#midshipmen behaviour

[ltwilliammowett]

Not everyone is a “gentleman”

Today we had the question of how you can entrust a 10-13 year old with a dirk. It got me thinking and I've picked out something for you that I think is quite important on the subject of the behaviour of young gentlemen.  Because this is also about rank behaviour on a ship and how some behaved on board. The behaviour of officers, especially in the 18th century, was often very harsh towards the ordinary sailors, to say the least. For as Samuel Leech has well put it- officers did not regard sailors as men with whom to share society. To them, Sailors were just a piece of a living mechanism that was there to serve them, to obey them, not to complain, and to do everything immediately according to their wishes. - This behaviour was also passed on to the midshipmen, as they too had to learn this rank behaviour as officers. If they didn't already get it from their parents, because at that time it was normal that the officers came from good, noble houses or navy or army houses and thus usually already had a superior status compared to all others.

Most of the time, the behaviour was limited and not everyone behaved like let’s call it snob towards the men, but some of them went over the top, even if their life on board was more like that of simple sailors. Baynham recorded the following case in his work, which was described by Jack Nastyface. ... We had a Midshipman on board our ship of a wickadly mischievous disposition, whose sole delight was to insult the feelings of the seamen and furnish pretexts to get them punished.... He was a youth of no more than 12 or 13 years of age; I have often seen him get on the carriage of a gun, call a man to him, and kick him about the tights and body, and with his feet would beat him about the head; and these, although prime seamen, at the same time dared not murmur. - Baynham, 1972, p. 83-84

But why didn't the men fight back with a child? Well, they had to expect that they would be flogged even for defaming a midshipman. A hopeless situation some would think, but far from it. Because the lieutenants and the captain - now and then also the schoolmaster, if there was one on board - had an educational task in addition to their training, and even if they had gone through this tough school, not everyone was a tough dog. And so they often tried to push the young gentlemen in the right direction and they were punished. Sometimes it was nothing more than window dressing to make the men feel that the boy was being punished, but most of the time the punishments were quite ridiculous.

In the case of our little sadist, he had the misfortune to get a new lieutenant of just 21 years of age who gave him a good talking to and sent him to the masthead not just once to cool down. When that didn't help, he met the gunners' daughter and was spanked more than once with a cane. Whether that helped or not is an open question, but it was certainly rewarding for the men he had yelled at.

This kind of behaviour was not unique and many men had to suffer under these conditions and little snotty and brutal officers, which often led to mutinies or at least attempts at mutiny. And finally led to the mutinies in the Nore and Spithead in 1797, which finally led to an improvement and also rethought the thinking of the officers and brought in a little peace, but did not completely end the tyranny of many a man, which he then also got to feel on the part of the crew. In short, don't mess with the lower decks, it can end badly.

As you can see, life at sea was no bed of roses and the “gentlemen” were by no means always those who deserved such a title. 

[celeste-i]

flints general apathy and distance to the crew ("the men find me aloof, too educated") is bc of the navy hierarchies of the officers and the men never being familiar. there were certain areas of the ship that only officers could be in. and not giving proper respect to an officer (tipping you hat, saying sir, general deference) could get you flogged. so if flint went from a crew member to becoming an officer, that would give him an ego like no other and would inform basically all of his behaviour toward the crew.

I've said before that he cares about his crew and I got some disagreement from that, but he does care about them but like sheep. they are his flock and of course he is upset when they die but I think he's more preoccupied with the cost of replacing them. much like in the navy, it was hierarchical. you had services for everyone that died, but an able seaman was easily replaced whereas a lieutenant or a midshipman (who were in the class of officer and were familiar with each other, and in the case of midshipmen were directly trained and educated by the captain) would be a massive loss to the ship in terms of knowledge and money spent on bringing them up. so I think within a pirate ship where there isn't the officer-crew binary, flint struggles to have any sort of connection to the crew. not saying he should be close to them, as any good captain keeps his distance. but because there is no official "officer" class he initially only has Mr gates in his corner.

then billy (after not even knowing his name, presumably bc he referred to him as manderly), and silver, degroot etc are included. I think his meeting Madi influenced him very deeply and that's when this internal binary started to fall away and he had the likes of Dooley in his corner

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Already ahead of you friend! You can find me in the comments talking in short about different means of reproduction, fish sex changes and egg-caring behaviours, all the classics!

Since I like talking about fish I’ll share some more anyway. Fish reproduction is endlessly fascinating and just as diverse as fishes themselves are! Before spawning can even begin some fishes may need to migrate to their place of origin, up to thousands of kilometers even (salmon and trout are most well known, my beloved sturgeons and eels migrate long distances as well and other fishes prefer to spawn in their home of origin too)! There’s fishes who will take part in courtship and have specific rituals before mating, some species will mirror each other’s movement or perform complex dances to impress mates (mandarinfish and mudskippers come to mind), some fishes who will use vocalisations for wooing (midshipmen fish), and some species build nests or other structures to impress a partner (damselfish, that one(?) species of pufferfish). The aforementioned nests can be pretty much anything, fish like gouramis and bettas build bubble nests, some fish steal other animals’ burrows or dig their own into mud or sand, some fishes nest in shells or crevices, and some can be masterful builders that create their nests from sand, rocks, sticks, seaweed and algae, and whatever other items are available! There was one species that even used its own artificial glue to form a nest, I made a fish fact on them, but I forget the name.

Some fish species will spawn in groups, some species will spawn with a singular partner, perhaps in an aforementioned nest or just a safe structure (or, heck, just open water or the bare bottom, some fish aren’t picky), some fishes will even mate for life with one specific partner their whole lives like seahorses! Specific behaviours that take place during mating are a bit less well known to me, but I do know that in some fishes it can involve biting, like with some sharks (blue shark females even have thicker skin to withstand the males’ bites better). When fishes do reproduce they can give birth to live young, who either develop inside their mother in their own eggs (livebearers) or receive nourishment from their mother in the form of something else (many sharks and rays), or they can “simply” lay eggs. Caring for young is a whole other interesting topic, as while many fish will do no parental care there are also many who fiercely guard their eggs! It’s often the father of the young who aggressively defends the nesting site and oxygenates the eggs via fanning or delivering water to them, or even holds his eggs inside of him for protection in the case of mouthbrooding and the seahorses’ pouches (which is a whole other fascinating topic!!) but some species will exhibit both parents taking turns in caring for the eggs and defending the nest! Some care for their babies only in the egg stage, and some will take care of their babies even after they’ve hatched. Even if no parental care is involved, egg development can still take wild turns. There are fishes whose eggs develop when they’re floating down rivers into the ocean, adapting to saltier and saltier water as they go!

And man, this isn’t even getting into the more out there modes of reproduction… like the anglerfishes, where the males fuse into the females and become a part of them! And what about whalefishes, where the male is small, large-nosed and mouthless and must find a female through smell on the limited energy he gained as a juvenile? Even my beloved sunfish is a special case as she can lay up to 300 million eggs at once!!! More than any other animal!!!! How insane is that?? There are so many places to take inspiration from, so many different fishes who have very unique tactics for having babies and then keeping those babies (…at least, a part of them) alive! There must be other ways of reproduction that I didn’t even know to mention due to how out there some are… but I hope this is useful information nevertheless to those who wish to learn a bit on fish reproduction!

anyone got a special interest in fish???? i need to learn about how they mate and spawning and while i love watching random fish documentaries i would really like some specifically about the aforementioned topics

[clove-pinks]

‘Rude and boisterous children of the sea’

Yet, despite the persistence of raucous (and occasionally criminal) behaviour there was also evidence of greater civility being enforced within the cockpit. As a fifteen-year-old midshipman in 1801, George Vernon Jackson described mealtimes aboard HMS Lapwing as a free-for-all, although his attempts to grab at the contents of the communal bowl using his bare hands brought instant censure. His messmates ‘declared such conduct unbecoming to the society of gentlemen, and they threatened to chalk my fingers if I repeated it.’ Soon after, Jackson acquired a spoon and fork. [...]

The need to maintain the society of gentlemen was recognized by superior officers who distributed frequent invitations to young gentlemen to dine in the wardroom or at the captain’s table. Aboard HMS Gloucester in 1812 the midshipmen of the watch took tea every day at six o’clock with the officers in the wardroom in an effort to polish their manners. ... During the peace of 1802 a fourteen-year-old Abraham Crawford recalled that his captain invited the young gentlemen to dine at his home in order to prevent them from becoming ‘rude and boisterous children of the sea’.

— Samantha A. Cavell, Midshipmen and Quarterdeck Boys in the British Navy, 1771-1831

Drawing of a midshipman's mess (cockpit) on the orlop deck by Captain Frederick Marryat, 1820. Detail from 'Master B finding things not exactly what he expected' (British Museum)

[marryat92]

It is hard to please where there are so many masters; and petty tyranny will exist, and cause much discontent before it is discovered, even where the best discipline prevails. The imperious behaviour of the young midshipmen, who assume the same despotic sway which is exercised over themselves, as soon as their superiors are out of sight and hearing, was often extremely galling to Newton Forster, and it frequently required much forbearance not to retort.

— Frederick Marryat, Newton Forster

Royal Navy midshipman by Thomas Rowlandson, 1799.

[yourheartsamess]

archie kennedy headcanons

[ he is the best boy you can not change my mind on this]

+ Growing up in London as a boy, he was always surrounded with pro-navy propaganda. Being the main city to back the navy the boy had a glorified image of what it would be like to sail away from the congested roads, horse shit and cheap side meats for a life on the open sea. 

+ Being a relative of a wealthy family, to keep familial relations, he would be invited along by members to the theatre occasionally. This is one of the reasons he came to love the theatre because he could pretend to be one of them, dressed in his cousins hand me down silk twirl jacket. 

+ He was amusement for his cousins which led him to be even more determined to join the navy, to prove himself as a serious person. 

+ Archie joined in his early teens, a move that changed his way of life dramatically, finding the intensity of routine jarring at first but soon he thrived in it, feeling as if he had a purpose in a collective compared to being picked up and dropped constantly by middling London society. 

+ One of his favourite things to do when visiting a foreign port, and they are allowed to disembark, is to go find a local play to try and keep up to date with the art world he adored so much. 

+ Going to the theatre, sometimes with his fellow Midshipmen even if it mean’t watching them get drunk, is a great bonding activity in Archie’s eyes as he got to see who was a comedy person, who was a tragedy and who was an epic. 

+ Some examples included, Hether prefered comedy, although would never say it, Cleveland would prefer action epics and raunchy comedy, Clayton would prefer tragedies especially tragic histories, Horatio would prefer historical epics and plays centered on an good protagonist against the world and Bush would prefer the classics or even religious plays. 

+ He never went when Simpson was around in fear of it being used against him, if anything the theatre was an escape from Simpson although that did not stop Hether  telling Simpson and Archie being yelled at for keeping secrets.

+ Archie wished to take Wellard to the theatre for an experience but two factors stopped him, firstly Captain Sawyer who refused to give them any of the freedoms he had on the Justinian and the Indefatigable. Secondly; the plays in Kingston tended to be scenes of brawls something he thought would upset the boy further. 

+ A favourite play of Archie’s when growing up was “She Stoops To Conquer” being there at opening night, he finds the whole debacle of it amusing, including wondering if someone could really be deceived in love for that long. Also the character of Mrs Hardscastle reminds him of his presentation obsessed, untrusting aunt. 

+ He does bring aboard paper copies of some short plays and even one of Shakespeare which he reads but also gives to the men who need to think about something else.

+ One Christmas when stuck onboard the Justinian the men, both Midshipman and crew, led by Archie did a joke take on a few random plays that ended in a laughing drunk mess.

+ He prefers being called “Archie” over Archibald which he finds too formal and stifling. 

+ The one thing he struggled with in the Navy was the aggressive attitude taken, that any form of caution was to be punished as cowardice and murder, when stuck with Simpson he found caution to be his default state. 

+ Once he nearly fell off a mast due to being disorientated from a beating, it was Matthews who saved him without making it a big deal. 

+ At first, he did not warm to Styles thinking the man’s loud behaviour and Simpson’s toleration of it was a threat but soon warmed to the man seeing him reform under Horatio’s influence.

+ His last memory before being sent to sea by Simpson, was Horatio hitting him on the back of the head, hence why he thought Horatio had betrayed him at first.

+ It did not help the fact that Archie considered Horatio his first true friend in his Navy career, he was similar age to Archie, unlike the older Clayton or redundant Lieutenants, he was lively and had dreams unlike the rest of the sulky midshipmen. 

+ Archie still kept his playful nature, something he enjoyed joking with Horatio on, including pretending to be foregin ambassadors, French frog sailors and Sir’s of highest regards based on their greetings to each other. Ignoring the eye rolls of Lieutenant Eccelston. 

+ A key theme song of Archie’s is “Innocent Son by the Fleet Foxes”

[tautline-hitch]

further omissions and addenda from the Long Post:

In 1796, Charles Sawyer of the Blanche came to trial for sodomy—the first captain to do so since Henry Angel in 1761. The details of the trial are predictably ugly—Sawyer seems to have made a habit of ordering midshipmen  to his cabin in the middle of the night—but what’s interesting is the manner in which two men of vastly different rank described the situation. It’s mentioned both in the diary of Jacob Nagle, an American seaman on Blanche, and in the letters of Nelson, the commodore of the squadron. 

Nagle:

...the capt[ain] and the first leutenant fell out, and they ware both tried by a court martial on board the flag ship, and the proof being so strong against Capt[ain] Sawyer, having a fondness for young men and boys, that he broke from ever serving in his Majesties service. (1)

Nelson:

...the Blanche is going to the fleet, her Captain being to be tried by Court Martial; and should he come to Bastia, is not fit to be seen by your Excellency til he clears his character. I send it on a slip of paper, which please tear to pieces. (2)

Nagle is matter-of-fact about it all; to him, it doesn’t need explaining or disguising. An unhappy business, but not an incomprehensible one. Nelson by contrast is actively trying to prevent an accusation of sodomy from appearing in the record, especially in the possibility that Sawyer “clears his character”. 

There are indications that George Cockburn was also aware that something was going, though not necessarily what, when Blanche and Meleager were in company in 1795. It seems Cockburn called Sawyer on his behaviour, that they discussed it—apparently Sawyer was open enough that his own letters, when presented to the court, were considered incriminating—and that Cockburn decided not to pursue a charge: “I certainly went beyond the bounds of discretion by silencing the business when it came forward in June last [...].” (3) (Before we condemn Cockburn too harshly on this particular point, Sawyer was also apparently carrying on a consensual affair with his coxswain, so that may have been what they discussed.)

At this point I silence myself, or it’ll be another 4,000 words. 

1. Jacob Nagle, The Nagle Journal: A Diary of the Life of Jacob Nagle, Sailor, from the Year 1775 to 1841, ed. John C. Dann (New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988), 204.

2. Nelson to Sir Gilbert Elliot, in The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, ed. Nicholas Harris Nicolas (London: Henry Colburn, 1845), 2: 280–1.

3. Cockburn to Sawyer, qtd. in Roger Morriss, Cockburn and the British Navy in Transition: Admiral Sir George Cockburn, 1772–1853 (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1997), 34–6.

[lostcauses-noregrets]

I had an interesting question from @tsuki-no-ura about the language used in HMS Maria ....

One thing I was musing about from an academic point of view was whether the use of the F-bomb would have been in common enough practice at the time, the use of it feels modernish, but perhaps only because people might have been too prudish to put it into their stories of the time xD But then, it feels very appropriate for Levi xD

This is a question I’ve been asked before and I actually wrote a post about this on my old Age of Sail blog years ago.  I’m reposting here in case it’s of interest to any other language nerds! :)

tl;dr Levi can swear as much as he fucking likes, it’s perfectly authentic, though not very polite ;)

The f-word of course has a long and venerable history. According to the Online Etymological Dictionary the OED 2nd edition traces "fukkit" to 1503. However I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the earliest published occurrence of the modern spelling "fuck" appears in Sir David Lyndesay's 1535 Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaits. I actually read this when I did Scottish Literature at university but I'd be lying if I said I remembered the line "Bischops ... may fuck thair fill and be unmaryit"

A classical dictionary of the vulgar tongue by Francis Grose, 1785 includes:

F—K, to copulate.

and the completely fabulous:

DUCK F-CK-R. The man who has the care of the poultry on board a ſhip of war.

However both have disappeared from the 1823 edition of Grose's Classical dictionary of the vulgar tongue: revised and corrected with the addition of numerous slang phrases, collected from tried authorities. One wonders who the tried authorities were! 

Pinpointing the earliest use of "fucking" is much harder, The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang includes:

fucking adv Very exceedingly. Somewhat stronger and much more offensive than bloody from cs 1840; perhaps much earlier, records being extremely sparse.

And the term "flying fuck", which originally referred to having sex on horseback (!) first appears in Thomas Rowlandson's broadside New Feats of Horsemanship. Although we're getting a little out of scope here ;)

This omission of derivations of fuck from the 1823 edition of Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue is interesting in that it reflects widespread societal changes that occurred from the late 18th through to the early 19th centuries. These changes are mirrored by changing attitudes to acceptable language and behavior in the Royal Navy as the influence of reform societies and evangelists started to impact on the service. 

In Boys at Sea: Sodomy, Indecency, and Courts Martial in Nelson’s Navy, Burg traces the development of language as recorded in contemporary court martial transcripts. During the 18th century "oaths, execration, crude language and scatology" were common parlance among seamen from every rank. The sexual misconduct court martial records of the time are frank and to the point, referring repeatedly to "cocks, arses, buggery, pricks, fucks and frigs" and even the euphemisms "pintles, yards, privates and backsides" leave little to the imagination. There are numerous contemporary accounts from the late 18th century that attest to "ubiquitous profanity before the mast". However, such language may have been common aboard ship but it would have been abhorred in polite society.

Sea going chaplains had a particularly hard time of it. The chaplain of HMS Glory was horrified to discover that in times of peril "when the power of the almighty was most visible", during storms or battles, the seamen were more likely to blaspheme than to pray for salvation. When he remarked on this to the wardroom they were affronted and offended. Chaplain Edwin Mangin of the Gloucester continually bemoaned the questionable language and morals of ratings and officers alike. Mangin denounced he behaviour of midshipmen as "riotous" and noted that the behaviour of the officers "exceeded the limits of decorum."

There are occasional late 18th / early 19th century incidents of men being court martialed for the use of obscene, profane or offensive language but in all cases the object of the offensive remark is a captain or senior officer. Many captains and senior ranking officers were no stranger to colourful vocabulary themselves. Admiral Richard Strachan was known throughout the service as Mad Dick of whom it was said "when he swore he meant no harm, and when he prayed he meant no good." Captain Bligh of Bounty fame was also notorious for his bad language. In 1766 one officer noted that formerly "a chaw of tobacco, a rattan and a rope of oaths were sufficient qualifications to constitute a lieutenant."

There were repeated attempt to moderate intemperate language and behaviour in the navy from the 18th century onwards. Some officers such as William Cumby of Bellerophon and later Hyperion proscribed swearing through his ship's "Orders and Regulations" and insisted that officers set an example to their men. Admiral James Gambier, known throughout the fleet and for posterity as "Dismal Jimmy", attempted to enforce the use of polite language by fining officers and forcing ratings to wear a heavy wooden collar with a 36 pound shot on each shoulder. It's fair to say such behaviour didn't make him popular.

By the early 19th century Evangelical societies such as the Bethel Union who devoted themselves to the spiritual wellbeing of seamen were having a significant effect on the Royal Navy and ultimately these reform societies coupled with wider societal changes effected profound changes where legislation, example and punishment had failed. 

So in answer to this query I think "fucking" probably would have been used as a modifier by seamen in the late 18th century and it is quite probable it would have been used by officers and ratings alike. 

References

Burg, B. R., (2007), Boys at Sea: Sodomy, Indecency, and Courts Martial in Nelson’s Navy. Palgrave Macmillan. Dening, G., (1994) Mr Bligh's Bad Language Passion, Power and Theatre on the Bounty. Canto Original Series, Melbourne. Dierdrof, J., You can't say that! Grose, F. (1785), A classical dictionary of the vulgar tongue. S. Hooper, London. Grose, F. (1823), Classical dictionary of the vulgar tongue: revised and corrected with the addition of numerous slang phrases, collected from tried authorities. London. Harper, D., (2010), Online Etymological Dictionary. Lyndesey, D., (1602), Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaits. Miller, A., (2007), Dressed to Kill: British Naval Uniform, Masculinity and Contemporary Fashions 1748 – 1857, National Maritime Museum. Partridge, E., (1973), The Routledge dictionary of historical slang. Routledge, London. Rowlandson, G., (c.1800), New Feats of Horsemanship see Erotomane.org.

[midshipmancharlesorrock]

Closed Starter

For @perpetuallyadrift

Charles had been almost sure Lieutenant Bush would notice his behaviour. His salutes had been short and choppy, bordering on insubordinate and the rest of the time he'd kept his hands clenched and fists tucked up into his sleeves. Styles had noticed, but Styles had been watching him since the day he'd come aboard and no one took his muttering seriously. Bush however could do some damage if he found out, ruin Charles' career and life, if the crew didn't do something similar or worse first.

He should have stayed and helped with repairs, or at least made a show of it before fleeing back down to the midshipmen's berth but he could hardly stand there any longer. His hands were killing him and he needed to get some relief. There had to be something in the bottom of his sea chest, hidden away from prying eyes and spying hands and wrapped in linens.

He felt a little bad for lying, but he couldn't say what would come out of the truth. And trying to explain away the injuries to his hands to the doctor would be difficult if not impossible. Even a lubber knew better than to touch a hot cannon, that would be no excuse. Even letting Decimus know probably wouldn't turn out well, no matter how sure Charles was of Mr. Presidos' otherness.

He wished he could, grimacing as he dug through his sea chest and wishing for assistance.

[bananachickens]

The Brothers Jones’ Marvellous (Yet Common) Adventures

Chapter 3 : Kilian's first visit to a tavern

(FF.NET , AO3)

It had been two weeks since they first arrived at the Royal Naval College. After Marcus showed them their rooms the brothers met with the rest of the crew. Killian and Liam were surprised to learn that all unmarried officers and Lieutenants shared big houses in order to consolidate the bonds between the crew members. It was the first time Killian had a room of his own and he felt like nothing could destroy his happiness. He had a future to look forward to and he was treated with the respect a human being was entitled to.

Killian could feel something was weighting on his brother : Liam was distant and even though he attributed his new behaviour to his need to prove himself and to get used to their new situation, Killian was still uneasy. He knew however that he needed to let that feeling go,  Liam would tell him what's wrong on his time.

The brothers had just passed their first examination with honors and not only did they prove themselves to be great sailors, but they also proved themselves to be better than all of their shipmates, which had created tension among the crew. Killian and Liam were now midshipman on the Jewel of the Realm, the Royal Navy's best ship and Liam was to take the examination to become Lieutenant as per Captain Howard's request and encouragements later that month, alongside three other midshipmen, Creed, Alfred and Fredrick.    

At the end of the day, the Jewel's crew walked to “The Flying Dutchman”, a tavern not far from the docks where they met with some of the other ships' crew members.

“I don't know if joining the crewmen is a reasonable decision Killian, we need to study, we still have so much to learn !”  Liam said to Killian in front of the tavern, “Don't forget why we are here brother. We are given a chance to improve our lives, to be great men. By studying hard and proving our selves and our value and honor we could someday be Captains in the Royal Navy ! We'd never lack of anything and we wouldn't worry about having enough food in our bellies and a bed in which to sleep !”

The older Jones still felt like they could lose everything they were granted if they did not show great potentials at all times, that's why Killian and Liam isolated themselves from the other crew members until now in order to study and catch up what they missed in class.  

“Liam we need to go out with the crew every now and then. We need to make friends among them or we'll always be outsiders. Besides, you saw how Creed and the Freds acted after the Captain congratulated us, It is of the utmost importance we gain the crew's respect if we are someday to become more than midshipmen” Killian told his brother insistently, “ And to make sure no one would try to harm us without anyone's intervention” he then added lost in memories.  

Liam knew they'll always bare the scars their years in servitude had caused them, not only physical ones but also psychological and emotional ones and he had made it his new mission to make sure his brother now lead as normal and happy a life as he can.

“Don't worry brother, no one will harm us anymore, we're no longer in servitude on a merchant ship, we're officers in King Gregory's Royal Navy. We were commissioned by Captain Howard himself and if anyone harms us then they'd be very severely punished !” Liam stated proudly. He knew his brother was right to some extent but he couldn't bring himself to enjoy some time with everyone at the tavern after what had happened on their previous ship and knowing their situation was still very precarious. “ I guess you could stay for some time, but not too long, you need to study for next week's classes. Maybe we could study ancient Greek together once you're back”

“Alright Liam” Killian said just before quickly entering the tavern before his brother changed his mind.

“Here you are, we were wondering if you'll join us or leave, where did Liam go ?” Marcus asked welcoming Killian to their table.  

“He went back home, he felt he needed to study more to prepare for class, and he's right, I shouldn't stay for too long either I … ” Killian answered before being interrupted by Richards, another member of the crew “ You need to enjoy yourself for once, lift your eyes from your books and socialize my dear friend. Come on ! Sit down ! Your first pint is on me ! Sarah, bring the lad some of your finest ale !”  Richards shouted to a young brunette in her mid twenties before tapping Killian on the back “How old are you lad, 18 ? 19 ?”

“I'm almost 18 lieutenant” Killian answered. He was very excited to be with the rest of the crew. It was the first time he went to a tavern, Liam and him were scarcely allowed to leave their ship while in servitude, and if one was allowed to leave then the other was kept on the ship to ensure his brother's return, that'w shy his eyes were full of stares and awe at the establishment and the life it held. Men and women were walking everywhere, laughing, eating, speaking, singing all together.  

“So young ! You still have your life ahead of you.” Richards said interrupting Killian's thoughts as Sarah brought Killian his ale and asked him “Would you like something else officer ?  I make amazing apple pies” Killian stared at Sarah and blushed before she added “ it's on the house”.  

Watching the interaction closely, Marcus, Richards and the other three crew embers sitting at the table shared a look before laughing at them. “Are our apple pies also on the house or only Killian's ?” Richards asked winking at Marcus.

“No this applies only to our new costumers Richards”

“I don't remember ever being given any free apple pie,  Maybe it's special treatment for new blue-eyed costumers ?” Joked one of the officers, “I was never offered any either Jared ” joked Richards. Sarah laughed without diverting her eyes from Killian who was now blushing even more.

“Well then maybe I'll have some of it then, thank you” Killian smiled back at her before scratching his now red ear as Jared and Richards wolf whistled. “I'll bring it to you” Sarah left with a blush and a smile on her face.

“So handsome yet so innocent” Jared said jokingly, “I've never seen Sarah this flirty with costumers, I'm pretty sure she likes you” He added looking at his friends.

Panicked, Killian quickly answered “Well I'm not ready for marriage yet, I have just been accepted in the Academy, I have to study and pass my examinations and save money to buy a house and I'm not ready yet to start a family”, before realizing his shipmates were once again laughing at him.

“I doubt Sarah is thinking that far ahead lad, she probably just wants you for the night lad” Richards winked at him with a saucy smile. “But be careful lad, although she's not an easy lady to win the favors of, she's not innocent either. Always remember to use protection”

“Protection from what ? What does she want me for ?” The blue-eyed Jones said before his mates laughed once more. Feeling embarrassed, Killian tried nervously to change the subject by having a bit of his apple pie, which made the table laugh even harder. “This apple pie is very good, I haven't had apple pie for so long, but this one is very moist and juicy and I think I'll have some more of this pie next time”

“Please Killian, stop, we need to breath” Jared painfully said, red-faced and teary-eyed from laughter.

Killian ate his pie quickly intending on leaving after finishing it.

“It seems young Jones here is much more innocent than we thought he was !” Hobbs asked and was met with a confused look.

“What do you mean ?”

“You really ignore what Sarah wants from you ?” asked Hobbs.

“Get married, have children ? ” Killian answered naively. Looking at his deadpan shipmates, Killian started regretting not listening to his brother earlier, he shouldn't have came to the tavern since he was only met with embarrassment after another.

“She wants to bed you lad” Richards said, then asked “have you ever been with a woman before ?”

“No” Killian replied blushing severely “ And I wouldn't exactly know what is exactly expected of me” He looked in his pint of ale hoping his companions would change the subject, or for a disappearing potion, whichever acted faster and most efficiently.

A few silent moment passed before Richard interrupted the moment “Well lad, sit tight, we have so much to tell you”. He then asked for more ale for everyone on the table “We're going to need this” before the crewmen filled in the blanks and shared some of their stories.

***

An hour later

“This doesn't sound pleasurable at all” Killian commented, looking sickly and pale.

“I can't believe no one ever told you about that before, common seamen are rather known for their crudeness” Jared said as he was finishing his third ale of the night.

“Liam and I never mingled with the crew of the ships we were on, either because they disliked us or because Liam thought they were bad influence on us” Killian said still under shock.

He had heard crude terms and stories here and there during his 7 years in servitude but no one had ever explained them to him or clarified the subject for him. He ignored why he often woke up with an odd sensations or dirty. He never dared asking his brother since he always felt ashamed of his body's reactions but now he wondered if his brother would have been able to answer his questions.

“Killian you're almost 18, maybe it's time for you to make your own decisions. You don't always need your brother's permission to act upon your desires, any of them” Hobbs advised him gravely. “And believe us, it is very pleasurable, it is the most amazing sensation you'll ever feel in your life”.

Killian's face started regaining colour again as the conversation flowed to other subjects and more ale was drank. Killian was careful not to drink too much since he promised his brother never to be in a state of unconsciousness anymore but after understanding what Sarah wanted from him and seeing her sultry gazes Killian felt like he needed the ale.

After finishing his pint, Killian got up to fetch another one from the counter and check the uncharacteristically calm Marcus.

“You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen” Sarah said dragging him to an obscure and ill-lit corner of the tavern. Surprised, Killian started to feel very warm, his heart beating much faster than it had ever before and it only increased at the proximity of her body. “Thank you” he answered blushing yet unable to divert his eyes from her lips. Sarah smiled, she knew the effect she had on most men but it always flattered her to see a man this spellbound and flustered.

She went closer to him, drawing him to her as her lips touched his. Killian tensed a couple of seconds at the sensation of her lips on his. As he relaxed and closed his eyes, Sarah started to move her lips. Killian tried to follow her movements, finding it hard at first before finally synchronizing with her. The kiss grow more passionate and Killian got lost in the new feeling. As they separated to breath, Sarah said “ maybe we should go up stairs, we can easily get caught here” Killian answered with an eager nod. Sarah and Killian existed the corner separately as not to draw unnecessary attention on themselves.  

“KILLIAN, here you are”

Killian turned quickly, spotting his brother through the crowd. “Liam ? What are you doing here ? You said you weren't coming !” he said distraught and panicked at the sight of his brother.

“I was worried about you, you were supposed to come back to study Greek with me, remember ? I came to make sure you were fine and to bring you back home”

“I'm fine brother, I might stay for longer though, you can go back home I won't be long” Killian said hurriedly before glancing quickly at Sarah who was now standing impatiently near the stairs waiting for him.

“Killian, I know we haven't lead very pleasant lives so far, we never had friends to talk to, money to  go out with or freedom to go and do what we please, but we're here to make our lives better and improve our stations, to make sure we have all of that permanently and the only way is to study hard and show our value and worth to the Captain and the Admiralty !” Liam said gravely to his brother, genuinely concerned about their future.

Killian sighted, “Alright brother, I'll come with you.”

After bidding everyone goodnight, Killian spared Sarah one last look for the night before following Liam outside.  

***

Later that night

A blond woman straddled Killian, she was beautiful and her loving green eyes caught his blue ones. Killian got in them and the sensations his body was experiencing as the woman rose and fell on top of him, engulfing him in her tight sheath, her face contorting in pleasure. He felt amazing, and as the blond mermaid leaned in to kiss him, her breast and long hair tickling his chest Killian  woke up sticky and dirty. He thought he finally understood what the crew was talking bout.

[ltwilliammowettrp]

❣

Oh, heheheh... I have a good one... where... hehehehe, it yes shcon somehow was mean or just revenge from fate ? who knows. Well, that was a few years ago. There we got some new Midshipmen on board, among them also a little son of a bitch who had to suck in everywhere and all the time and was just lying behind. In short everybody just hated him.

One evening he once again managed to betray his comrades because they had dared to steal a piece of the pudding that was supposed to be available for dessert for us senior officers in the Wardroom in the evening. Tom and I were already aware that this would happen, but the blackening was not quite off, because we had to punish the boys who had done this. Except for him, all four had to take a few beats from the stick. But the day was very bad, the wind had turned and so our little bastard hoped to be able to point by throwing out the lot. I had told him that in this rough weather would not be an easy thing. He said he could do it because his father was an admiral and he taught him what the sea could do to him, he was only water. Well, he should do it....

He took two of his comrades, threw out the lot. But at that moment he slipped, knocked the plumb bob out of one of his hands, whereupon the other also let go and went the plumb bob into the sea, the boys looked in panic didn't know what to do, but he still sat on deck and started to call them sons of bitches. But before I could say anything, a wave went down over the deck and soaked him to the bone. Now he sat there, cursed and looked totally miserable. Finally he could scramble up and everyone had to laugh. Me too, btw.

Below deck he left some insults but was punished by the captain for the loss of the pilot and his unseemly behaviour. Days later he had to leave the board because he was unbearable for us.Well never mess with the sea, if she don’t like you she will show you that.

[ltwilliammowett]

The capture of HMS Junon 1809

On 13 December, HMS Junon, which was in company with HMS Observateur on its way to a French blockade of Guadeloupe, was captured by the French. Juno was a 40-gun frigate, but her escort was only a 14-gun sloop, and they had to defend themself against the two 40-gun frigates Clorinde and Renommée and the lightly armed flûtes Loire and Seine. But because of the overwhelming force, the British had to surrender in the end. Lieutenant George Vernon Jackson gave a detailed account of what happened after the surrender.

A naval engagement at night, an action between HMS Junon and the French frigates Renommée and Clorinde, 13 December 1809, by English School, early 19th Century (x)

"I returned to my post and saw the gunroom steward comming towards me. He said that we had struck. To satisfy mayself as to the fact, I went to the quarter- deck ladder, where i was met by a salute if bayonets and the exclamation, “ En bas...” (below) On this I repaired as fast as I could ti the captain’s cabin. Poor fellow, he was lying there disabled by four severe wounds; and as I entered he turned his head and remarked with a smile, “ Damn ‘em, Jackson, they’ve spoilt my dancing.” (He was severely wounded in the arms and legs. Later, one leg and one hand had to be removed from him on land. However, Captain John Shortland never recovered and died on 10 January 1810.)

The French commander then came on board and, with the help of a French-speaking midshipman, all the details for the later procedure were clarified. The captain was allowed to take one lieutenant and two midshipmen with him on the Renommée while the others were distributed among all four ships. During the battle the Midshipman John Thompson tried to save the signal book from the French. What Jackson mentions here is very commendable.

“ He passed amidst the shower of musket balls to execute his commission, displaying the most consummate coolness and indifference to the risk he run, luckily escaping without a wound. The book was ultimately found by the Frenchmen on the binnacle.”

Now one would assume that the French would take their prisoners immediately, but that was not the case. During the night, everything was done for the  wounded and the remaining officers were allowed to collect a few belongings. After that, the dead were handed over to the sea and finally the prisoners were distributed among the ships. Because the Junon no longer appeared sailable, so she was burned. The prisoners were brought to Brest and, after a short quarantine, taken to a hospital. 

“ The commodore then called upon us and gave Conn (a Midshipman) and myself £25 apiece, and took our receipt to reimburse when we could. The act was noble and generous, as, indeed, had been all his conduct towards us since our capture.”

Jackson did not remain a prisoner for long, however, as he and two midshipmen took the opportunity to escape from a window during a transfer of prisoners. What happened next, however, is material for another story.

My point here was to show how the enemy crew was treated after a capture. And the behaviour that the French showed here was not an isolated case and by no means limited to them. This was also the case with the Spanish and the British themselves.

[clove-pinks]

Before a schoolmaster could get his warrant from the Admiralty he had to be examined by the Master, Warden, and Assistants of Trinity House, as well as producing certificates concerning his sobriety and good behaviour. He was ‘duly to employ his time in instructing the Volunteers in writing, arithmetic, and navigation, and in whatever may contribute to render them proficients’.

Drumming spherical trigonometry into unwilling heads of midshipmen was a thankless task for which he was paid (in a third-rate) £1 17s 6d a month, with a £20 bonus at the end of the year providing his captain gave him a certificate. His basic pay, though, was within 2s 6d the same (in a third-rate) as a bosun’s mate, quartermaster, trumpeter and sailmaker.

— Dudley Pope, Life in Nelson’s Navy

Diagrams and illustrations from The New Practical Navigator of John Hamilton Moore, 1807 edition.

[marryat92]

I'm still thinking about the fact that Percival Keene was given command of an abandoned merchant ship, with a prize crew to assist him, when he was FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. His age is explicitly mentioned in the text, as he reflects on what he thinks might be his untimely death aboard the scuttled ship.

Imagine being an old hand in His Majesty's navy, you've seen decades of service and have a wife and kids at home— and now the teenage bastard son of the captain is technically your boss.

It's a work of fiction, but the truths behind it are explored in S.A. Cavell's doctoral thesis-turned-book, Midshipmen and Quarterdeck Boys in the British Navy, 1771-1831: "The authority of gentility, which often stemmed from the assumed gentility of authority, did much to persuade crews of experienced seamen to toe the line, even when it came to accepting the authority of youthful and inexperienced officers-in-training."

There were still limits and standards of behaviour: "Able seaman Jacob Nagle resented the brutality of one fifteen-year-old midshipman whose free use of a rattan led a group of seamen to protest and '[tell] him we would not be treated in such a manner by a boy'. Nagle also railed at the incompetence of another midshipman whose 'stoborness' and disregard for the dangers noted by his jolly boat crew resulted in four men being drowned. Judgement from above was equally harsh for young gentlemen who failed to measure up to officerlike expectations."

[ltwilliammowett]

After @glorioustidalwavedefendor asked me how exactly a Division looked like, here a little explanation.

The Sailors not the Marines were divided into Divisions. There were as many divisions as there were lieutenants on the ship. They were assigned Boatswain mats and Midshipmen to be able to divide it into smaller subgroups. (Otherwise the lieutenant will run amok if someone runs to him all the time, image a ship with 200 men and only two lieutenants.) In each division not only experienced sailors were taken but also the idlers, it was mainly about taking care of the men's clothing, behaviour, mood and worries. Every Sunday all divisions came for inspection.

Each lieutenant had convinced himself of the cleanliness, smooth shave and the proper clothing of his men and reported this to the captain. If a man was reported for punishment, his lieutenant could speak in his favour. On shore leave the division had to close and report to the lieutenant, if there were problems he had to go and take care of the problem. But if a lieutenant was a good man, took care of the problem and was also quite successful on boarding, word could get around and among the men it got around quickly. For example, if you come to HMS Brilliant then try to stay with Lieutenant XY he is a good man and watch out for Lieutenant B he is an asshole.