AllByMeOnesies Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 Does anyone have a good resource for information on how ships in the late 17th/early 18th century signaled each other? Much obliged, mates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 Does anyone have a good resource for information on how ships in the late 17th/early 18th century signaled each other? Much obliged, mates. Hmm. Patrick O'Bryan talks of flags, latterns and guns. And since he's been so damned thorough in other historical aspects, I'd tend towards trusting him in this as well. The Duchess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the Royaliste Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 'Ships ans Seamen of the American Revolution' gives very good evolution of signaling by various countries leading up to standardization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshuaRed Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 I'm just guessing here, but probably by whatever means it took to get the attention of a passing ship. Flags, lanterns, guns, signal mirrors, etc? Banging pots and pans? And of course the speaking horns.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 Royal Navy flag signal books from the late 17th century are still extant. Here's a page from the 1672 book: The only record of pirate signalling that I can think of off the top of my head is a description from the possibly fictional George Roberts account which speaks of Low hoisting a green flag with a yellow figure caryying a trumpet to call his men to a council. Foxe"With this Fore-Staff he fansies he does Wonders, when, God knows, it amounts to no more but only to solve that simple Question, Where are we? Which every chi'd in London can tell you." - Ned Ward The Wooden World Dissected, 1707ETFox.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllByMeOnesies Posted February 27, 2005 Author Share Posted February 27, 2005 Does anyone have a good resource for information on how ships in the late 17th/early 18th century signaled each other? Much obliged, mates. Hmm. Patrick O'Bryan talks of flags, latterns and guns. And since he's been so damned thorough in other historical aspects, I'd tend towards trusting him in this as well. The Duchess Yes, I read O'Brian but I'm looking for the specifics. I mean, some of the stuff he talks about them spelling out is pretty elaborate. Thanks, Royaliste, for the book title...I'll definitely check that out, especially since I'm looking at the colonial era. (Praise God for Amazon.com ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the Royaliste Posted February 27, 2005 Share Posted February 27, 2005 There are a lot of copies on Ebay lately; it's also a recently discontinued hardbound school textbook...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Posted February 27, 2005 Share Posted February 27, 2005 The spelling out of messages by flags to be found in O'Brien books would not be authentic for the period you're talking about. I believe numeric flag codes were not introduced into the Royal Navy until 1799/1800 (the Popham code), thought the East India Company had been using them somewhat earlier. Foxe"With this Fore-Staff he fansies he does Wonders, when, God knows, it amounts to no more but only to solve that simple Question, Where are we? Which every chi'd in London can tell you." - Ned Ward The Wooden World Dissected, 1707ETFox.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasNdanger Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Does anyone have a good resource for information on how ships in the late 17th/early 18th century signaled each other? Much obliged, mates. I thought they just flashed their boobage?? "Yo-ho!! O, FELLAS!!" Heya, Onesies, nice to have you venturing into these waters instead of asking me for answers when I DON'T KNOW A BLOOMIN' THING!!! sounds like you've been steered in the right direction already, but I wanted to add that signalling wasn't a perfected art, either. Signals were often misread or mistrusted...and many a ship was hit by friendly fire because of it. As late as 1799 their was restitution made to widows of men who died 'in action with pirates, or in engaging British ships through mistake'. Such a mistake would be due to a breakdown in communications, and since this was the case in 1799, image what it may have been like 100 years earlier if there wasn't a good system in place? Can you post any additional information you find, will be interesting to learn more about this... das http://www.ajmeerwald.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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