Post by Moonfeathers on May 28, 2007 12:00:46 GMT -4
1. Captain:
It has often been said that pirates were one of the first true democracies, in that they elected their captains, and often other officers as well. It must be stated that though there are several examples of pirates being voted into and out of power this was not always the case by any means.
Whether he commanded by election or imposition the pirate captain was the supreme commander aboard his ship. The men sailed where he told them to, fought when and whom he told them to and on the whole were ruled by him. For the elected captain his position was a precarious one, his men would obey him as long as he kept making sensible orders and brought them success, if he failed they would vote him out of office and elect another in his place. For the captain who ruled by force the position was equally precarious, if he failed to lead them successfully he faced mutiny and murder.
2. Lieutenant:
It is often stated that the ship's quartermaster was the second in command. I will address the question of quartermaster later. On larger pirate ships the second in command was the lieutenant. Johnson tells us that Avery, Roberts, Gow and Lowther all had lieutenants (Roberts' lieutenant, Kennedy, and Lowther's lieutenant, Low later became captains in their own right). Lieutenants are also mentioned in proclamations of 1717 and 1718.
Warships of the Royal Navy had a varying number of lieutenants depending on the size of vessel, from 3 in a first or second rate ship in 1686 to 1 in a sixth rate. It seems very unlikely that any pirate vessel was large enough to warrant more than one lieutenant, but in Johnson's story of Captain Mission mention is made of second and third lieutenants. Although the story of Mission is fictional Johnson intended it to be believed by his readers, and wrote it as if it were fact, so we cannot dismiss the background it provides entirely. However, I've not been able to find any record of an actual pirate ship with more than one lieutenant.
The duties of the lieutenant were more or less to act as the captain's deputy. He commanded in the captain's absence, often took command of prizes, and during battle should have positioned himself in the forecastle while the captain was on the quarter- or poop-deck.
3. Master:
The master of any ship was in charge of navigation and the actual business of sailing the vessel. In matters of seamanship the master should have been obeyed entirely. In the 17th century Butler described the duties of the master thus: "to undertake the conduction of to the places and ports whither she is bound, and to shape all courses as may best conduce thereunto;... He is to enquire and take account of all the ways that the ship hath made and upon what points of the compass she hath been steered in every watch; and to this end he is to take a view of the traverse board, and to consider of all the dead reckonings. And by his observations, to take the height of the sun or star, or both, with his astrolabe, backstaff, Jacob staff or quadrant, and accordingly prick his cart [chart, or sea card]."
A number of pirate vessels had masters, for example Israel Hands was Blackbeard's master, and masters are mentioned in both the 1717 and 1718 proclamations. On vessels too small to have both a captain and master the same man did both jobs, thus in some cases the term "master" is interchangeable with "captain".
4. Boatswain:
The boatswain (or bosun) was one of the most important men aboard any sailing vessel. He was responsible for "...all the ropes in general belonging to the ship: with all her cables, anchors, and sails; her flags, colours and pendants...". He was also responsible for making sure every man was correctly on watch and at his station. During battle it was a small group of the best seamen under the command of the boatswain and his mates (if he had any) who saw to the sailing of the ship while most of the crew worked the cannons. On many ships the boatswain was also responsible for discipline. In some ships the boatswain also took on the duties of master gunner.
Boatswains are listed as pirate officers in both proclamations of 1717 and 1718, and are listed in the articles of Roberts, Lowther and Phillips, in each case receiving one share and a quarter. There are several references to pirate boatswains in various sources of the period, and in Johnson's General History there are at least two mentions of boatswain's whistles, their method of communicating orders to men aloft as well as being a badge of office. It is unlikely that many pirate vessels had boatswain's mates aboard (in the Royal Navy only sixth rates and larger carried boatswain's mates), but we do know that Benjamin Jeffreys was boatswain's mate aboard Roberts' ship.
5. Gunner:
The gunner's duties included taking charge of all the ship's cannon, ensuring they were properly maintained and that the crews were trained in their use. He was responsible for ensuring all the gun ports were closed in bad weather and for making sure all guns were secured. In battle the gunner would often be near the helm, advising the helmsman on how to steer so as to be able to aim the ship's artillery better.
According to the articles of Roberts, Lowther and Phillips, the gunner was to receive one and a quarter shares in the division of spoils, and he is mentioned with other officer in the 1717 proclamation. It is possible that Blackbeard's gunner Philip Morton may have been higher ranking than the boatswain, but in general the gunner and boatswain were about level in the chain of command, each to his own province. It has already been noted that in some small vessels the duties of gunner and boatswain were shared by the same man.
6. Carpenter:
The carpenter was an officer responsible for the maintenance of the ship below the deck level (including the hull, decks, bulkheads etc), in the same way that the boatswain was responsible for everything above the deck. He was responsible for replacing damaged or worn masts and yards, repairing or replacing the rudder or any other timber which needed it and for stopping leaks. Carpenters were usually experienced seamen as well as tradesmen, and often enjoyed a similar rank to boatswains.
7. Mates:
A mate aboard a sailing vessel could be anything since many officers had "mates", but unless it is otherwise specified usually meant "Master's mate". Master's mates were similar in rank to boatswains, sometimes above and sometimes below them. If a ship had no separate master, only a captain/master then the term "mate" was often used to mean second in command (still literally the master's mate) instead of a lieutenant.
Royal Navy ships often had more than one mate(ranking lower than a boatswain), depending on size, but I have found no record of a pirate vessel with two or more master's mates, and many were not even big enough to warrant even one.
8. Quartermaster:
Pirate quartermasters often had more duties than their counterparts in merchant or naval vessels, and perhaps enjoyed more popularity with the crew. Where there is evidence of quartermasters having more power than one would expect it is in the nature of their being a representative of the will of the crew - it is not the quartermaster with the extra power, it is the crew themselves with the quartermaster speaking on their behalf. However, in general they did not out rank any other officers, nor did they have any real power or importance except under a very weak captain. They certainly were not second in command.
9. Other miscellaneous:
Aboard any sailing vessel there might be any number of officers with their own particular duties, their number depending on the size of vessel. There is evidence of the following "officers" on one or more pirate ship:
Pilot: an officer partly responsible for navigation, particularly in shore navigation. Sometimes the pilot was a permanent officer on the ship, but often was just hired (or pressed) for a particular piece of coast or harbour.
Coxswain: a junior officer with duties similar to the boatswain. He was also in charge of the second largest of the ship's boats.
Sailmaker: not only was this man responsible for mending the ship's sails, but he also had charge of making and repairing flags, and often making slop clothing for the men.
Doctor: very few pirate ships probably had doctors or surgeons aboard. On those that did, he was responsible not only for the treatment of injuries but for seeing to the general health of the crew. Although we know that a number of surgeons volunteered to accompany the buccaneering expeditions of the late 17th century it is probably that most doctors aboard pirate ships of the Golden Age were pressed men, forced to join when their own ship was captured.
It has often been said that pirates were one of the first true democracies, in that they elected their captains, and often other officers as well. It must be stated that though there are several examples of pirates being voted into and out of power this was not always the case by any means.
Whether he commanded by election or imposition the pirate captain was the supreme commander aboard his ship. The men sailed where he told them to, fought when and whom he told them to and on the whole were ruled by him. For the elected captain his position was a precarious one, his men would obey him as long as he kept making sensible orders and brought them success, if he failed they would vote him out of office and elect another in his place. For the captain who ruled by force the position was equally precarious, if he failed to lead them successfully he faced mutiny and murder.
2. Lieutenant:
It is often stated that the ship's quartermaster was the second in command. I will address the question of quartermaster later. On larger pirate ships the second in command was the lieutenant. Johnson tells us that Avery, Roberts, Gow and Lowther all had lieutenants (Roberts' lieutenant, Kennedy, and Lowther's lieutenant, Low later became captains in their own right). Lieutenants are also mentioned in proclamations of 1717 and 1718.
Warships of the Royal Navy had a varying number of lieutenants depending on the size of vessel, from 3 in a first or second rate ship in 1686 to 1 in a sixth rate. It seems very unlikely that any pirate vessel was large enough to warrant more than one lieutenant, but in Johnson's story of Captain Mission mention is made of second and third lieutenants. Although the story of Mission is fictional Johnson intended it to be believed by his readers, and wrote it as if it were fact, so we cannot dismiss the background it provides entirely. However, I've not been able to find any record of an actual pirate ship with more than one lieutenant.
The duties of the lieutenant were more or less to act as the captain's deputy. He commanded in the captain's absence, often took command of prizes, and during battle should have positioned himself in the forecastle while the captain was on the quarter- or poop-deck.
3. Master:
The master of any ship was in charge of navigation and the actual business of sailing the vessel. In matters of seamanship the master should have been obeyed entirely. In the 17th century Butler described the duties of the master thus: "to undertake the conduction of to the places and ports whither she is bound, and to shape all courses as may best conduce thereunto;... He is to enquire and take account of all the ways that the ship hath made and upon what points of the compass she hath been steered in every watch; and to this end he is to take a view of the traverse board, and to consider of all the dead reckonings. And by his observations, to take the height of the sun or star, or both, with his astrolabe, backstaff, Jacob staff or quadrant, and accordingly prick his cart [chart, or sea card]."
A number of pirate vessels had masters, for example Israel Hands was Blackbeard's master, and masters are mentioned in both the 1717 and 1718 proclamations. On vessels too small to have both a captain and master the same man did both jobs, thus in some cases the term "master" is interchangeable with "captain".
4. Boatswain:
The boatswain (or bosun) was one of the most important men aboard any sailing vessel. He was responsible for "...all the ropes in general belonging to the ship: with all her cables, anchors, and sails; her flags, colours and pendants...". He was also responsible for making sure every man was correctly on watch and at his station. During battle it was a small group of the best seamen under the command of the boatswain and his mates (if he had any) who saw to the sailing of the ship while most of the crew worked the cannons. On many ships the boatswain was also responsible for discipline. In some ships the boatswain also took on the duties of master gunner.
Boatswains are listed as pirate officers in both proclamations of 1717 and 1718, and are listed in the articles of Roberts, Lowther and Phillips, in each case receiving one share and a quarter. There are several references to pirate boatswains in various sources of the period, and in Johnson's General History there are at least two mentions of boatswain's whistles, their method of communicating orders to men aloft as well as being a badge of office. It is unlikely that many pirate vessels had boatswain's mates aboard (in the Royal Navy only sixth rates and larger carried boatswain's mates), but we do know that Benjamin Jeffreys was boatswain's mate aboard Roberts' ship.
5. Gunner:
The gunner's duties included taking charge of all the ship's cannon, ensuring they were properly maintained and that the crews were trained in their use. He was responsible for ensuring all the gun ports were closed in bad weather and for making sure all guns were secured. In battle the gunner would often be near the helm, advising the helmsman on how to steer so as to be able to aim the ship's artillery better.
According to the articles of Roberts, Lowther and Phillips, the gunner was to receive one and a quarter shares in the division of spoils, and he is mentioned with other officer in the 1717 proclamation. It is possible that Blackbeard's gunner Philip Morton may have been higher ranking than the boatswain, but in general the gunner and boatswain were about level in the chain of command, each to his own province. It has already been noted that in some small vessels the duties of gunner and boatswain were shared by the same man.
6. Carpenter:
The carpenter was an officer responsible for the maintenance of the ship below the deck level (including the hull, decks, bulkheads etc), in the same way that the boatswain was responsible for everything above the deck. He was responsible for replacing damaged or worn masts and yards, repairing or replacing the rudder or any other timber which needed it and for stopping leaks. Carpenters were usually experienced seamen as well as tradesmen, and often enjoyed a similar rank to boatswains.
7. Mates:
A mate aboard a sailing vessel could be anything since many officers had "mates", but unless it is otherwise specified usually meant "Master's mate". Master's mates were similar in rank to boatswains, sometimes above and sometimes below them. If a ship had no separate master, only a captain/master then the term "mate" was often used to mean second in command (still literally the master's mate) instead of a lieutenant.
Royal Navy ships often had more than one mate(ranking lower than a boatswain), depending on size, but I have found no record of a pirate vessel with two or more master's mates, and many were not even big enough to warrant even one.
8. Quartermaster:
Pirate quartermasters often had more duties than their counterparts in merchant or naval vessels, and perhaps enjoyed more popularity with the crew. Where there is evidence of quartermasters having more power than one would expect it is in the nature of their being a representative of the will of the crew - it is not the quartermaster with the extra power, it is the crew themselves with the quartermaster speaking on their behalf. However, in general they did not out rank any other officers, nor did they have any real power or importance except under a very weak captain. They certainly were not second in command.
9. Other miscellaneous:
Aboard any sailing vessel there might be any number of officers with their own particular duties, their number depending on the size of vessel. There is evidence of the following "officers" on one or more pirate ship:
Pilot: an officer partly responsible for navigation, particularly in shore navigation. Sometimes the pilot was a permanent officer on the ship, but often was just hired (or pressed) for a particular piece of coast or harbour.
Coxswain: a junior officer with duties similar to the boatswain. He was also in charge of the second largest of the ship's boats.
Sailmaker: not only was this man responsible for mending the ship's sails, but he also had charge of making and repairing flags, and often making slop clothing for the men.
Doctor: very few pirate ships probably had doctors or surgeons aboard. On those that did, he was responsible not only for the treatment of injuries but for seeing to the general health of the crew. Although we know that a number of surgeons volunteered to accompany the buccaneering expeditions of the late 17th century it is probably that most doctors aboard pirate ships of the Golden Age were pressed men, forced to join when their own ship was captured.
