Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "age-of-sail"

Female Tars: Women Aboard Ship in the Age of Sail by Suzanne J. Stark

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


During the Age of Sail, the British Royal Navy was decidedly a man’s world. One might think this meant women were not aboard these wooden vessels that ruled the oceans and protected the world’s largest empire. Female Tars shows the contrary to be true. The Admiralty and officers may have ignored their presence or not even been aware they were aboard, but women did live and work on navy ships during the seventeenth century through the middle of the nineteenth.

Stark’s book, first published in 1996, is a succinctly written and engrossing academic study for scholars as well as lay readers. Four chapters comprise this easy-to-read exploration: Prostitutes and Seamen’s Wives on Board in Port, Women of the Lower Deck at Sea, Women in Disguise in Naval Crews, and The Story of Mary Lacy, Alias William Chandler. The endnotes provide fascinating historical tidbits that don’t readily fit within the main narrative. They also provide the source material documenting the text, although no separate bibliography is included. In addition to the index, black-and-white illustrations depicting women with seamen further enhance the chapters.

The largest category of women found on ships was prostitutes, who spent time on the lower deck where the sailors lived whenever a vessel put in at a port. This was a period when shore leave was rarely granted since most captains believed the crew would desert. To prevent this and to keep the men happy, boatloads of women came out to the ship to entertain and console them. To a lesser degree some of these females were the actual wives of the seamen, but for them to have this opportunity to visit with their husbands was a rarity, as Stark so ably demonstrates. Within this chapter she discusses the reasons for allowing women to board the ships, which also entails what life was like in the navy and pertinent Admiralty regulations. The inclusion of contemporary quotations allows Stark to contrast how men of the lower deck viewed these women with the viewpoints of commissioned officers. Her discourse also covers what life at home was like for all these women and their families, as well as the reforms that eventually led to the cessation of this practice.

Chapter two focuses on warrant officers’ wives, who often accompanied their husbands. For many, the ship was the only home they ever had and they raised their families within these wooden walls. Aside from comparing these wives with those of soldiers, Stark explores the tradition of women going to sea (which dates back to medieval times), the regulations concerning this, and the wives’ daily routine (meals, recreation, sexual harassment, childbirth, and participation in battles). She also touches on women in the French navy during this time period. The final segments of the chapter summarize how this tradition came to an end and why these valiant women who deserved the General Service Medal failed to receive it.

The third chapter focuses on women in disguise. Only a few accounts survive as evidence that prove they existed, but it’s likely others also donned male attire and joined the navy. Either their stories were never recorded, or their true identities were never revealed. In presenting this information, Stark asks and attempts to answer three questions:

How were they able to pass as male on crowded ships where privacy didn’t exist?

Why did they volunteer and go to great efforts to remain on board when many men were pressed into service and deserted whenever the opportunity arose?

How did their fellow seamen, their officers, and society as a whole view these women once their true gender was revealed?

Her first offer of proof of these women seamen come directly from the archives of the Royal Navy. They are Gentlewoman Anne Chamberlyne (1690), a nameless Gentlewoman (1690s), a Marine known as William Prothero (1760-1761), and a black female seaman known as William Brown (1804-1816 [or later]). In addition, Stark discusses Hannah Snell’s “Muddled Biography” and Mary Anne Talbot’s “Spurious Autobiography.”

The final chapter focuses on Mary Lacy and showcases excerpts from her autobiography, first published in 1773. After running away from home in 1759, she eventually assumed the persona of a male and enlisted in the Royal Navy. The chosen selections document various stages in her career, which includes her time as an apprentice and a shipwright, and informs readers of her goals, attitudes, and opinions about what she experiences and witnesses. They also provide insights into why she joined the navy and why she continued to serve in spite of the severe hardships she endured during her twelve years of service.

Stark masterfully disentangles the myths and facts about women of the lower deck of warships. She also enlightens us as to why they chose this harsh life. Finally and perhaps most importantly, she illuminates the social context of these lower-class women and the limited roles open to them. Female Tars is an invaluable addition to any collection dealing with the Royal Navy, women at sea, women’s history, and life during the Age of Sail.




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Building the Wooden Fighting Ship by James W. Dodds

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


They capture our imaginations. They majestically sail across oceans. They play a key role in Britain’s defense of the realm. Yet we tend to think of these wooden walls as if they spring from an idea to fully built ships. The truth is far different and, although they may not measure up to today’s technology, these fighting vessels are the most technologically advanced of their day. This book delves into what it takes to build a ship from the seedling of an oak tree to the ideal warship that leads to an island nation’s supremacy upon the seas.

The backbone of the Royal Navy sprang from a captured Spanish ship, originally built by French shipwrights in 1740. This man-of-war was superior to all existing vessels in the English fleet, so the Admiralty decided to base future warships on her design. One of the two-deck, seventy-four-gun vessels to be built was HMS Thunderer, whose keel was laid in 1756 at Woolwich, the first royal dockyard. It took four years of construction before her launch in the middle of the Seven Years’ War. At the dawn of the next century, 139 out of 800 ships were seventy-fours.

But this is far more than just a book about ship construction and the Royal Navy. It also shines a light on Britain’s shipping industry, the timber trade, the elements needed to build ships, the dockyards where they were built, and the people needed to turn designs into finished products. Ten chapters and an epilogue comprise this volume, beginning with “The Origins of the 74” and concluding with a recap of Thunderer’s career from her launch to her loss in 1780.

Dodds is both a shipwright and an artist, whose black and white drawings provide readers with a clear understanding of each facet along the way. Moore sails yachts and writes books about ships. Their expertise shines through, turning what might be a ho-hum dry treatise on shipbuilding into a fascinating and easy-to-understand narrative. Originally published in 1984, this new edition is beautifully rendered and well worth the price. There are so many details presented that even those familiar with ship construction will discover new tidbits of information, while those with little understanding of the industry will come away with a deeper appreciation of what it took to build one wooden fighting ship out of more than 3,400 oak trees.




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Spanish Warships in the Age of Sail, 1700-1860: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates by Rif Winfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As history passes, change is inevitable. Sometimes, it’s hard to see how those changes influence fundamental elements within an organization and its equipment. Spanish Warships in the Age of Sail, the latest volume in the Warships in the Age of Sail series, seeks to alter this by showcasing how Spain’s naval fleet evolved during a specific span of time. In this case, the book focuses on the period in which the Bourbon monarchy came to power in November 1700 until steam began to replace sail. Whenever possible, the authors also discuss each ship’s career, where she sailed and fought, and what became of her.

The book opens with an explanation of the Spanish Navy’s structure and organization, which is followed by information concerning Spain’s weights and measurements, names, dates, naval ranks, monetary units, flags and royal arms, and conversions. Two chronologies are included; that of the Trastamara and Habsburg Eras covers 1492 through 1697, and the Bourbon Era begins with the death of Carlos II in 1700 and extends through the monarchy’s restoration in 1874. The next seventy-six pages provide a historical overview (before the Habsburgs into the mid-19th century), the leaders of the Bourbon Navy, Spain’s regional navies that were precursors to its national navy, auxiliary groups (such as the guardacostas or coastguard), the Manila Galleons, fleet lists, naval construction, departmental organization and dockyards, naval ordnance and architecture, copper sheathing, management of material resources, and acquiring, training, maintaining, and retaining naval personnel.

It is at this juncture that the authors discuss the sources and archives that were consulted, as well as the difficulties they encountered in identifying and providing information on individual vessels. There is also a bibliography, a glossary, and a list of the abbreviations used in the main portion of the book.

The heart of the book appears in twenty-four chapters where Spanish naval vessels are discussed, beginning with ships of the line with three decks and ending with lesser fore-and-aft rig boats. The major warships cover six chapters and each is arranged chronologically. Among the other vessels found in subsequent chapters are brigs, bomb vessels, storeships, fireships, packets, galleys, xebecs, barks, and cutters. There is also an addendum about paddle and screw warships that were powered by a combination of sail and steam; these are not reviewed in detail. Seven appendices pertain to vessels that participated in the 1588 Felicísima Armada and the 1639 Battle of the Downs; rules governing the building of ships during the 1600s; the types and numbers of ships in various years between 1782 and 1860; expenses for the Spanish Navy in different locales (1714-1800) as well as government expenditures (1801-1860); ordnance regulations; and official officer and crew numbers aboard different types of vessels.

Although there is an index, it lists only the names of specific vessels. Black-and-white illustrations (portraits, drafts, and maps) and tables are found throughout. Technical details for the different classes of vessels and single designs are provided, as is information on the ship architects, shipwrights, and building dates if known. Significant details about individual ships are provided, as is the order of battle for major sea battles. That being said, the authors make it clear that there are gaps in the provided information. Some of this stems from a fire that swept through naval archives in 1734.

Spanish Warships is not meant to be read from cover to cover. Written by eminently qualified authors, it is a reference book that provides researchers with invaluable information that is as accurate and comprehensive as it can be. Much of the source material comes from archival primary documents. It is highly recommended and is a great companion to previous titles in the series.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpirat...)




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