as a billiard table."

The "New Parade and Cricket Ground" on Ireland Island North – "Moresby's Plain" – was formally opened in March 1881, just weeks before his departure.

A highly respected Captain Moresby was succeeded on 1st April, 1881 by Captain Thomas Barnardiston, R.N., and left Bermuda's shores on 15th April, 1881 on board the Mail Steamer Flamborough.

Origin of the Myth

Some months ago, I finally found what I believe is the source of the myth of Moresby's rendezvous with our emancipation commemorations of 1872. In the late 1970's a new book arrived on the local scene entitled "The Andrew and the Onions: The Story of the Royal Navy in Bermuda 1795-1975."

On page 83, author Lieutenant-Commander Ian Stranack writes: "In August, 1872, Captain Moresby-later to be appointed as the Captain-in-Charge-who was a very keen cricket player, introduced the game at a Carnival held in Somerset to celebrate '40 years since the unjust thralldom of slavery.'

From this beginning, cricket became the major sport in Bermuda, with the Somerset Cricket Club remaining the undisputed champions for many a year. Unfortunately, they have recently found it more difficult to wrest the 'crown' from their rivals at St. George. The August 'Cup Match' holiday is one of the most popular events in the Bermuda calendar." [Emphasis from the original]

The Maritime Museum Press printed a second edition of this work in 1990, with the exact same account. Stranack gives no specific sources for his claim that Moresby "introduced the game" in 1872 and quite readily states that this was before he was appointed Captain of the Dockyard. This raises the assertion (and the possibility) that Moresby had been in Bermuda in 1872, before arriving to take up his official post in 1881. But can this be substantiated? Where was Moresby in 1872?

Moresby's own account

Completely oblivious to the accolades which would become attached to his name, Moresby, thankfully, left us two detailed records as to his whereabouts in 1872.

And they reveal that, without a doubt, he was nowhere near the shores of Bermuda.

In New Guinea and Polynesia (1876; republished in 2005) and later in 'Two Admirals: Sir Fairfax Moresby & John Moresby: A Record of a Hundred Years (1909; 1913)' John Moresby clears his own name of this Bermuda myth.

According to 'Two Admirals', on February 13th, 1871 Moresby had set sail from Plymouth, England as commander of HMS Basilisk for service on the Australian Station-anchoring in Melbourne Harbour on June 4th before moving on to Sydney.

The next six months were spent on assignment in New Zealand. After returning to Sydney, Moresby then proceeded, under orders, on a three-month cruise to Cape York and the Torres Straits.

'Two Admirals' documents that he left Sydney in January 1872. (Although this conflicts with the New Guinea account which says 1871, we know the latter is an error because he shortly thereafter gives account of the discovery and rescue of survivors of the shipwrecked brig Maria, which by all newspaper accounts of the day, occurred in 1872.) HMS Basilisk returned to Sydney on April 6th 1872.

Continuing with Moresby's own detailed diary in New Guinea, "in May 1872, H.M.S. Basilisk sailed under orders to visit many groups of the South Sea Islands and check [the] kidnapping" of natives, who were being tricked into a system of enforced labour or enslavement.

A new "Kidnapping Act of 1872" had been passed and was soon coming into force. Leaving Sydney on 14th May, 1872 Moresby passed by Lord Howe's Island and reached Norfolk Island on May 26th-while Bermudian's were celebrating Queen Victoria's Birthday.

During the month of June, he passed through Keppel, Niua, Wallis and Fotuna Islands-interviewing the natives and assessing the experiences and effects of kidnapping as he went.

During the month of July, Moresby visited Rotumah and then cruised through what he called the "Ellice" or "Mitchell's" group of islets to "Cherry Island" before reaching the Santa Cruz Group on July 31st.

On August 1st-while black Bermudian's were celebrating Emancipation Day-Moresby passed the island of Nukupu on his way to Santa Cruz Island (Ndeni).

He anchored at Santa Cruz Island on August 2nd where he remained for three days. On August 5th, he reached "Mount Edgecombe" or "Tapoua Island" (also called Utupua) where he described the natives as "woolly-headed and black…quiet and friendly, but a degraded, wretched-looking race."

He was just completing his survey of this island on 8th August, 1872-while Alexandrina and Victoria & Albert Lodge teams were animatedly engaged in their maiden cricket match at the Royal Naval Field in Somerset, Bermuda.

On 9th August, Moresby anchored at "Vanikoro Island"…and so he continued on-the following year he would be in Papua New Guinea and would write and lecture extensively on his explorations of that country before his arrival in Bermuda.

So well known were Moresby's explorations of the South Pacific and Papua New Guinea that on his eventual departure from Bermuda, The Royal Gazette had this to report:

"Captain Moresby has…also given another proof of his desire to enlighten the inhabitants by presenting to the Bermuda Museum some interesting specimens of war, working and fishing apparatus, as well as of the dress of the inhabitants of Papua or New Guinea.

"A special and new interest in Captain Moresby's able and valuable work on New Guinea will be one result of the kind present. The following is a list of the articles presented:-

Stone Axe, Stone Tomahawk,

Wooden Shark Hook,

Wooden Fish Hook, slightly broken,

Bone Tusk Fish Hook,

Dudongo Tooth, Ear Ornament,

Breast Ornament, Seed Necklace"

(Last four items cited as "Women's dress")

These artifacts, along with the accounts in his diaries, are the evidence of his presence in the South Pacific during the early to mid 1870s-not in Bermuda, as claimed.

Worlds apart … in completely different oceans – while Moresby worked on eliminating the enslavement of black Melanesians in 1872, simultaneously surveying and claiming 'discovery' of their lands for England-black Bermudians were celebrating their emancipation from slavery in a new form: by incorporating the popular English sport of cricket into their commemorations.

However this may have developed, the myth is now over, folks – Captain Moresby did not start Cup Match in 1872.

LeYoni Junos is Bermuda's own "History Detective" and founder of Bermuda Genealogy and Historical Research Services (BGHRS). She welcomes comment and/or queries on her research and may be reached at researcher@bghrs.com or on 599-1834.