RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: jmmhistory2 on Monday 04 October 21 23:13 BST (UK)
-
In looking at naval ancestors, and where their ships went, I was wondering if someone could help me with this question. How often would a seaman step off onto dry land in the 19th century when abroad, and to what extent would he be able to see the place where the ship was docked on foot (even when not on leave)? For example, I've seen many examples of ships going to ports and staying there for maybe only a night as part of a longer journey. There are numerous accounts of officers going off and seemingly being tourists abroad, but I have seen little information on what seamen could actually do during the same time.
-
I lived in a sea port during WWII and afterwards when sailing ships (with masts and sails) docked and also steam ships (with funnels). It depended whether a ship needed any repairs done as to how long the ship remained in port. Sailors who weren't on guard duty would be allowed shore leave after they'd made the ship "ship shape and Bristol fashion". Inns, pubs, bordellos, shops were the main focus if it wasn't a "home port".
I remember we had one ship with a very different crew arrive in our port. It was a Russian Ship and it was very strange to see a large crowd of impeccably dressed uniformed Russian sailors wandering around the High Street of our town.
-
I have a section of the log book for one of the ship's my 3G Grandfather was on 1833-1837
It was the based for 4 years mainly up and down the west coast of South America, and into the Pacific.
Often they are several weeks in port. It doesn't say specifically but I don't get an impression for much if any shore leave as such, but they were all very industriously 'doing stuff'.
When they were in port, the carpenters and 'party' were always off helping repair other English vessels, not necessarily naval ones.
The junior officers seem to be exercised every day, and there is a lot of repairing sails and practising using the guns. 'Exercised a party at quarter deck cannonades"
Frequent mustering
About once a fortnight everyone was ordered to wash everything - clothes/hammocks.
Loading of provisions - water and food.
on 29th April 1835 in Callao Harbour,
included this -
11.30 punished Robt Reynolds S[eaman?] with 12 lashes for leaving the barge and insolence.
Ja. Hilliar M[idshipman?] with 18 lashes for drunkeness and leaving the Brooming party while on shore.
the 28th May says
" Returned to the ship Tho's Redford /S/ who absented himself the 21st March past.
So he was AWOL for 2 months. Oddly it doesn't say how many lashes he got.