Munkhouse, William Brougham (? - 1770)

Cook believed that it was in large measure due to Munkhouse's care and vigilance that there were few and only mild cases of scurvy during the voyage to Tahiti (see Cook's journal entry for 13 April 1769). However, there is a hint in one journal entry by Cook that suggests he may have come to think Munkhouse less medically skilled than his assistant, William Perry (see Cook's entry for 7 November 1770).

Munkhouse took an active interest in the scientific work of the voyage, and kept a journal of which some 24 pages, describing encounters with Maori, survive in the form of a transcript. This transcript is now in the British Library within Add. Ms 27889, folios 83-96, and was included by Beaglehole in his edition of Cook's journal (1955: 564-587).

Munkhouse died of dysentery on 5 November 1770, while the Endeavour was undergoing repairs at Batavia.

In 1995, the National Library of Australia acquired a pastel portrait of Munkhouse (see gallery to this Companion entry).