Victorian warship 1854

[Top-of-the-hill]

   I am trying to write up a family story, and find that the things I don't know are many! Below is part of a plan of the lower deck of a ship. Am I right in assuming that the oblong objects are fixed tables where the men would have eaten? And that hammocks were slung above them at night? Or at other times for men on night watches? I do try and look things up, and I have gathered that the same groups of men ate together - a mess? A word which is familiar of course, but never needed to be explained before. The names are only those who were stricken with a mystery illness.

[AlanBoyd]

Could they be gun stations? – then the men would be members of the corresponding gun crews.

[purlin]

From what I read the 1900's saw many changes in Naval ships from sail to steam etc.

 I wonder if the image is of the Berth deck, which if I understand it is below the gun deck.  I remember seeing images of hammocks hung above and below each other on such Berth decks. If that is the case it may account for the two numbers No. 9. -10 etc being used on the oblongs. 

[Andy J2022]

Going by this recreation of the gun decks on HMS Warrior (c 1860), your guess about the mess tables could be corrrect. https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtefactPorn/comments/jxw1n3/the_gun_deck_of_hms_warrior_with_periodcorrect/

[Top-of-the-hill]

  I found a different website about the Warrior, which gave me the idea of the long tables. Purlin - I have just found a reference to the berth deck being below the gun deck.
   I am really surprised at how difficult it is to find even a plan of the deck layouts and what was where. At least I can't find it!

[AlanBoyd]

This description is unambiguous: the gun deck was also the deck where the men ate and slept.

Warrior was different from the sailing warships of the previous four centuries - like Mary Rose and Victory - in having one long stable gun deck rather than several stacked gun decks. Six hundred men lived here, divided into 34 messes, each with up to 18 men squashed into the space between two guns. They crammed around the simple mess table at mealtimes and at night slung their hammocks above.

http://www.hmswarrior.org/history/lifeonboard

[Top-of-the-hill]

  The Warrior was a bigger ship and built later. As I understand it, 600 men was way above her complement - I don't know why.

[purlin]

Came across Utube video of HMS Warrior.  As already mentioned this ship was commissioned in 1860 and was an iron clad with steam and sail capability.  However, the video explains the messing system on board and also the layout of the main deck where in-between the guns where suspended tables and benches capable of seating up to 18 crew members.  The hammocks where also hung between the guns extending fore and aft. Everything looks very ship shape and the video gives one a sense of how the space is utilised ready for battle.

So maybe the oblongs would be the actual gun placements as again already mentioned. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu7mhremr3I