The Sailors of the 19th Century British Navy

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, even though there were no major naval wars during the Victorian era, the Navy was still involved in many social issues, such as navigational surveys and patrolling against the Atlantic slave trade. The author points out that the Navy's success was mainly due to the leadership of its admirals, lords, and officers who came from wealthy classes. The paper states that the British Navy was viewed as the pinnacle of society; nonetheless, there still was a myriad of problems in regards to the way the typical sailors were strictly disciplined and horribly treated.

From the Paper:

"Treatment of the soldiers was brutal as well. A common practice of discipline given to many seamen prior to 1871, when it was abolished, was harsh beatings with a whip or rod, also known as flogging. Most seamen were flogged due to crimes that they committed on board the ship. Crimes that required disciplinary action were drunkenness, sleeping on their watch, fighting, and neglect. Oliver Warner states, "John Welsh, was four times punished within this brief space of time: 10 January with 12 lashes; 5 March with 36 lashes; 5 April with 48 lashes; and 24 May with 48 lashes" (103). Even though John Welsh was found guilty of theft and drunkenness, by today's standards the punishment seems way too severe for the crime and shows that the British Navy was not a place for illicit acts."

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