Pirates & Privateers: Suzanne J. Stark's Books

During the Age of Sail, the British Royal Navy is decidedly a man’s world. One may think this means women are not aboard these wooden vessels that rule the oceans and protect the world’s largest empire. Female Tars shows the contrary to be true. The Admiralty and officers may have ignored their presence or are not even aware they are aboard, but women do live and work on navy ships during the 17th century through the middle of the 19th.

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-&-white illustrations depicting women with seamen further enhance the chapters.

The largest category of women found on ships is prostitutes, who spend time on the lower deck where the sailors live whenever a vessel puts in at a port. This is a period when shore leave is rarely granted since most captains believe the crew will desert. To prevent this and to keep the men happy, boatloads of women come out to the ship to entertain and console them. To a lesser degree some of these females are the actual wives of the seamen, but for them to have this opportunity to visit with their husbands is 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 is like in the navy and pertinent Admiralty regulations. The inclusion of contemporary quotations allows Stark to contrast how men of the lower deck view these women with the viewpoints of commissioned officers. Her discourse also covers what life at home is like for all these women and their families, as well as the reforms that eventually lead to the cessation of this practice.

Chapter two focuses on warrant officers’ wives, who often accompany their husbands. For many, the ship is the only home they ever have and they raise 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 comes to an end and why these valiant women who deserve the General Service Medal fail to receive it.

The third chapter focuses on women in disguise. Only a few accounts survive as evidence that prove they exist, but it’s likely others also don male attire and join the navy. Either their stories are never recorded, or their true identities are never revealed. In presenting this information, Stark asks and attempts to answer three questions:

How are they able to pass as male on crowded ships where privacy doesn’t exist?
Why do they volunteer and go to great efforts to remain on board when many men are pressed into service and desert whenever the opportunity arises?
How do their fellow seamen, their officers, and society as a whole view these women once their true gender is revealed?

Her first offer of proof of these women seamen comes 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 assumes the persona of a male and enlists 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 joins the navy and why she continues to serve in spite of the severe hardships she endures 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 choose 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.

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