Draughts of the Brig Sloop Mercury

[William Brand]

Some of you may already be familiar with the Mercury and its crew at the Pirates in Paradise Festival at Key West. We work and teach as a re-enactment crew at the festival. I am now proud to offer the Draughts of the Brig Sloop Mercury for sale. The Draughts are printed in dark brown ink on a pale parchment measuring 20 x 28 inches. The plans include a profile of the frigate and rigging as well as the individual decks and small boats. Copies of the draughts are being sold in pairs. One for framing. One for folding. Each purchase includes two copies for $25.00 within the U.S. This price reflects priority shipping and handling.

International customers may purchase the Draughts of the Brig Sloop Mercury by paypal using my wife's account. The cost for overseas shipping is much higher, but after shopping around and averaging the cost to various countries such as Denmark, Germany and Russia I have decided to set the overall cost at $35.00.

See payment option below.

Details of the Mercury:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24635634@N04/2363612985/







Please make checks payable to:

William Pace
143 South 400 West
Logan, Utah 84321

Paypal customers add $3.00 and send me a PM with a name and address for shipping. Please send me a private message for Paypal instructions.

[Mary Diamond]

I would like to add, these Draughts showcase William's talent and high attention to detail ~

The draughts are a lovely and handy reference as well, to better associate oneself with ship terms.

I personally bought mine while at PiP, and have indeed had mine framed. Now, if the frame shop would only call to say it is ready!

[Misson]

Ah, at last! I want a set. Did you place the T-shirt order yet? Where is the surgeon located?

Actually, if anyone's curious, surgery was most typically performed in the what seems to be the most unlikely of places - the orlop deck of a ship. Dark, dank and located at the lowest level (above the hold), which is below the waterline.

Stephen Bown states in his book Scurvy: How a Surgeon, a Mariner, and a Gentleman Solved the Greatest Medieval Mystery of the Age of Sail, "The surgeon’s mate dwelled within the bowels of the ship, in a six-foot-square canvas enclosure in the cockpit on the orlop deck, directly above the hold in the front of the vessel, where the rocking was greatest, the air foulest, and the natural light faintest. It was barely large enough to contain a sea chest, and a medical chest and the canvas walls pinned to the overhead beams provided scant privacy from the general crew." (Bown, p. 88)

On the other hand (there's always another hand), R. S. Allison says in “Chirurgeon: Look to the Wounded,” J Royal Medical Serv 1990 that "…the orlop which lay between the hold and the lower gun deck. It had no gun ports, being below the water line, and in the after part, amidships, the cockpit was placed. This was the principled dressing station for the treatment of the wounded in action. The site was good because it was comparatively immune from direct hits, and not only could the surgeon work uninterrupted, but he was more secure than if he had been on the gun decks above.” (Allison, p. 16)

Most writers tend to agree with Bown. John Keevil (who is becoming one of my favorite authors on this topic - he always has loads of period references) said in his book Medicine and the Navy 1200-1900: Volume II – 1640-1714 that “During the three days’ fighting and subsequently at anchor in Stokes Bay, many...candle-lit operations were carried out in the cockpits of damaged ships, where only constant pumping held the rising water in check. In many cases it was a young surgeon’s first experience of amputating, except as an assistant, and also his first time in a cockpit.” (Keevil, p. 43)

Note: all of these references are to B.R. Navy ships, which is the only type for which I have found reliable info from period. (Forgive me for blathering on about this. Organizing all this info in bits and bites around here is helpful to me and perhaps enlightening to y'all.)

[William Brand]

Ah, at last! I want a set. Did you place the T-shirt order yet? Where is the surgeon located?

I did place the shirt order already, but see your message inbox for details.

As far as the typical location of the surgeon, you are correct. The surgeon was generally down in the dark. However, some forward thinking Captains have provided better arrangements for their surgeons on rare occasions. The Mercury is not large enough for stately accomodations, so we'd have to discuss the matter. You should add this to your surgon thread under PIP.

[Coastie04]

Mission,

Nice research! However, from a my seagoing experience, the best place for the surgeon might be the orlop deck (as close to amidship as possible, on both axis) As Allison points out, that area is relatively safe from direct hits, thus keeping the surgeon and wounded safe from the battle. Also, it would be out of the way of the guns and other chaos of fighting the ship. The lower deck, as long as it was closer to the midship portion from fore-aft, would have the least amount of motion. If you ever get the chance to be on any ship in rough weather, you noticably feel the difference of just a deck or two in height. Of course, the same pendulum effect happens in the bow or stern (especially the bow, as the center of gravity is usually slightly aft), so I don't know why it was in the bow of the vessel that Brown describes, unless it's just a matter of where there's room. As for light, I guess it's just a matter of good lighting or a steadier and safer working platform. Just my two cents on the matter.

Coastie

[Littleneckhalfshell]

Great set of Draughts, now just how do I go about building it

on a side note, Mission, you mentioned "Stephen Bown states in his book Scurvy: How a Surgeon, a Mariner, and a Gentleman Solved the Greatest Medieval Mystery of the Age of Sail,"

An early reminder International Scurvy Awareness day is May 2nd, a Friday this year.

http://www.limestrong.com/about.htm Here's to the Mercury, (the Brig Sloop, not the medical use)

and to stamping out Scurvy.

[Misson]

Ah, thanks Coastie! I may use that in my little tome... There are actually descriptions by surgeons from period of their environment. They do not complain about them or wish for different quarters (at least none I've come across so far have), but they do talk about the lack of light provided by the "lanthorns in the cockpit." The complaints by contemporary authors (which, other than the second quote up there, are unanimous) may be due to the presentism concept I was discussing elsewhere. Or it may also be that the surgeons had no thoughts about moving the surgery quarters because it had never occurred to them. After all, that's where they had always been placed.

In fact, most naval surgeons who bothered to write the Naval Board and complain spent their time talking about 1) the cramped conditions that seemed to them to increase illness 2) the quality of the air in the ship, which was blamed for most diseases and 3) the rotten quality of the food. In fact, the food complaints are practically deafening, except when quoting letters written by people who had not been on BRN ships very often.

So...does the Mercury have good lanthorns in the cockpit, William?

[Quartermaster James]

Stunningly beautiful work!

My order will be on the way shortly!

[William Brand]

So...does the Mercury have good lanthorns in the cockpit, William? 

I must tell you, having been raised among the learned in the land of faith, William Brand would most certainly have a well lit surgery, no matter the ship.

That being said, and setting it firmly aside, I believe the matter of the lanthorns on the Mercury is open for discussion. There is the historic presidence that all things about sea life are generally awful, so the surgery should be a damp hole with creature comforts, lest the sick get too comfortable.

I should also point out, though it pains me to do so, that in my effort to get the draughts out as quickly as possible for last year's PIP, I made a few small errors on the Mercury plans. They are minor, but regretably, they exist.

Artists are their own worst critics.

[Misson]

I should also point out, though it pains me to do so, that in my effort to get the draughts out as quickly as possible for last year's PIP, I made a few small errors on the Mercury plans. They are minor, but regretably, they exist.

Artists are their own worst critics.

And need to learn not to say such things. I have learned never to point out the flaws in my creations. Well, not completely, as I was only recently telling Donna about the quality of my staining job on something things in my house...

William! Send me a total for the cost of the shirt AND the draughts with shipping and a check will wing its way in your direction!