Hello everyone! The pictures from Tall Ships 2009 have been uploaded to our Flickr stream! Please check out the Flickr sidebar to the right.
Although we were rained out the first day, the second day was a success and we look forward to another chance to venture out in garb!
Well, it’s just before 8:00 AM, and I’m about to start getting into my uniform. Tall Ships, for the Man the Capstan Crew, is here! Johanna, Steve and myself should be departing our Valley residence in just over an hour, to rendezvous with Shara & Tim. We should arrive in Halifax by 10:30 AM or so!
Been a long road getting to this point. Environment Canada is forecasting rain and thunder showers. Sou’ ‘westers and oilskins, lads! Put another reef in ‘er!
I’m bringing the laptop along with me, so provided the Waverley has WIFI access, you can expect updates later today.
Calling all hands to Man the Capstan!
By the way, the beautiful picture above was taken from the Tall Ships 2009 flickr group! The picture was taken by ruth.erin!
Well, pretty much everything has been Brasso’d, Silvo’d, and Twinkle’d. The 1827 sword took a bit to do, but was well worth it. She glimmers like gold when freshly polished. Buttons on the waistcoat were a pain to do, but Johanna has a trick with a plastic bag. Keeps the waistcoat clean of any harmful chemicals, yet the buttons polish up brilliantly. I thought there’d be a lot more polishing involved, but we managed to get everything done in about an hour or so of steady work.
Having seen to the sword, we decided it’d be a good idea for me to try on the finished Royal Navy uniform. My uniform had been the first project started by Man the Capstan, and one of the last to finish. Having dealt with delayed laces and trims, uniform modifications, and just last minute adjustments, it’s finally 100% complete. A relief, for certain. One of the adjustments we made to the uniform were the pants. From earlier posts, readers will see that, like the Royal Marine, my pants were blue, and tucked into the boot. After some thought, and having seen a great pattern for fall-front breeches, we decided to swap out the blue pants in favour of a off-white knee-length breeches. We retained the boots, though, so it comes off very similar to Russel Crowe in Master & Commander.
In lieu of the fall-fronts, Johanna also made some modifications to Tim’s Royal Navy uniform as well, in order to better match the two styles. They turned out quite well, and despite what you’d think, are very comfortable! I think people today have gotten too used to mass-produced clothing. When something is tailored to your form, just right, it can be the most comfortable thing you’ll ever wear. One other new addition to Tim’s uniform is the replacement of his stockings. He was using a cotton blend of stockings, but they seemed totally inefficient and inadequate. What we need were silk stockings. We ordered some, and they now behave far more appropriately. The other stockings were sort of cheap, and fell down the leg too easily. Silk tends to grab better, and gives a more polished appearance. Just looks more genuine, I find.
More updates to follow, as they come available! Don’t forget to check out our Twitter feed on the right, and keep a close eye on the Tall Ships updates. This is going to be a fun weekend!
Well, being July 16th, we’re just two days away from the weekend! Come Saturday morning, Man the Capstan will be heading out in full regalia to Tall Ships 2009! Tall Ships are already arriving in Halifax (as you can see from the pictures above and below), and the events for the weekend are always being prepared by re-enactment staff at the Halifax Dockyards.
The Tall Ships Crew have a Twitter set up, and are streaming live updates as they come in. Check them out here! They alerted us to a really cool Chronicle Herald article, discussing the events celebrating the 250th anniversary for the founding of the 1759 Naval Dockyards (one of the reasons why Man the Capstan is so interested in attending the festival). Check it out for yourself, there is some pretty cool stuff there! There will be a ceremony at 2:00 PM on Saturday (that’s four bells in the Afternoon Watch) that will include re-enactors and active service members of the Canadian Navy. You just can’t miss this one, folks.
We have a slew of new updates to post, but I’m afraid that will have to wait for another update (as we’ve so much to get done before Saturday). I’d like to remind everyone that we have a Twitter as well, and we update it frequently with new information and Man the Capstan related news. Subscribe to both us and Tall Ships 2009!
Though we are not participating in the scheduled events for the weekend, it will be a true pleasure to arrive in costume along with everyone else. It will actually be a bit of a relief to be a “uniformed” spectator; a bit more liberty to move around the festival, as it were.
We’re all excited here, and can’t wait for Saturday! You can check out the Flickr group for new Tall Ship arrivals, and Tall Ship related photos, here! The two above pictures were taken by compelling, and you can see these shots and others at their Flickr Photostream, here!
Well, I’m finally done the second Regency gown and what a lovely thing it is! It is made once again in the simple styling of the drawstring gown of the early 1800’s but with a few extravagances.
I decided to do this one in an ivory silk like taffeta. The fabric has a lovely texture, just a little bit shiny and is liberally decorated with an embroidered leaves and vine pattern. I think it really has an authentic look about it. I decorated this dress with some lovely ivory venetian style lace which I added to the sleeves and around the skirt of the gown and accented it with ivory satin rosebuds. I made a wide belt with left over fabric and also decorated that with a length of the same lace. There is a lace insert at the neckline of the gown and because it was improper for a lady to show her cleavage other than for evening, I also made a lace shawl collar to go with it and will wear long ivory opera length gloves to cover my arms. This, I feel also nicely suits a middle aged lady like myself rather well. The great thing about it is that with the removal of the shawl feature the gown easily converts from a day dress to an evening gown with the right accessories.
I was excited to purchase the most fabulous head gear from MsRegencys Bee In Your Bonnet at a super price. This lady creates the most delightful Regency bonnets and hats. You can visit her ebay store here if you are interested in having a look at her lovely and high quality products. I added the ivory lace cap ruffle to the hat as most regency ladies would not have left home without this item; it was worn simply left on under the hat in much the way I am wearing it. To tie it in with my gown I added a large pearl hat pin and an ivory ostrich feather. Looks pretty snazzy I think!
For accessories, I already had my ivory parasol and fan both fully laced and decorated and I added an antique brass and carnelian cameo locket (complete with a minature of my seafaring Royal Marine husband inside), pearl earrings and a triple row of red coral beads around my neck. I also used a vintage shell cameo pin to secure the shawl. I recently read that coral necklaces were
very popular with the ladies of the regency period and since both my daughter and I each own coral necklaces I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to wear one of them. I also purchased a pair of cotton bloomers or pantaloons since my dress is quite see through and I’m wearing a nice pair of flat slipper shoes on my feet.
I really love this costume, it’s so very comfortable, easy to move in, exceptionally cool to wear and looks really lovely! Bless me, what more could a girl ask for, besides a hot cup of tea that is…?
Well…that’s about it really, I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of my story. Now all I have to do is finish the lace on the Naval Officer’s uniforms and we’re all set for The Tall ships Festival, which by the by, is just a few scant weeks away.
The years between 1795 and 1825 were known in Britain as the Regency Period. It was a time characterized by war, political upheaval, revolution and immense change in Europe. It occurred after the slower paced Georgian period where very little changed, and just prior to the fasting moving industrialization of the Victorian age.
It was a time of growth, expansion, religious revival, defining of culture and testing of diplomatic and military willpower; a time of constant conflict and the clashing of the old ways, philosophies and points of view against a new more modern way of thinking, often displayed to the bloody extreme. Leading figures of the age included political and military icons such as Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte, Lord Horatio Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Czar Alexander I, Queen Louise of Prussia and diplomat Karl Metternich. The Regency era was also a time of great elegance and beauty. Ludwig von Beethoven composed “classical” music and Jane Austen wrote novels such as Pride & Predjudice, Sense & Sensibility and Emma. Country dances were popular, beautiful works of art were created and Greek architecture enjoyed a huge revival. This extended also to the fashion of the day. In efforts to emulate the styles and philosophies of the ancient Greeks, women’s clothing reached heights of classic simplicity it had not attained for many centuries, and so was born the Regency period gown.
I myself have also gone through a change of heart with regards to this manner of dress. Even as little as a year ago, I would not have embraced this gown. The flimsy fabrics and often risque manner of attire did not appeal to me, but as in the Regency period itself, I found that times of change can’t be helped, but instead are reflected in one’s own attitude towards many things. It was with the coming of our little grandson that I slowly came to a change of mind. I had fashioned the rather large gowns of the Georgian era with the boned bodices and hooped petticoats and much as I love them still, I really had to be a little more realistic about what Shara and I were actually going to wear to such an event as the Tall Ships Festival. Although the Georgian gowns are perhaps more in keeping with the 250th anniversary of the Royal Navy Dockyards in Halifax, the time was to be July, and some the warmest weather of the year could be expected. With our entourage, we were going to have a small child and a nursing mother and I had to be honest with myself. The Georgian gowns were just not going to work for us this particular time and occasion.
Warily, I set my mind back to the Regency period. After-all, our men are dressing as Naval and Marine officers circa about 1805, Napoleonic Wars to the War of 1812, and really wouldn’t a regency gown seriously match the uniforms they would be wearing in a much more authentic way? So I set my mind to researching the gowns of that era. I found that fabrics such as fine muslins, lawns, silks and laces would be so much cooler for us and so much more adaptable to our requirements. I found that although clothing was simpler and more revealing, it also had an innocence, elegance and beauty that was very desirable. Fine women were still as modest and refined as ever but were granted some modicum of freedom in their dress and self expression. This led to many advances for them in lifestyle, as well as artistic and literary endeavours, to name but a few. I certainly couldn’t begrudge them that and I liked it…a lot!
The first Regency gown I have completed, and which is modeled by my daughter Shara in this post, is very simple in it’s design. It is based upon research I did about the drawstring gowns that were being worn at the time. They are very conducive to women of differing situations and sizes and also flattering to many figure types. I also watched Emma, Pride & Prejudice and several other Jane Austen movies. 
I started with an embroidered raw silk like fabric in a cinnamon shade for the dress, a fine see through gold checked lawn and a gold venice style lace for accent. The neckline is fairly low and the waist is high, both would normally be gathered with a simple drawstring and tied. I sacrificed a little authenticity here and used modern day elastic, simply to make the act of nursing an infant easier. I made the slightly gathered sleeves about elbow length and added a lace insert at the cleavage in order to abide somewhat to the then rules of modesty in day dress. Bare arms 
and cleavage were acceptable only for evening wear. I also added a wide belt and satin ribbon to accentuate the empire waistline. I also made a triangular lace modesty piece to wear over the shoulders and to be used as both a cover up and a warmer. I was so happy to find a plain regency reproduction straw bonnet/hat, which I decorated with scraps of fabric, lawn, ribbon and lace. Self made buttons also decorate both the hat and the dress.
So, all in all I’m pretty happy with the result ‘and Shara looks a very fine Regency lady in it. Quite lovely! Mr. Darcy would no doubt approve!
This month has been a busy one here at Man the Capstan and thank goodness the spring has finally arrived in the Maritimes. The weather is just lovely now, the trees all have sprouted their new leaves, bulbs and spring flowers are blooming pretty much everywhere and birds are so, so, busy. We’ve already had several very warm days where temperatures have reached well into the mid 20s, so I’m happy!
We had my mother stay with us for almost four weeks which coincided with the 50th Anniversary of our Immigration to Canada from the Netherlands. It was certainly a nice time to be together. We had a wonderful family visit in which she was able to meet her new great grandson and many happy memories were made. All good things of course, come to an end, and she has now returned to her home in beautiful British Columbia.
We went on a lot of outings and did many things together while she was here, including Dave’s graduation from University, and I’m quite sure we wore her out completely. She has been an incredibly good sport though and thoroughly enjoyed her visit to Nova Scotia. On one such outing we visited the Mt. Uniacke estate. This offered us an awesome photo opportunity, and one which she particularly enjoyed because she was able to wear the English Rose in a true Georgian setting. For more information about Mt Uniacke you can read my blog about that place and it’s very interesting history.
It turned out to be an exceptionally windy day near the shores of Martha Lake, but as it happens the wind was to our advantage
in a number of pictures taken and all in all we got some super new shots of the costumes. I now know what ladies of that time period must have experienced in such weather and it was certainly a challenge to keep that frisky hat on my head!
I have been busy the last weeks working on David’s Royal Navy captain’s coat, as the bias and stand lace finally arrived in April. We have been waiting for that for about ten months I believe, and are we ever happy to finally have it in hand. I just have to show off the amazing detail that I have added to the cuffs and lapels of this jacket. It truly makes this jacket a thing of beauty and authenticity.
Steve’s Royal Marine coat has been complete for some time of course, but we had yet to photograph him in the entire get up with the lapels in the closed position and the maroon sash tied around his waist. We have all agreed that we prefer this uniform worn in this way best. Check out the gleaming gorget around his neck.
I have recently begun work on the first of the two Regency Gowns I am planning to sew and will add just a glimpse of it here. There is still much to do and I have plans for a wonderful matching bonnet that I think should be great fun to make. In order to help myself gain a better grasp of that period in history, I’ve been watching a number of films lately based on the novels of Jane Austen and 
have found that I really do admire the costuming in these movies. I’ve certainly changed my earlier opinion of these gowns and have decided that I would rather like to create a few of my own. Shara and I are leaning towards wearing these for our visit to the Tall Ships 2009 since it is bound to be a warm July day and these dresses are likely to be much cooler.
You can click on all my pictures to enlarge them!
Enos Collins was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia on September 5, 1774 and died November 18, 1871. He was a seaman, merchant, shipowner, financier, legislator and a very successful privateer. The eldest son and second child of Hallet Collins and Rhoda Peek, his father was a merchant, trader, and justice of the peace in Liverpool, N.S, who was married three times, and fathered 26 children.
Enos, did not receive much in the way of a formal education, but instead went to sea at an early age as a cabin boy on one of his father’s trading or fishing vessels. At the age of 19 he was master of the schooner Adamant, sailing to Bermuda and by 1799 he was serving as first lieutenant on the famous privateer ship the Charles Mary Wentworth. As a very ambitious young man, he soon obtained part-ownership in a number of vessels trading out of Liverpool. During the Peninsular War he made a large profit by sending three supply vessels to break the Spanish blockade and replenish the British army at Cadiz which set him on the road to making a fortune.
Not long after, he outgrew the opportunities offered by the thriving seaport of Liverpool, and moved to Halifax where, by 1811, he had established himself as a merchant and shipper. In Halifax, during the War of 1812, Collins bought captured American ships and cargoes at prize auctions; he stored the cargoes in his stone warehouse on the waterfront and sold these for a profit. One end of this warehouse became the Halifax Banking Company, founded by himself and several other Halifax merchants and which is known today as the Imperial Bank of Commerce. This private bank was nicknamed Collins’ Bank, and the building which housed it, is still a part of Halifax’s Historic Properties.
He was also a part-owner of three privateers, including the Liverpool Packet, the most famous and most feared Nova Scotian privateer to sail the New England waters during that war. She may have captured prizes worth a million dollars. The Black Joke, as described by John Boileau in his book, Half Hearted Enemies, was originally a slave ship captured by the British Navy in it’s attempt to stop the slave trade which had been illegal in the British Empire since 1807. She was sent to Halifax where she was condemned by the court of the Vice-Admiralty and put up for sale to the highest bidder and bought by Enos Collins. She was built in the United States and was a 53 foot black hulled compact schooner that weighed only 67 tons. Her two masts slanted back and carried sails both fore and aft, her foremast also carried sails and three large head sails swept back from her bowsprit. She was built like a racer and the crafty Enos Collins recognized her potential. She still reeked of her last prohibited cargo and he had to fumigate her with vinegar, tar and brimstone before he could crew and captain her. When this was accomplished he re-christened her the Liverpool Packet.
Initially she ran passengers and mail to his home town of Liverpool. With the advent of the War of 1812, however, she was to become the most successful Letter of Marque to ever sail out of a Canadian port. She became the nemesis of American merchant shipping, capturing a total of 50 American ships, and making Enos Collins a very wealthy man. She was briefly captured by the Americans but quickly recaptured by the British Navy and returned to her owners to continue her lucrative career.
During the years after the war Enos Collins was involved in many business ventures that earned him a lot of money. The bulk of his fortune was made by shrewd wartime trading and careful peacetime investments. He was successful in currency speculation, backed many trading ventures, carried on his mercantile activities, and entered the lumbering and whaling businesses. Like many of his peers, he also invested in the USA and rumour had it that his American holdings equaled those in Nova Scotia. By 1822 he was ready to move on to new ground but was convinced to remain in Nova Scotia by an offer made to him of a seat in the council.
After his entry into the principal governing body of the colony, the Council of Twelve, he reinforced his position as a member of the ruling élite in 1825 by marrying Margaret, the eldest daughter of Brenton Halliburton. He also built a fine estate which he called Gorsebrook and where he and his wife entertained the governor and other elites of the community. Gorsebrook is today the site of the Saint Mary’s University in Halifax and unfortunately his mansion no longer stands, having been demolished by the university in the 1960s. Enos and Margaret had nine children, although only one son and three daughters lived beyond childhood.
Enos Collins spent the last 30 years of his life in partial retirement keeping a close eye on his investments but withdrawn mainly to the privacy of Gorsebrook. He was a member of the Church of England and supported it financially. He believed strongly that the ruling class was responsible for the less fortunate and the less successful members of society; he was a member of the Poor Man’s Friend Society and gave generously in support of the blind, and to other charities common to 19th-century Halifax. He lived to the very old age of 97 and upon his death was reported to be the richest man in Canada. His estimated worth was thought to be in the neighbourhood of $6,000,000 which was a huge amount of money at that time.
Enos Collins was ambitious, shrewd and very often a hard-headed and harsh business man. In other words, he was what we might call a pretty tough guy, and quite definitely a “privateer extraordinaire”!
We have a slew of updates that are long overdue! As you can see from the picture above, Man the Capstan has finally received its last shipment of gold lace from Military Heritage! They had some lengthy order issues to deal with through their supplier, but in the end came through. They sent me the lace straight away, and it arrived within days of them receiving it. Thank you very much to the kind folks at Military Heritage for putting up with us here in Nova Scotia!
The lace is ten metres long, and should be more than adequate in finishing the trim on the first R.N. uniform. The uniform is still missing trim on the front lapels, the back, the tails and the sleeves. I imagine she’ll look very different when fully trimmed, and I can’t wait! We’ll be sure to post an update when it is complete.
Another substantial update is one of our acquisitions, save the lace. She arrived about a month ago from Australia, in a very large box! Understandable, given she was an expensive sword purchased and shipped from Australia. This newest addition was hinted to in the Behind the Uniform, Addendum post (scroll down until you see the brass anchor/crown picture), and only now have we had the time to talk further on it.
The sword is a replica, of course. She’s based off of an 1827 pattern, which is currently in use by many Commonwealth navies around the world (United Kingdom, Canada), so it’s no surprise we were able to find it in Australia. The 1827 pattern is similar to a 1805 sword, which is often called the Nelson Trafalgar sword. This sword was worn and used by Admiral Horatio Nelson, during the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st of October in 1805. Trafalgar was one of the more decisive naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars, and it was significant both strategically, and socially. The victory at Trafalgar supplied a significant morale boost for both civilians back home, and for sailors and servicemen at sea. Strategically, it all but annihilated Bonaparte’s influence on the high seas, assuring Great Britain’s dominance. Indeed, it was Britain’s ability to circumvent Bonparte’s “continental system” that kept her in the war, and ultimately was a large contributor to the dissolution of Bonaparte’s strangle-hold on Europe.
All of the metal components on the sword are solid brass! Take a peek at the picture above, and note the detail of the hilt. Like many R.N. swords, she bears the fouled anchor and crown of the Royal Navy. There is one hole on the top of the hilt for the sword knot, and two others on the bottom part of the hilt. The sword knot currently being used is a regulation knot, in use today by the Royal Navy. The scabbard rings are nicely welded, and fit beautifully to our Royal Navy regulation sword belt. They both look like they are perfectly suited to one another (which, I suppose, is true).
The hilt is imitation ivory, taking after Nelson’s sword (which was real ivory, I am sure). The pommel, near the tang button, features a lion’s head. The scabbard of the sword is real leather, which makes the sword surprisingly light to carry (and not as bulky). The other swords for Man the Capstan feature solid steel scabbards. These steel scabbards are heavier and sturdier, and when you draw the blade make a very nice sound. Our new Nelson scabbard, while not solid steel, is genuine leather and is true to form. The metal components on the scabbard are also solid brass, and feature decorative etchings as well.
All in all, this sword is a truly exquisite addition to Man the Capstan, and will be a true pleasure to wear. It really adds to the presentation of the uniform, improving the overall authenticity that we’re so deeply concerned about.
Featured below is another YouTube video we’ve produced on the Nelson sword. Please take a look!
Halifax’s Tall Ships 2009 is approaching fast, and with the new lace and the sword having arrived, we are one step closer to being adequately prepared for it. There is still so much left to do, though, and finding time to get it all done has been difficult. The good news is that I’m now finished all my schooling. I wrote my last exam two days ago, and will graduate in May from Acadia University. I am finally earning my Bachelor of Arts degree, and am glad to finally move on! I’ll have plenty of time this summer while I get situated to work and update on our efforts here at Man the Capstan. The picture to the right features myself posing alongside Miranda, who is wearing the Passage to India.
We’ve had relatives from British Columbia visit us this past week, my cousin Miranda and grandmother Sjoukje (SHOWK-YA). I am half-Dutch on my mother’s side, and my visiting grandmother originally came from the Netherlands. They immigrated in the 50s to Canada. My grandmother and Miranda managed to try on both of the dresses here at Man the Capstan, in particular Passage to India and English Rose.
With this in mind, we’ve decided that any friends or family passing through who manage to try on our uniforms will be inducted into the Crew as honourary members! In a few days I’ll throw up some pictures of my grandmother and Miranda outfitted in the dresses, with some form of write-up to our crew page. Pictured to the left is Sjoukje, “the Duchess”, in the English Rose.
Speaking of dresses, I believe Johanna, the tailor, is still working on a few more. I think she’s shifted her choice of style, and will be trying her hand at some regency style gowns. One of the main reasons will be temperature—these larger gowns tend to be quite warm, while the regency varieties are lightweight and incorporate a great deal less fabric. I’ll let Johanna expand on this in a future post, however!
That’s all for the moment! Until next time!
I have for some time had an avid interest in impressment. The reason for that, primarily came about during the many years I spent researching family history. I have on a number of occasions come across stories of exactly such a nature concerning men in our own family tree and will relate just such tale as it’s told in the annals of our family.
“In about the year 1810 John McNeil Stewart, second generation Scotsman living in Ballycastle, Ireland, was pressed into service on His Majesty’s Ship, “The Observer”. After serving for some time on this ship, John Stewart eventually reached Pictou Harbour in Nova Scotia. In that harbour one day he and several of his fellow recruits jumped overboard and upon being pursued, John Stewart at last made his way to safety. Once upon shore, a fellow Scotsman named Cameron covered him with a long cloak and concealed him in his home until his pursuers returned to their ship.” When it was safe to do so, John Stewart made his way into inland Nova Scotia where he married, raised a family and lived until his death sometime later. He is an ancestor to some members of our crew.
Many were sympathetic to the deserters who had been forcibly impressed and certainly it did not go unchallenged. Maritimers and particularly Nova Scotians very often made their livelihoods upon the seas as privateers, merchantmen and fishermen, making them even more vulnerable to being taken by the Royal Navy. This resulted in many formal petitions coming from the citizens of Nova Scotia to stop the practice.
The Royal Navy always had problems recruiting enough men to man their ships and this was particularly true in times of war. It was therefore a common event for British subjects of the male persuasion to be impressed into service aboard Royal Navy ships of war. The first act legalizing this practice was passed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in 1563.
At the time, it was then known as “an act touching politick considerations for the maintenance of the Navy”. Although Britain ended the practice of impressing men in 1814 after the Napoleonic Wars, the last law reaffirming impressment was passed in 1835 and it was indeed legal to do so until the early 1900s.
This act gave parishes authority to apprentice boys to the sea. Often a man who was in debt for under 20 pounds would be given a choice to join the navy or go to debtors prison. Other petty criminals were also given this option. As you can imagine many chose to go to sea rather then subject themselves to the harsh conditions of prison, or even death, for what we might consider rather trivial offenses. For many of them, service in the Navy offered a far better way of life then what their previous existence had. As often as not they did not have experience at sea, and as a rule it was much preferred to take fishermen or other seamen who did. Sea-faring men were most often pressed into service by the press gangs.
Press gangs were either men sent ashore to take men at club point from the villages and force them to return to the ships, where they were forced into service, or they were hired men from the villages, who would be paid for each man they brought back to the ships. Being a member of a press gang was one way to avoid being pressed into service yourself. According to one article, during the Napoleonic Wars, 3000 men worked as members of press gangs who most often targeted men with the least social power, such as the poor, criminals, and private seaman or fishermen. I cannot imagine how the wives or children of these men must have felt watching their husbands and fathers being forcibly led away to the ships waiting in the harbour. The crews of merchantmen or privateers rescued at sea by the Royal Navy, were also often written into a ships books.
Impressment was a legal practice which was based upon the King’s power and right to call men to military service. There were however rules to be followed, many of which were ignored more often than not. For example, a man could not be forced to serve for longer than a period of five years, and could not be impressed more often than once. Impressment was limited to men aged between eighteen and forty-five (although I have found variances in that age limit to fifty-five and beyond. Foreigners could not be taken unless married to a Brit, or they had to have worked aboard a British merchant ship for at least two years.
The men were paid a small salary, given a pension and a share of the captured prize money, which most often was not paid until the end of a man’s service, or at the conclusion of war. This had the effect of course, of diminishing the rate of desertion. The longer a man served, the greater was the monetary interest vested, encouraging many to stay to the end. That doesn’t mean of course that many did not try to desert, and escape they did, in droves. Some say that Britain lost as many men as what were gained. A goodly portion of these men however, settled and even thrived in the way of life that was the Royal Navy. They served out their time, resigned to their fate and the British tradition of impressment.
Certainly, by our modern democratic standards of today, the act of pressing men into service, against their will, seems totaltarian and brutish; however, it is worth pointing out that such customs are not entirely alien to Western society. Consider, for a moment, the Vietnam War and both World Wars of the 20th century, where conscription was avidly pursued. In the Napoleonic Wars, as well, one might wonder whether the face of Europe would look different today, were the men of Great Britain not compelled to serve aboard His Majesty’s ships of war, and the tryant Bonaparte allowed to roam the seas, unchecked and unchallenged. As a woman of Dutch heritage, whose country was during that time period, firmly held under the heel of his tyranny, this is indeed food for thought.
Dave
Johanna
Shara
Tim
Steve
