Richard Pickersgill (18 April 1749 – July 1779) was an English naval officer who accompanied the sailor and explorer James Cook on two of his Pacific voyages.
Two years later, on 26 August 1768, Pickersgill belonged as a Master's mate on HMS Endeavour, which set off with James Cook to its first South Sea voyage.
On this trip he also impressed Cook, who had a high opinion of his skills as a surveyor, his dealings with the indigenous peoples they encountered, and his judgment.
He did not accompany Cook on his third voyage, but in April 1776 took command of the ship Lyon and was sent to Baffin Bay on the east coast of Canada.
[4][5] Richard Pickersgill died in 1779 at the age of 30, when he accidentally fell into the Thames River when boarding a ship and drowned.