The Bounty's Deck Home Masts & Sails Glossary

Ranks & Duties in Royal Navy ca. 1790

Most of the following information is from All You Wanted to Know About 18th Century Royal Navy, by Rex Hickox, available at , and from the Royal Naval Museum website. The explanations and descriptions in the book are more complete; I have only extracted what seems most pertinent to the Bounty story. There is much good stuff in this book, take a look.

Trying to decipher the Royal Navy ranking system is difficult for me because I served in the U. S. Navy, and have that system so drilled into me, that it interferes, especially since both navies use pretty much the same terms, but those terms mean entirely different things. It is also made difficult because class was involved in the 18th century. Midshipmen were considered 'young gentlemen' in training. On the Bounty they were all teenagers, save Stewart. On the morning of the mutiny Hayward got all excited because a shark was sighted. When the mutiny broke out, the midshipmen (again, save Stewart) had not a clue as to what to do, nor even how to act, as Heywood freely admitted.

There were two types of officers: commissioned officers who received their commission from the Admiralty, and warrant officers who received their warrant from the Navy Board. Bligh was the only commissioned officer aboard the Bounty. Although he ordered Christian to 'act' as lieutenant, he would not actually be one until he received his commission.

Captain. The title of Captain was universal to the most senior officer commanding a ship whatever his actual rank. Bligh was a Lieutenant, however, he was in charge of the Bounty and thus her Captain. The actual rank was Post Captain. Captain Edwards was a Post Captain. Bligh was promoted to Post Captain not long after he returned to England.

Lieutenant. The number of lieutenants aboard a ship varied with its size. The Pandora had three, at sailing the Bounty had none. Bligh on Mar 2, 1788, "thought it for the Good of the Service to give Mr. Fletcher Christian an Acting Order as Lieut." He was responsible for maintaining discipline and navigation and ensuring the crew carried out their duties.

There were six Warrant Officer positions: Master, Surgeon, Purser, Boatswain, Carpenter, and Gunner. However, as Bligh acted as his own Purser, there were only five on the Bounty. They reported directly to the Captain, and to various boards ashore, such as the Navy Board, Victualling Board, and Ordnance Board. Bligh's power was limited with these men; they could not be flogged, nor could he demote them. They also had access to the Quarterdeck as officers.

Master. This was the senior warrant rank and approximated to that of Lieutenant; a Master was well educated in the art and science of sailing. Masters were able to stand watches and command ships in non-combatant duties. As part of his duties on board ship, there was navigation, taking ship’s position daily and setting the sails as appropriate for the required course. He supervised Midshipmen and Mates in taking observations of the sun and maintained the ship’s compass. He was also responsible for ensuring the maintenance of the rope rigging and sails. Other duties included the stowing of the hold, inspecting provisions, taking stores so that the ship was not too weighted down to sail effectively and reporting defects to the Captain. Security and the issue of drink on board and supervised entry of parts of the official log such as weather, position and expenditure. He also signed the ship's log, the muster book, and the pay book. Ahem. Not on Bligh's Bounty. The third line in the official log reads '(this log being written up daily by the clerk, John Samuel, under the direction of the Commander).' And signing the books occasioned one of their wrangles. Bligh had a very low opinion of his Master, and he was not one to keep his opinions to himself.

Surgeon. Surgeons were warranted to ships by the Navy Board. Their examining boards were conducted by various bodies including the Barber-Surgeons Company, Sick and Hurt Board, Transport Board and the Victualling Board. They were the only medical officers on the ship and was assisted by one or more Surgeon’s Mates (inferior warrant officers). They had the right to walk the quarterdeck. They were responsible for the sick and injured, performing surgical operations as necessary and dispensed medicine. They were required to keep a journal of treatment and advised the Captain on health matters. The Bounty's Surgeon was a drunk. Not just ashore, he brought his own supply of liquor with him. He died on Tahiti as a result of drinking almost to the exclusion of everything else. There can be little doubt that he contributed greatly to Bligh's low opinion of his officers.

Purser. Pursers were warranted by the Admiralty but did not require professional qualifications. However, some kind of financial surety was required. The duties were to oversee supply and issue of victuals, slops and other consumables. The Purser was one of the five standing officers of the ship. (A standing officer was permanently assigned to a ship.) The Purser's position presented many opportunites to the canny to enrich himself, often at the expense of the crew. This was a fact known to all. Bligh served as his own Purser, with the actual work falling to his clerk.

Boatswain. Boatswains were appointed by the Admiralty and were responsible to the Navy Board. He had responsibility for rigging, cables, anchors, sails and boats. They were not eligible to command ships but could stand watches. They were less educated than the more senior warrant officers, although they needed to keep accounts. The sailmaker and boatswain mate were under the command of the boatswain. This rank was one of the five standing officers appointed to a ship.

Carpenter. The Carpenter was responsible for the maintenance of the hull and masts of the ship. He was unusual in that many passed most of their careers as civilian employees of the Navy Board in the dockyards and only partly as officers on ships. The majority qualified as shipwrights in the dockyards before going to sea. Carpenters were one of the five standing officers appointed to a ship. The Bounty's Carpenter was another thorn in Bligh's side. Indeed, when they returned to England, Bligh brought charges against him which resulted in a court-martial.

Gunner. Gunners were responsible for the maintenance of guns and their equipment. They had to be examined and appointed by and were responsible to the Ordnance Board. They had to adhere to strict rules. They made tackle and breeches for guns and made regular inspections during a voyage. Another responsibility was to ensure that powder in the magazines were kept dry.

Midshipman. A midshipman originally was, as the name suggests, one who lived amidships, this is mid-way between the officers who lived aft and the men who lived forward. This rank was a senior Petty Officer, usually filled by young gentleman with aspirations to become commissioned officers. The number of Midshipmen in a ship was fixed by the rating of the ship and it was at the discretion of the Captain as to who was carried. To get round the problem of large numbers of men wanting to be Midshipmen or get their service time in before the Lieutenant’s examination, various supernumerary posts, paid as able seamen were created. During their period as Midshipmen, the officers undertook instruction on a variety of subjects and had the important distinction of being permitted to walk the quarterdeck and wear uniform unlike other Petty Officers.

Mate. Mates were assistants to their officers and were usually considered to be in training for the position. But again class. Christian signed on as Master's Mate, and thus worked for the Master (until Bligh promoted him to Acting Lieutenant,) but he was a 'gentleman,' and would never become a Master. Likewise, Stewart, a 'young gentleman,' who moved into the Master's Mate slot when Christian was promoted, was simply answering the needs of the moment.

Quartermaster. The Quartermaster was stationed on the quarterdeck of the ship, hence the name. The quarterdeck was where the ship's wheel was located and the Quartermaster was responsible for monitoring the helmsman. They also assisted in various navigational duties (heaving the log, shooting azimuths, etc.). They were also responsible for signals. There were usually four on a ship so the position was manned at all times, under the direction of the ship’s master. The Bounty had two.

Sailmaker. The seagoing sailmaker and his mates were responsible for maintaining the ships’ sails and all canvas work. From mending/repairing sails to manufacture and repair of pennants and jacks, deck buckets, &c. Sailmaker’s Mates were also known as idlers, as they didn’t stand watch. The sailmaker answered to the Carpenter.

Armourer. The armourer served as the ship’s gunsmith, blacksmith, and metal-worker, and answered to the Gunner.

Able-bodied Seaman. All the seamen on the Bounty were AB's. Seamen really had no rank, but were separated into three groups, according to their abilities. Lowest was Landsman, who had no sea-going experience; next was Ordinary Seaman, who knew enough to stay out of the way, and Able-bodied Seaman, was one who could 'hand, reef, and steer,' using his brain and body ably.

The Bounty's Deck Home Masts & Sails Glossary