The Crew as a Society Last update 13th January 2002
General conjecture in modern times portrays life aboard ships for the sailor to be a virtual hell. Cruel and unsympathetic officers, attrocious food and damp, vermin infested surrounds, plus the rigours of heavy labour. In some ways this was a manufacture of history in the same ways Marilyn Monroe, JFK and aliens are the real powers behind the way the US is run today. In some ways it is true (as it is true the US is run by aliens, but that's for another set of rules...) There were bad captains, as there were bad landholders, bad government, bad church leaders and bad newspaper reporters.
However, it should be remembered that sailors were relatively well paid, at least had a stable food supply and enjoyed some exotic mystery brought about by their travels. They have always enjoyed a romance set aside from the rest of society. They were much in demand due to the needs of the fishing fleets, and trading fleets, which were the source for alot of income for merchants and countries. Think of them as the bikies of the day.
Most sensible captains did realise that the smooth operation of a ship relied on a content, secure crew. Crews generally represented a scaled down version of the society which the ship was from. It had a cross section of people from different social classes, skills, ages and personalities. The way in which this mini society interacted reflected in how the vessel and navies of the time performed.
Discontent sailors could, and did, become serious liabilities at sea.Asides from the very real threat of mutiny, disaffected sailors did not pull their weight, or pay attention to what they were doing. This could cause results as trivial as a loss of speed for a shift to being completely off course, or the spoilage of the stores.
At sea, men stood out on their merit, for there was nowhere to hide from scrutiny. Sailors learnt their trade from an early age, developing their skills among the sails. Skilled sailors were critical to a ships safety, especially in storms. Navies never had enough men in wartime, having to press land lubbers into service. The land lubbers only served on the deck. The so called 'glass ceiling' for poorer men applied less to service at sea. Capt James Cook served initially as an able seaman.
Navies employed soldiers as small arms men, who later were renamed marines. For the purpose of these rules these soldiers are called marines to differentiate them from land based soldiers. Surprisingly, marines were paid less than the sailors, and if they had the aptitude, were encouraged to swap positions and be promoted to sailors! This was due to the chronic shortage of sailors. Marines formed the basis of boarding defence, boarding parties, landing parties and general unskilled labour.
Generally rations consisted of salted meats, dried peas, hard bread, dried fruits, beer & rum. While not nutritionally ideal, it was better than what the poor on land could expect. Barring fresh fruit and vegetables to combat scurvy, it was not terrible. Fresh water was not as common unless near land. It did not last long in barrels before it went 'green'.
Obviously, besides storms and accidents, the most dangerous thing in sailing life was disease. The close quarters and sharing of items was a grerat breeding ground for all sorts of viruses and bacteria. Typhus, or 'gaol fever' was common with newly raised crews that included pressed men or land lubbers. British ships imposed a higher standard of cleanliness and suffered a little less. Men were beaten for having dirty bodies and clothes, and for engaging in unclean behaviour such as relieving themselves in the ship rather than using the heads. Conditions on board did not take long to affect everyone in some way.
For disciplinary matters, refer to the Sealaw section.
On pirate ships, married men were rare. According to research as low as 4% of pirates were married in this time period. This may have been because many sailors were young and not yet entwined with the fair sex, or in fact running from them, or that sailors in general were fringe dwellers more inclined to prefer operating outside of societies general constraints, which tends to mean no strong personal ties. Some pirates specifically forbade married men joining their ranks (such as Bellamy), and some captured sailors were known to escape being forced by claiming to be married. The reason is not specifically stated historically, but much conjecture assumes that a man with no family ties is less likely to break the cameraderie of the pirate circle.
Merchant crews were small, between 10 and 20 men, but averaged about 16 men. Surprisingly, ships could be crewed by as few as 2 people! This was not a good situation though, but did occur in instances where significant numbers of crewmen were sick or dead. For example
Pirate ships on the other hand could be huge. However, not all pirates were pirates. Many were enforced men, taken from ships to fill out crews or to perform specific duties they were skilled at. Judging by trial lists, smaller pirate ships were likely to have forced men, as it appears that many forced men were allowed to be set loose when a more willing replacement could be found. I can't find any specific reference as such, but there are many references to men asking to be put ashore, and promises to do so at opportune times. This depended on the captain of course. Some captains prefered to mistreat such low morale recruits.
The impressed men could become a serious problem for pirate captains. William Fly paid the final price for an over abundance of impressed men on his ship. At trials, many men could prove they took no part in the action, and were hence pardoned. The rate of this occuring appears to me to be higher in smaller crews. This to me would appear to be a real worry to beginning captains who would be unsure of their men would act at all in an engagement, and may only in part explain why some captains were so wicked to their crews. The larger the pirate crews, the more they seem to be hard core rascals. No doubt with a little fame many captains were mesiahs for those of that leaning, who would probabl have sought them out, or if captured, been more likely to join the pirate lifestyle.
Mates:
A term for a habitual companion, fellow worker, partner and comrade. The word derived from meat, meaning someone you shared food with. Later it was used exclusively by labourers and mariners. The word also refered to a position on naval and merchant vessels. The mate saw to it that the orders of the captain and master were carried out, and he was in charge in their absence. In addition to navigational duties, he was responsible for stowing cargo and organising the sailors work.
The French had a system called Matelotage, the word matelot being an old word for sailors. Most buccaneers in Tortuga and Hispaniola lived with a matelot, as did men in English towns. The term refered to two men who lived voluntarily as a pair. This was not in a sexual sense, but a team sense. The men shared everything they had, even wives in the early days of settlement. Later on when one became married, the other moved out with half their combined property, and the two men constructed a new home for the lone man. The practice was entered into when but a young man, and could be entered into with a legal document or not. Either way, French law & society recognised their partnership legally.
Women:
Women did go to sea, more so than is popularly recognised, but they were still not commonplace. On merchant ships and naval vessels it was not an oddity to run into a female sailor. On merchant ships they could work openly, or on naval vessels, they were found only in disguise as men. Very few women are recorded as pirates. These rules make no distinction between male or female sailors. Women travelled as passengers often (or else nowhere would have been settle).