Press Gang History

[Matty Bottles]

The press gang seems particularly despotic to me, as I read "Pirate Hunter."Does anyone have a good source for information about the press gangs? And, while we're at it, can anyone reccomend a good source of info for the rules of apprenticeship at the time?

[El Pirata]

Who's the press gang?

[Matty Bottles]

Press gangs were groups of Royal Navy employees (I'm not sure if they were sailors or officers or just thugs) who woukd be ordered to find a crew and who had authority to kidnap anyone they came across and force them into the navy.

[El Pirata]

Ask and thou shalt receive.

[Hawkyns]

Generally composed of a bunch of large sailors with attitude and the bosun, under the command of a junior officer- senior middie or a leftenant.

Hawkyns

[Matty Bottles]

Thank you, Hawkyns.

[Red Maria]

I have a book at my desk titled "Enter the Press Gang: Naval Impressment in Eighteenth-Century British Literature" by Daniel James Ennis, Associated Universities Press, 2002 ISBN 0874137551. There is a chapter on the historic aspects of press gangs as well as chapters on how it was depicted in novels and on stage. There is even a chapter on press gang ballads.

Maybe you can get it on an ILL.

[Matty Bottles]

Thank ye, Miss Maria.

[Lady Bassett]

Press gangs. An interesting concept. I guess that's one way to obtain a crew. More polite to ask, though.

[redhand]

I seem to also remember reading that the RN also

employed "civilian agents" to act as press gangs,

therefore not tying RN ships company to shore

patrol all the time.

Cheers

Redhand

[Hawkyns]

Crimpers, they were known as, mostly preceeded by a string of invective. Both the navy and the army used them, although officially it was not permitted. They bought convicts from local parishes, debtors prisons, and tricked unsuspecting people into signing enlistment papers without regiments or ships designated. They would then be sold, frequently to regiments or ships that had such bad reps that they could not get recruits any other way. Lots of shady deals and unscrupulous practices were used to get the quotas made up.

Not sure which is worse, bein' hit over the head with a belayin' pin and wakin' up board ship, or being conned into it and not bein' able to do anythin'. Either way, there was damn little choice involved.

Y'know, there is just so little about the Georgian military that is appealing..........

Hawkyns

[redhand]

Y'know, there is just so little about the Georgian military that is appealing..........

Aye! "Rum, sodomy & the lash!

I'm fairly certain I'll pass on that!

Redhand

[El Pirata]

Aye! "Rum, sodomy & the lash!

If ye be wantin the lash I think a few wenches might be will to help.

[redhand]

Yeah, like I said....

I'll pass on those three...OK,

on at least TWO of them....

I'll keep the RUM!

Cheers

Redhand

[Calico Jack]

In 1781, a number of Lunenburg County [Nova Scotia] farmers and agriculturists were in Halifax [Nova Scotia] for the market, and were snapped up [likely at a pub] by a Press Gang [properly said, they were "Impressed" into service, or "pressed" into service].

Their wives and families back home raised a hue and cry, and it went to trial. Peter McNab was one of the Grand Jurors at the trial. It was found that this particular impressment did not follow the law, and was illegal, and the men from Lunenburg were free to go.

Of course, by this time, they were long away out across the ocean.

Common techniques involved:

[a] getting a potential sailor roaring drunk, 'til he keels over, then pick him up and carry him aboard ship;

tricking him into accepting a coin in "hire fee" by a variety of specious means [such as placing it under his ale, so that when he lifts to lip, he exposes and thus "accepts" the coin - this led to glass-bottomed steins coming into common favour in Nova Scotia and beyond];

[c] purchasing sailors from inkeepers [Jack Jennings of Liverpool, Nova Scotia was famous for selling drunken sailors to ships' captains].

Can add more information later. Back to work with me, now.

- Calico Jack

[Calico Jack]

And as an interesting aside, said Jack Jenning of Liverpool NS makes it into a rather famous sea chantey as well:

In Liverpool there liv'd a man - Jack Jennings was his name

And in the days of square-rigged sail he played the shanghai game.

His wife's name was Caroline, sailors knew from near and far;

And when she played the shanghai game she used his big stone jar.

In the old Virginia lowlands, lowlands low,

In the old Virginia lowlands low!

First time I went to Liverpool I got up on a spree,

Went up to old Jack Jennings' place, such gallant sights to see:

There were drunkards in the corner and bummers at the bar,

And Caroline was supplying them with a big five-gallon jar.

Said old Jack to old Caroline, "I'll tell you what we'll do.

There's a ship lying down to McKinnon's Wharf; I think she wants a crew.

We'll go down around the corners to get some drunken tars.

We'll shanghai them away out of Liverpool Bay with a big five-gallon jar!"

So Jack and Cal they worked their game when the ships signed on their tars.

Skys'l Jack and Pete and Bowline Bill helped to judge old Cal's five-gallon jar.

Now we'll bid adieu to Cal and Jack and set our sails for ports afar.

Dear Shanghai Cal, we'll all come back, and sample Jack's five gallon jar.

- Calico Jack

[Matty Bottles]

Thank ye, matees. I veritable font o'information. So, what precisely was legal and illegal? Or was it mostly an imprecise business?

[Calico Jack]

First, be fore-warned that there are few "objective" examinations of Impressment. Most are written by Americans looking at it as _the_ cause for the War of 1812, and the rest are written by the British [such as the account in _Nelson's Navy_ by Philip Haythornthwaite].

Fair game was generally [for the _British_ Navy] British sailors, in particular former British Navy Sailors [deserters especially].

service.

In England, impressment was historically employed by the army and navy, but by the 19th century it was commonly used only by the navy. From the British viewpoint, impressment made some sense. Conditions in the Royal Navy were extremely harsh, resulting in a high number of desertions.

Sailors ashore were as well fair game - but the key is sailors.

Records show that hundreds of sailors ran away - not surprisingly, as they did not always join up voluntarily. From as early as Saxon times, all kinds of men were impressed into service against their will. By 1744 the practice had become standard, and press gangs would literally pluck men from their families or snatch them on their way to work. Convicts, vagrants and the unemployed were regularly picked up in pubs. Boys as young as 12 and men as old as 55 could suffer impressment. Farmhands were generally exempt, as they were needed for essential work.

Another option during the Wars against the Americas - The majority of African-Americans who participated on either side during the War of 1812 did so as sailors rather than soldiers. In 1812, the Royal Navy already had a small percentage of black seamen in its ranks. In 1814, black regiments from the West Indies were employed during the ill-fated naval campaign against New Orleans. Also, throughout the conflict, the British navy recruited a number of blacks from the U.S. to fight against the Americans. These African-Americans were promised their freedom in return for joining British naval campaigns. It is known that more than two hundred such black marines participated in the battles in Bladensburg, Washington, and Baltimore. The British did relocate a significant number of black Americans and their families to Canada where slavery had been abolished under British law. Nova Scotia in particular would become the new home for a large number of these people.

Particularly of use, note http://www.nelsonsnavy.co.uk/broadside7.html

- Calico Jack.

[John Maddox Roberts]

I recall some years ago reading a book about the Great Mutiny at the Nore and the Lizard. It was brought about by too-enthusiastic impressment during the Napoleonic wars. Having scoured the dockside for sailors and unemployed idlers, they ranged too far inland (just a matter of blocks) and began nabbing apprentices, shopkeepers and other members of the (mostly) middle class. Suddenly the RN had an abundance of "sailors" who could read and write. They began passing letters among themselves and organizing. One day, the whole fleet went on strike. No "Bounty" stuff, they just agreed to obey any order except an order to set sail. In justice to the Admiralty, many of the reforms demanded by the strikers were reforms the Admiralty had been trying for years to force through Parliament, always turned down because they would "cost too much." I.E., might mean that the wealthy might have to pony up some taxes. A lesson for organized labor that was not neglected in the coming decades.

[Billie Bonnie]

There are many examples of sailors openly fighting and rioting with Press Gangs. Many of these were accounted in various publications and a pamphet called "The rights of the Sailors Vindicated" is an account of sailors in London..both their politics as well as street fights

Some of the larger riots took place in New York and Maine. There was a press-gang from the HMS St. John that was attacked in Newport by a group of sailors, they hunted the ship down and fired cannon at her ! There were also many times where sailors burned down British ships who were in the practice of press-ganging.

Apparently local officials could sign "press-warrents" that allowed press-gangs to opperate . Many of the instances where sailors rioted against the press-gangs, they were also fighting aganst the local officials who were letting it happen.

Press-ganging is also an extension of "spiriting" where young adults (mostly in Ireland and England) were kidnapped and sold into slavery, many were forced to work on ships.

There were many reasons why a crew might mutiny and turn to piracy...press-ganging, forced military service, and slavery were some of the many reasons.

[Red Maria]

Here's some goodies I found in the Library's online catalog. They are all 17th c. :

Public General Acts 1659

An Act for impresting of seamen. June 28. 1659. Ordered by the Parliament, that this Act be forthwith printed and published. Tho. St Nicholas Clerk of the Parliament

England and Wales. Parliament, Aug. 10, 1645

An ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, or the speedy raising and impresting of men, for the defence of the kingdom. : Die Jovis, 10 August, 1643. is this day ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, that this ordinance be forthwith printed and published: ; H: Elsynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com

Everett, George, Shipwright

Encouragement for seamen & mariners. In two parts. Being a proposed method for the more speedy and effectual furnishing Their Majesties Royal Navy with able seamen and mariners. And for saving those immense sums of money, yearly expended in attending the sea-press. In order to prevent those many mischiefs and abuses daily committed (by disorderly press-masters) both at sea and land, to the great prejudice of their Majesties, and injury of the subject. By George Everett, Shipwright

London : [s.n.],|cprinted in the year, MDCXCV. [1695]

[Billie Bonnie]

Wow, thanks Red Maria !!

[Red Maria]

Glad you were impressed Billie!

[Scupper]

most press gangs were able seamen and an officer that went to pubs and such to round up a select number of men. The size of the ship and the favor the captain was held often dictated how many could be pressed from the surronding area. The rest were made up of volunteers, debtor's prisons and the local jails

Scupper

[capnwilliam]

Redhand, I agree with yer "one out of three" preferences! Mate Jan is out shopping right now; hope she doesn't ferget me rum!

Calico Jack, thank ye fer the nelsonsnavy cite; the cutlass shown looks very much like much, which I just bought from Middlesex Village Traders, and am very well pleased with it and with them as vendors.

John, now ye know the real meaning of an employement applicant being "overqualified"; means yer too smart to put up with the crap that goes on here!

Capt. William