France and England or a prospect of Peace, c.1763

France and England or a prospect of Peace, artist unknown, c.1763, British Museum.

This is one of many political cartoons to address the Treaty of Paris of 1763 which closed out the Seven Years and French and Indian Wars (among others).

A sailor has turned highwayman, and threatens a well dressed man with a pistol. The gentleman seems oddly unperturbed by this turn of events, saying 'This is always The Consequence of peace in England We neglect those in peace that were our Bulwarks in War.' The sailor, despite a gallows well within sight on the hills to the left, is similarly sanguine: 'I may as well Risk hanging fro something as I have being Shott for nothing and I cannot stare.'

Our luckless sailors wears a jacket with at least two vents, and slit pockets at the waist. He wears a wide brimmed round hat with short cylindrical crown. His plain trousers end about mid-calf.

The Honest Sailor, c1746

The Honest Sailor, Sr Peter Warren Kt of the most Honourable Order of the Bath, Vice Admiral of the White Squadron, of His Majesties Fleet, And Member of Parliament of the City & Liberty of Westminster, artist unknown, c1746, National Maritime Museum.

Sir Peter Warren was an Irish officer in the Royal Navy, who met with astounding success. Warren made his career in the New World, sailing and fighting from the Caribbean to Nova Scotia. His most famous victory is portrayed in this print by an unknown artist, who shows Warren casually pointing over his shoulder to the amphibious assault on Louisbourg. Warren commanded the British squadron that blockaded and supported the siege, while New England troops (who he thought little of) manned the guns, dug the trenches, and did the fighting ashore. Seizing Louisbourg ensured British victory in North America. Interestingly, the same strategy (a naval blockade supporting ground troops who seized Lighthouse Point on Cape Breton Island to bombard the town into submission) was used with success in 1758.

Beneath the portrait of Warren is his coat of arms. To either side of it are two seamen bearing dual pistols in a belt and a cutlass shaped like a scimitar. They wear the same slop clothes: a cocked hat over bob wig, short closely tied neckcloth, close fitting single breasted jackets with flap pockets at the waist, and a darker pair of trousers that ends about the bottom of the calf.

The able Doctor; or America Swallowing the Bitter Draught, 1774

The able Doctor; or America Swallowing the Bitter Draught, artist unknown, 1774, American Antiquarian Society.

The peaceful petitions of the Bostonians lay ragged on the ground, while Ministers hold down the personification of America and force her to drink their tea. Britannia looks away in shame, but France and Spain smile at the work of the English government. The atrocity is watched over by a naval guard, who stands with sword bared. His blade reads "Military Law."

The evil Jack wears a round hat with a short crown, and short curled hair. His neckcloth is more of a cravat, and tied tightly around the neck. Its ends must be tucked into his plain white shirt, the collars of which are folded up and over his single breasted jacket. The jacket is tucked into his slops, and is made with cuffs. His slops are short, ending above the knee and giving us a very good look at the hem of his breeches. The stockings are plain, running to pointed toe shoes with oval buckles.

His sword is highly unusual, with a thick triple guard and wide blade. Certainly not the standard cutlass of the Royal Navy! At his waist is a belt with a pair of pistols, each turned with the butt forward.

Watson and the Shark, 1778

Watson and the Shark, John Singleton Copley, 1778, National Gallery of Art.

For some reason, I had neglected to include what is possibly the most famous image of British sailors in our time period until nearly 200 posts into this blog.

Copley's piece is a wonderful composition, and well beyond my poor ability to interpret fine art. Historically, Brook Watson, the title figure of the piece, was 14 when a shark attacked him in the West Indies. Though he lost his leg in the attack, Watson survived and became a prominent merchant and Tory politician. It has been said that "Watson and the Shark" is an allegory for Britain: British sailors, the personification of the empire, rescue the helpless child from the sea and strike a blow against the beast that would consume him. Coming after the stunning defeat at Saratoga, the loss of Watson's leg may represent the likely loss of the North American colonies.

Of course, there are several interpretations, and we aren't examining the metaphor today, but rather the sailor's clothing.

Atop the bow and with eyes wide, a tar thrusts the boat hook at the shark. His hair is long (as are most sailors in the piece), and he wears a dark single breasted short jacket (black or a very dark blue) with death's head buttons. His three button mariner's cuffs are buttoned shut. At the back of the coat is a piece of sky blue fabric, but I haven't yet placed what precisely that is; perhaps lining? He wears no waistcoat, but does wear white slops with a two button fly closure over dark blue breeches with gray stockings.

Further astern three men work the oars, though cast worried eyes to poor Watson. The furthest tar aft wears an odd gray overshirt or jacket above a white shirt. His neckcloth is black and his trousers or breeches are brown with a broad fall fly. On the oar are a pair of sailors: one with a black round hat with upturned brim, yellow dotted red neckcloth, and white shirt, the other in a striped shirt or jacket and blue neckcloth.

Leaning over the gunnels with outstretched hands, a pair of sailors cling to each other and to their vessels. One wears a striped shirt and buff colored breeches or trousers along with a checked red neckcloth. Of the other we only see a plain white shirt.

Clutching one of the potential rescuers, this old and balding jack casts his eyes to the shark. He wears a double breasted and loose fitting jacket with no waistcoat or neckcloth, and an open white shirt.

With a loose coil in one hand, and the other cast out, it appears that this mariner has just cast a lifeline to Watson. He, like the fellow helping the oarsmen, wears a sort of overshirt, with another shirt beneath it. His red neckcloth is striped and his trousers are white.

Finally, visible just behind the brave tarpawlin at the bow is another oarsman:

A black neckcloth, blue checked shirt, and brown waistcoat with horizontal blue or gray stripes make up his slop clothes.

For Our Country, 1758

For Our Country, Samuel Boyce, 1758, British Museum.

I have taken some liberty with the title for this piece. This image might be the coat of arms for the Antigallican Society, or for William Blakeney himself in the role of president of that society. "For Our Country" is presumably the motto for that organization or that role.

Either way, the coat of arms features St. George the dragonslayer driving his lance into the symbol of France, flanked by a lion with an imaginative mane, and a sailor with cutlass and pistol at the ready.

The tar wears a single breasted short jacket that ends just below the top of his thigh with waist flap pockets but no collar. A round hat with short brim sits atop his head, beneath a blade that more properly resembles a scimitar than it does a naval cutlass. He has a solid color neckcloth that appears to be tied over his collar, and wears no waistcoat. His trousers are belted at the waist, along with a large pouch. I've never seen a pouch like this in any other image of eighteenth century British sailors, and so its purpose is beyond my knowledge. Perhaps it was a cartridge box? What do you think?