This character represents a British Naval captain. Officers in the British navy were experienced officers who had risen through the ranks over years of service. Many were from families with a naval tradition and had been at sea since they were teenagers. Captains were the best among the proud navy’s officer corps and were responsible for the ship under their command as well as its contingent of officers and men. Maintaining discipline was a key task of naval officers. Roll, or a name call of those aboard, was a way to ensure sailors were accounted for, were completing the tasks assigned them, and not overly intoxicated from alcohol, which formed part of a sailor’s diet.
Reproduction Clothing and EquipmentÂ
The uniform of British naval officers mirrored the fashion of the civilian upper-class. The British Naval Captain wears a dark blue coat with white silk facings and gold lace trim, silk breeches, a silk waistcoat, a white linen shirt with ruffle cuffs, a white cravat (necktie) and white stockings. Although most portraits feature naval officers in their ceremonial dress uniforms, officers typically wore simpler uniforms with less ornamentation while at sea.
Click for a larger view.Uniform of a British naval captain during the eighteenth century. The laced decorative elements on his jacket reflect his status as an officer.
Click for a larger view.Scurvy, a wasting disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, was common on ships more than a month or two at sea. The remedy remained a mystery until 1747, when Royal Navy physician James Lind (1716-1794) conducted clinical trials, treating one group of scurvy victims with cider, one with elixir of vitriol (diluted sulfuric acid), one with barley water and spices, one with seawater, and the last with two oranges and one lemon a day. The last group recovered. In 1753 Lind published his results in this book, recommending citrus juice as a preventive and treatment for scurvy. The British navy gradually adopted the practice, but scurvy plagued the French navy into the nineteenth century.
Click for a larger view.HMS Royal George was the largest warship in the world and the pride of the Royal Navy when she was launched in 1756. She took part in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in January 1780 and then sailed to the relief of Gibraltar. Her bottom was coppered later that year, increasing her speed and maneuverability. She sank in April 1782 while being heeled over for repairs, resulting in the drowning of over nine hundred people, including her commander.
Click for a larger view.This telescope was used by General Edward Hand. Although Hand served in the Continental Army, it is similar to telescopes used by British naval captains.
Click for a larger view.Admiral Thomas Graves became commander in chief of Britain's North American Squadron in 1781. His defeat to the French Navy that September at the Battle of the Chesapeake directly contributed to the American victory at Yorktown.
