Naval flogging

[Swashbuckler 1700]

I am wondering when The Royal Navy actually took flogging as popular punishment. There is tons of pirate books telling about flogging but so often there mixed a lots of later Nelson Navy stuff with pirates. What about Gaop RN? how popular the flogging really was?

[Daniel]

There was flogging in Cromwell's Navy at least as early as 1654, when three men were flogged on a British naval vessel off Leghorn in Italy, according to Rodger's The Command of the Ocean. But I believe naval flogging existed much earlier than that.

[Red John]

I think navel flogging is a terrible practice . . .

[oderlesseye]

[Swashbuckler 1700]

That is nice picture.. though from 19th century book. Flogging itself seems to be really old naval tradition (thinking of old galley slaves now). But I was wondering how common is was on gaop and earlier.

Even pirate articles of John Philips in 1724 mentioned whipping "V. That Man that shall strike another whilst these Articles are in force, shall receive Moses’s Law (that is, 40 Stripes lacking one) on the bare Back"

I watched a documentary about Nelson's RN ("Time Watch - Myths of Nelson's Navy (BBC 2000)" and of course criticism in needed here) and there was said that not many sailors got flogged during their service time I think the ration was 1 of 20 sailors or so. And actually much of the talk of strict navy discipline is misleading. E.G. if you stole chicken on-land you could get hanged but aboard ship you usually got "only" whipped....

Edited December 6, 2012 by Swashbuckler 1700

[Bright]

http://youtu.be/N8MzxLD9B4I

[Swashbuckler 1700]

Well cat o nine tails has had a clear maritime concision at least in 1695 so at least rather early in Gaop.

A play of the period. At the same time is appear to have the first mention of cat o nine tails (though the whip design itself is much older than 1690s) Ben is a sailor. Also it tells that whipping might have been a punishment for bad language

From WILLIAM CONGREVE

(1670–1729)

"Love for Love" 1695

"....Ben. Look you, young woman. You may learn to give good words, however.

I spoke you fair, d’ye see, and civil. As for your love or your liking, I don’t

value it of a rope’s end. And mayhap I like you as little as you do me. What

I said was in obedience to father. Gad, I fear a whipping no more than you

do. But I tell you one thing, if you should give such language at sea, you’d

have a cat-o’-nine-tails..."

laid ’cross your shoulders. Flesh, who are you? You

heard t’other handsome young woman speak civilly to me, of her own

accord. Whatever you think of yourself, Gad I don’t think you are any more

to compare to her than a can of small beer to a bowl of punch."

About the play (yes wiki but it is not bad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_for_Love)

And the play itself http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/noa/pdf/27636_Rest_U03_Congreve.pdf

Edited July 23, 2013 by Swashbuckler 1700

[Swashbuckler 1700]

Well cat o nine tails has had a clear maritime concision at least in 1695 so at least rather early in Gaop.

A play of the period. At the same time is appear to have the first mention of cat o nine tails (though the whip design itself is much older than 1690s) Ben is a sailor. Also it tells that whipping might have been a punishment for bad language

From WILLIAM CONGREVE

(1670–1729)

"Love for Love" 1695

"....Ben. Look you, young woman. You may learn to give good words, however.

I spoke you fair, d’ye see, and civil. As for your love or your liking, I don’t

value it of a rope’s end. And mayhap I like you as little as you do me. What

I said was in obedience to father. Gad, I fear a whipping no more than you

do. But I tell you one thing, if you should give such language at sea, you’d

have a cat-o’-nine-tails..."

laid ’cross your shoulders. Flesh, who are you? You

heard t’other handsome young woman speak civilly to me, of her own

accord. Whatever you think of yourself, Gad I don’t think you are any more

to compare to her than a can of small beer to a bowl of punch."

About the play (yes wiki but it is not bad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_for_Love)

And the play itself http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/noa/pdf/27636_Rest_U03_Congreve.pdf

I meant that the cat o' nine tails has had a clear nautical connection in 1695. The whip itself is older and so is the tradition of naval flogging. It just seem that by the late 17th century cat o' nine tails had become the standard punishment tool aboard ships.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Swashbuckler 1700

[Swashbuckler 1700]

More interesting stuff about tradition of flogging with cat o nine tails in early 1700s

I think this is interesting enough to be posted

From our friend Woodes Roger wrote i his book A Cruising Voyage Round the World (1712 edition)

happening in 1709 (thank you Google books)

http://books.google.fi/books?id=J1xCAAAAcAAJ&hl=fi&hl=fi&pg=PA358&img=1&zoom=3&sig=ACfU3U0SDuFHViT88SLqOhdwzaMmOEo_0Q&ci=63%2C359%2C866%2C597&edge=0

also an interesting picture featuring a cat of nine tails. Later though in 1747. The sailor with a cap on left