During the Age of Sail, the
British Royal Navy was decidedly a man’s world. One might
think this meant women were not aboard these wooden
vessels that ruled the oceans and protected the world’s
largest empire. Female
Tars shows the contrary to be true. The Admiralty
and officers may have ignored their presence or not even
been aware they were aboard, but women did live and work
on navy ships during the seventeenth century through the
middle of the nineteenth.
Stark’s book, first published
in 1996, is a succinctly written and engrossing academic
study for scholars as well as lay readers. Four chapters
comprise this easy-to-read exploration: Prostitutes and
Seamen’s Wives on Board in Port, Women of the Lower Deck
at Sea, Women in Disguise in Naval Crews, and The Story of
Mary Lacy, Alias William Chandler. The endnotes provide
fascinating historical tidbits that don’t readily fit
within the main narrative. They also provide the source
material documenting the text, although no separate
bibliography is included. In addition to the index,
black-and-white illustrations depicting women with seamen
further enhance the chapters.
The largest category of women
found on ships was prostitutes, who spent time on the
lower deck where the sailors lived whenever a vessel put
in at a port. This was a period when shore leave was
rarely granted since most captains believed the crew would
desert. To prevent this and to keep the men happy,
boatloads of women came out to the ship to entertain and
console them. To a lesser degree some of these females
were the actual wives of the seamen, but for them to have
this opportunity to visit with their husbands was a
rarity, as Stark so ably demonstrates. Within this chapter
she discusses the reasons for allowing women to board the
ships, which also entails what life was like in the navy
and pertinent Admiralty regulations. The inclusion of
contemporary quotations allows Stark to contrast how men
of the lower deck viewed these women with the viewpoints
of commissioned officers. Her discourse also covers what
life at home was like for all these women and their
families, as well as the reforms that eventually led to
the cessation of this practice.
Chapter two focuses on
warrant officers’ wives, who often accompanied their
husbands. For many, the ship was the only home they ever
had and they raised their families within these wooden
walls. Aside from comparing these wives with those of
soldiers, Stark explores the tradition of women going to
sea (which dates back to medieval times), the regulations
concerning this, and the wives’ daily routine (meals,
recreation, sexual harassment, childbirth, and
participation in battles). She also touches on women in
the French navy during this time period. The final
segments of the chapter summarize how this tradition came
to an end and why these valiant women who deserved the
General Service Medal failed to receive it.
The third chapter focuses on
women in disguise. Only a few accounts survive as evidence
that prove they existed, but it’s likely others also
donned male attire and joined the navy. Either their
stories were never recorded, or their true identities were
never revealed. In presenting this information, Stark asks
and attempts to answer three questions:
- How were they able to
pass as male on crowded ships where privacy didn’t
exist?
- Why did they
volunteer and go to great efforts to remain on board
when many men were pressed into service and deserted
whenever the opportunity arose?
- How did their fellow
seamen, their officers, and society as a whole view
these women once their true gender was revealed?
Her first offer of proof of
these women seamen come directly from the archives of the
Royal Navy. They are Gentlewoman Anne Chamberlyne (1690),
a nameless Gentlewoman (1690s), a Marine known as William
Prothero (1760-1761), and a black female seaman known as
William Brown (1804-1816 [or later]). In addition, Stark
discusses Hannah Snell’s “Muddled Biography” and Mary Anne
Talbot’s “Spurious Autobiography.”
The final chapter focuses on
Mary Lacy and showcases excerpts from her autobiography,
first published in 1773. After running away from home in
1759, she eventually assumed the persona of a male and
enlisted in the Royal Navy. The chosen selections document
various stages in her career, which includes her time as
an apprentice and a shipwright, and informs readers of her
goals, attitudes, and opinions about what she experiences
and witnesses. They also provide insights into why she
joined the navy and why she continued to serve in spite of
the severe hardships she endured during her twelve years
of service.
Stark masterfully disentangles
the myths and facts about women of the lower deck of
warships. She also enlightens us as to why they chose this
harsh life. Finally and perhaps most importantly, she
illuminates the social context of these lower-class women
and the limited roles open to them. Female Tars is
an invaluable addition to any collection dealing with the
Royal Navy, women at sea, women’s history, and life during
the Age of Sail.
Review Copyrighted ©2018 Cindy
Vallar
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