Without, 1757

Without._from the London Gazette of 11 June, 1757, T. Ewart, Lewis Walpole Library.

Ewart provides us a political piece decrying the state of the Empire in the midst of the Seven Years/French and Indian War. The title "Without" accompanies each figure in the piece, detailing what it is they are lacking. Some of the figures are without virtues: the nobles who lack honor, and the senators who lack honesty. Others are lacking more essential things: the colonies who lack protection, and the seamen lack "encouragement."

Certainly this Jack looks destitute. He wears a striped cap over his short and curling hair. His plain neckcloth hangs loose around his neck, framing the highly unusual beard. Beards were remarkably uncommon in the eighteenth century. This is the only image of a sailor to have featured it thus far in the hundreds I have examined. The beard probably exists to underline his utter lack of support: he is so poor and helpless that the poor fellow cannot even shave!

His jacket is typical for the period, hanging down to about the top of the thigh, with a single row of buttons, no collar, pockets, or cuffs that we can see. Our tar's single breasted waistcoat is tucked into his slops, which are themselves fashioned with a single button closure. Just beneath the slops are the strings of his breeches. His shoes are disintegrating from his feet, and we can clearly see his toes protruding from them. In his left hand is a tall walking stick, and in his right is a round hat held out for alms.

Anländung der Englischen Trouppen zu Neu Yorck, 1777

Anländung der Englischen Trouppen zu Neu Yorck, Franz Xaver Habermann, 1777, Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection.

Habermann's print (hastily colored though it is) is an interesting look at the German soldiers of the American Revolutionary War. The long queues, distinctly shaped spontoons, and blue and yellow uniforms all betray the true identity of these supposedly "Englischen Trouppen." I'll save the analysis of the Hessian uniforms for an expert, and instead focus on the sailors carrying them ashore.

At the stern of the troopboat are three sailors. Two work a pair of oars, while the third in the middle acts as coxswain at the tiller. All of them wear round hats, jackets that end at the waist with no vents, and slops or trousers. The oarsmen's jackets are blue, while the coxswain's is red.

Two oarsmen provide the propulsion for this supply boat, which is guarded by a pair of Hessians sitting further forward. The oarsmen are in shirtsleeves, with one in a blue waistcoat, and the other in yellow. Both wear round hats. The coxwain wears a cocked hat with the point forward, a long queue, and a blue jacket or coat. It is possible that the coxswain is actually a soldier, given the queue and distinctly different hat.

The empty vessel alongside the New York shore appears to have just unloaded the jolly Germans who march off to join their formed comrades. In the bow is a tar with a blue waistcoat, rolled up sleeves, and a round hat. It appears that he wears a pair of breeches, but the detail is simply not there to be more affirmative about it. At the stern, his mate wears a red jacket with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of breeches. Like all the other mariners, he wears a round hat.

Finally, we find a few Jacks aboard the man of war with its bristling brass guns. Two wear cocked hats with the point forward and blue jackets. A third, standing amidships, wears a plain workman's cap and a red jacket.

The Times, 1762

The Times, artist unknown, 1762, Lewis Walpole Library.

This print is an imitation of Hogarth's much more well known "The Times." One particular piece of the print confirms this:

The wagon, under guard, is marked "Galleons." It represents the prizes taken by the Royal Navy during the Seven Years/French and Indian War. A nearly identical scene is in the background of Hogarth's "The Times," and in almost the same place: the mid-left background. Hogarth's version was more specific in labeling the wagon as bearing loot from the Spanish ship Hermione. 

In the foreground of the wagon a rowdy sailor is starting some mischief, perhaps egged on by the trumpet blaring "Britons Strike!" Given the length of the rod that his target bears, I would guess him to be part of the Watch. He wears either a round hat turned up both front and back, or a reversed cocked hat. His jacket is without cuffs that we can see, and is open to reveal a plain shirt and neckcloth.

To the right of the brawling tar is another pair. One raises his sword to dash the sleeping Dutchman, but his arm is held by a shipmate. Behind them is a map of Minorca, an island in the West Indies taken by the French after they defeated the Royal Navy. This was the same battle that Admiral Byng shied away from, leading to his humiliation and execution.

The tar with the raised sword wears a reversed cocked hat, a remarkably short neckcloth, and a jacket with open mariner's cuffs. It ends about the top of the thigh. He also wears a single breasted waistcoat that is open to about halfway down, and bears flap pockets at the waist. Beneath is a checked shirt. His slops end just below the knees.

Steadying the arm of aggression, the other tarpawlin wears a darker hat, though I'm not positive as to its type. His jacket matches that of his mate, as does his single breasted waistcoat and slops. His right arm pokes out from under the mariner's cuff of his jacket, revealing another checked shirt. He too wears a very short neckcloth.

A dead fiddler lays propped up against the far left of the frame, and beside him a pair of ragged jacks who may have done the deed. The first kneels beside the dead man, wearing a round hat with an upturned brim, and waving his cudgel toward the figure at center. His slops are pulled back just enough to let us see his breeches, but not enough to give us any detail on them. He wears no waistcoat nor neckcloth. As with the others, his jacket's cuffs are opened.

The same is true of the tar behind him. Likewise wielding a cudgel, he wears a reversed cocked hat, and a suit of slop clothes that perfectly match the sailors to the far right of the frame, down to the checked shirt!

A View of the Sea & Beach, from Mr James Newbolds Plantation, near Indian River, 1788

A View of the Sea & Beach, from Mr James Newbolds Plantation, near Indian River, James Trenchard, 1788, Winterthur Collection.

A postwar land/seascape by James Trenchard, this print is fairly unexceptional. What is interesting is the pair of sailors who relax beside a small building. The anchor and cask suggest this structure may have been a chandlery or storehouse for the boats plowing the sea.

The sailor on the left wears a round hat and single breasted jacket that ends well below the waist and well above the thigh. His slops hang loose down to his ankles. The fellow beside him is in a jacket with three vents (two of which are topped with buttons), a round hat, and a pair of breeches.

Annapolis Royal, 1781

Annapolis Royal, J.F.W. Des Barres, 1781, Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection.

Under the guns of a well placed fort, a number of vessels ride at anchor in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. A sharp eye will also notice the ship to the left of the fort, ready to slide into the water from her slip. The harbor is busy with activity in support of the war against the rebellious Americans, and a number of sailors busily row about the bay.

In the longboat that rows toward the stern of the frigate at the center right of the frame, a few sailors propel a number of officers who gather in the stern. Each sailor wears a short jacket, neckcloth, and round hat. The coxswain at the stern is similarly dressed.

The same can be said for these two oarsmen. At the tiller, the coxswain wears a taller hat, perhaps a Dutch cap. He appears to be without waistcoat.

Though this detail of the frigate does nothing to clear up what the sailors aboard are wearing, I was intrigued by the tall block house behind her rigging!

Vuë de Philadelphie, c.1770

Vuë de Philadelphie, Balthasar Frederich Leizelt, c.1770, Library of Congress.

The German artist Leizelt has clearly never been to Philadelphia. The architecture, trees, and dress all suggest a continental European city, not an American provincial capital. As we should be suspicious of his depictions of Philadelphia, we should also be a bit suspicious of his depictions of sailors therein.

A few gentlemen and ladies crowd into the stern of this boat as the happy oarsmen lead them out to one of the ships at anchor. None of the sailors wear short jackets. Instead, they wear a variety of waistcoats in red, green, and blue. One wears a round hat, the other a reversed cocked hat.

Another sailor stands in his boat, beckoning the gentleman and lady ashore to climb aboard. He does wear a blue short jacket, and a pair of slops. Underneath the slops we can see a pair of breeches and white stockings. He wears a barge cap as well.

At the bow of some massive vessel at the far right of the frame are a pair of sailors conversing. They both wear round hats and short jackets. One jacket is blue, the other red. They both wear breeches, one of which is bright red. The tar in the red jacket motions toward the boats beneath them, in which a few more sailors ride.

The sailor in the blue jacket appears to be African American, but I can't be sure. the others are largely unremarkable, save for the green jacket in the foreground.

The Political Strugle, 1762

The Political Strugle, 1762, Walpole Library.

This cartoon is in the same category as Hogarth's "The Times." It appears to be addressing the debate in England over the cessation of hostilities during the Seven Years/French and Indian War. There are many figures doing a lot of different things (like a politician who for no discernible reason is putting a boot on the lion's head), but we're concerted with the sailor who tugs at the line tied to the lion's chariot wheel.

Jack's hat is lined with white tape, and appears to be point forward, though the perspective means that I can't be certain about that. His hair is loose and curly, cut short well above this short jacket. The jacket itself hangs down to the top of the thigh, and is double vented. The top of each vent is marked with a button. His mariner's cuffs are buttoned shut. Plain trousers hang down to above the ankle, and we get just a peek at his shirt at the trouser's waist. His stockings are dark, but could simply be shaded. Rectangular buckles are affixed to his shoes.

A North View of Fort Royal in the Island of Guadaloupe, 1764

A North View of Fort Royal in the Island of Guadaloupe, when in Possession of his Majestys Forces in 1759, Lieutenant Archibald Campbell, 1764, John Carter Brown Library.

This print is taken from a hand drawn sketch by Lieutenant Archibald Campbell of the Royal Engineers in 1759. A later edition of this print is in the collection of the National Army Museum. According to their collection entry, Guadaloupe was a haven for the privateers that had long harassed the British in the Caribbean, and so became a prime target for the British efforts to defeat the French in the Seven Years War. Like many campaigns in the Caribbean, disease killed many, reducing British forces by hundreds of men. The sacrifice of the regulars ensured the reduction in privateer attacks that followed. Perhaps this is why Campbell decided to include a lobsterback and a tarpawlin shaking hands beside the road to Fort Royal.

Jack Tar wears a short jacket that ends at about the top of his thigh. Beneath he wears his shirt and no waistcoat. Around his neck is a neckcloth of indeterminate pattern or color. We can say a bit more about his hat, which has a tall crown and rolled up brim. I'm inclined to say it is a knit cap or Dutch cap, rather than a round hat. His slops end just below the knee, revealing white stockings, and rounded square toed shoes. In his left hand he holds a walking stick.

Destruction of the Randolph Frigate, 1789

Destruction of the Randolph Frigate, 1789, John Carter Brown Library.

Taken from the book The History of North America by the Reverend Mr. Cooper, this image portrays the death of the Randolph. She was a 36 gun frigate in the service of the Continental Navy under Captain Nicholas Biddle. On March 7, 1778, she was sailing with a small squadron when spotted by the 64 gun HMS Yarmouth. Being late at night (the engagement began around 11:00 PM), Biddle apparently mistook the much more heavily armed ship for a sloop, and opened fire after Yarmouth demanded Randolph hoist her colors. Though the Continental tars handily worked their guns, the battle lasted only fifteen minutes before Randolph's magazine exploded. Over three hundred men went down with her. The very few survivors endured remarkable hardship. Cooper puts it best:

Four men saved themselves upon a piece of her wreck, and subsisted for five days upon nothing more than rain water which they sucked from a piece of blanket they had picked up. On the fifth, the Yarmouth being in chace of a ship, happily discovered them waving. The captain humanely suspended the chace hauled up the wreck, got a boat out and brought them on board. 

The printer who created this plate for The History of North America chose to include two different scenes in one: the death of the Randolph, and the rescue of her few survivors. In truth, the Yarmouth was so close to the Randolph that she was significantly damaged by her explosion, not distant as shown in the plate.

All three of the survivors that we can see wear trousers that end about the ankle. The Jack at the center gives us a fuller view of their length, showing that they fit fairly close to the leg. It also appears that his trousers have a single vent at the bottom. Our sailors also wear short jackets that are double vented with buttons at the top of the vent. The jackets are also fitted with mariner's cuffs that are buttoned shut.

As a side note, I find it fascinating that this piece also includes the Randolph's flag! It is a banner that includes only stripes: no snake, lettering, stars, or canton.

The Sailor's Fleet Wedding Entertainment, 1747

The Sailor's Fleet Wedding Entertainment, M. Cooper, 1747, Lewis Walpole Library.

Among the most garish figures of the wedding celebration is a dandy tar who dances for the entertainment of the crowd. His cocked hat has an extremely short brim, and is decorated with a red bow on the left side. The perspective of the viewer is such that it is difficult to tell whether the hat is turned backward or merely cocked very far to the right. Either way, his neckcloth matches the color of his cockade. His blue short jacket flies up behind him as he dances around, making it impossible to tell if it is vented. We can say that it is single breasted. Beneath is a yellow waistcoat that is slightly brighter than the yellow striped breeches. The breeches are bound at the knee with both cloth covered buttons and a tie. White stockings finish off his slop clothes.

Behind him another sailor happily displays his vices: a tall glass and a long pipe. His cocked hat is reversed and his coat is (unsurprisingly) blue.

Off in the corner, a tar kisses his lass despite the shipmate losing his lunch beside them. The romantic sailor wears a reversed cocked hat, light brown short jacket with waist pocket flaps, and slops. The sick mariner wears a somewhat darker brown jacket and reversed cocked hat. Slumbering in his chair despite what is clearly a raucus party, another sailor wears a white neckcloth and single breasted brown jacket.

The groom holds both his wife and his glass. His cockade is the largest of the lot, and matches the color of his mates. The cocked hat is turned point forward. A blue jacket without collar, but with buttoned mariner's cuffs is the central garment of his wedding suit, though it appears he is wear a double breasted white waistcoat beneath. His cravat is also white.

Behind him and gesturing to the admiral on the wall is a shipmate carelessly clutching his pipe. Unlike the others in this scene, he wears his cockade on the right and the point on his cocked hat over his left eye. His jacket matches the hue of the sailors on the far right, and his mariner's cuffs are also buttoned. Behind him is a chap in a jockey style cap and darker brown jacket with cloth covered buttons.

To the far left of the scene is another sailor. His cocked hat is without a cockade. A long waistcoat with pocket flaps rests beneath his unusually long jacket. The blue jacket is also with waist pocket flaps and buttoned mariner's cuffs. In his hand is the ever present stick we so often find sailors carrying.

Commemorative Medal, 1769

Commemorative Medal awarded to Jonas Hanway by the Marine Society, 1769, National Maritime Museum.

This pure silver medal was given as "a token of the high sense" the Marine Society held John Hanway in for his efforts to clothe and train youths in the Royal Navy. As with many images of the Marine Society, it features a female Britannia guiding a ragged child to clothing and a future of glory.

At the feet of Britannia are the signature garments of ships' boys: a short jacket with at least one vent and mariner's cuffs, and a short brimmed round hat with a light ribbon around the crown.

Unknown

Here's a mystery. I came across this illustration on an Australian website, but the author of the site fully admitted that he did not keep track of his images, and could not say where he drew this from. I am at a loss as to its origin.

With reservation, I include this image, as it appears to be an original. Even so, I am somewhat reluctant. If you have any information regarding the origins of this image, I would be greatly appreciative!

In this image, a merchant officer swings a colt or cat at the back of a sailor tied to the rigging. The merchant officer, interestingly enough, is dressed in a largely unremarkable suit, save for the mariner's cuffs.

His victim wears a cap, a striped shirt, and dark trousers that end at his ankles. Further aft stands a Jack with his hands outstretched as his implores the officer to cease his beating. He wears a round hat with a short brim, a black neckcloth, no waistcoat, a double breasted short jacket with lapels and mariner's cuffs, and a pair of trousers. His shoes have rectangular buckles.

EDIT: Mystery solved! Check back for an examination of the original print: "Captain James Lowry flogging and murdering Ken'th Hossack."

The Disconsolate Sailor, date unknown

The Disconsolate Sailor, artist unknown, date unknown, National Maritime Museum.


With a crooked cane over one shoulder, complete with a bag tied about its end, it appears the Disconsolate Sailor is a wanderer. His face betrays a certain look of sadness, though his pose suggests a confident man. An enigmatic portrait, to say the least!

The Disconsolate Sailor wears a round hat with very short brim, a sky blue neckcloth, a peach or light red short jacket that ends at the waist with two rows of cloth covered buttons, open mariner's cuffs, and a pair of slops. Just beneath his slops are a pair of light brown breeches with buttons along the knee, and finished with a pair of ties. White stockings lead to pointed toe shoes with simple white metal rectangular buckles.

The Landing of Captain Roger's Men at California, 1765

The Landing of Captain Rogers's Men at California, artist unknown, 1765, Internet Archive/Getty Research Institute.

This is the second print of the pirate Woodes Rogers adventures as detailed in the book
A new universal collection of authentic and entertaining voyages and travels... by Edward Cavendish Drake. California, as a far flung and somewhat backwater holding in the Spanish empire, is not the location of any other contemporary image of British sailors. The location alone makes this an interesting piece.

Two sailors are examined closely by the Native Californians, who feel their faces and inspect their clothing. Each wears an oddly double breasted jacket and loose trousers. Neither wears a waistcoat, and both have solid colored neckcloths. The tar in the foreground holds his cocked hat in his left hand.

Like their mates ashore, these jacks on the raft wear double breasted short jackets with open cuffs that lack any buttons. The sailor who rows is wearing a pair of slops with his breeches poking from beneath. All three wear cocked hats, with the two forward most 

wearing theirs reversed, and the tarpawlin further aft wearing his with the point forward.

Charity Begins at Home, c.1780

Charity Begins at Home, Robert Sayer, c.1780, British Museum.

Echoing the parable of the Good Samaritan, a pompous reverend turns his nose up at a begging sailor and ignores the needy woman and child beyond them, all while raising a flask to his lips. Such a message hardly requires any further reading. The metaphor is surface level and effective.

At the center of the piece, and drawing the first tug of sympathy, is a ragged sailor.

Jack holds out his round hat with a very narrow brim for a few spare coins. Interestingly, the tar's head is not bare; he wears a workman's cap. His single breasted short jacket ends just below the waist, is lined in white, with open mariner's cuffs. Beneath is a waistcoat without a cutaway that ends at the waist. Our tarpawlin's slops are torn to shreds, but enough to cover him all the way to below the knee. From there we see his peg leg, and a black stocking on his one good leg. In his opposite hand he holds a cane or cudgel.

Earl of Cornwallis Bound to Bengal, 1783

Courtesy of The Mariners’ Museum and Park, Newport News, VA

Earl of Cornwallis Bound to Bengal, William Gibson, 1783, Mariners Museum.

Here's a fun piece! It depicts the ship Earl of Cornwallis, which was launched the same year this image was made. She was a 774 ton merchantman that made several voyages for the East India Company, before conveying convict servants to Australia beginning in 1800. Aside from the Earl, there are a series of small vignettes along the bottom of the image, mostly depicting the disastrous fate of other vessels, like the Amity and General Barker.

A well dressed sailor dabs his eyes, holding a scroll that I (unfortunately) cannot read. This sailors is the artist: William Gibson, third mate of the Earl. This is indicated by his fine dress and the instruments surrounding him. By his feet is a compass bearing his name, speaking trumpet, octant, quill, parallel ruler, and other items associated with navigation and command. Gibson wears a round hat bound in white tape, a white shirt without waistcoat, a blue coat with sky blue facings, and white metal buttons. His trousers are broad fall with narrow stripes (which appear to be blue, but I can't be sure) and a black neckcloth. Normally I wouldn't detail the uniform of an officer, but the dress of merchant officers is little represented in the art of the time, so this offers us a wonderful glimpse!

These heavily armed merchant sailors, standing over the red ensign flown by merchant vessels of the time, show how dangerous times were for British commercial vessels. On the right is a tar with a cocked hat bound in white tape, a yellow neckcloth dotted in red, a blue jacket, red waistcoat, and slops. White stockings are just barely visible between his slops and the ensign. Wrapped about his waist is a brace of two pistols, and slung over his back is a musket.

His mate at the left is in a round hat with a cylindrical crown and edged in white tape. A black neckcloth hands down over his double breasted blue jacket with mariner's cuffs and double breasted red waistcoat, both of which have cloth buttons. Just like his mate, he wears slops and white stockings. This tar's armament is a bit different from the other, in that he carries a musket and cutlass.

Captain Roger's People stripping some Ladies of their Jewels in the Neighbourhood of Guaquil, 1765

Captain Roger's People stripping some Ladies of their Jewels in the Neighbourhood of Guaquil, 1771, Internet Archive/Getty Research Institute.

Taken from the 1771 edition of A new universal collection of authentic and entertaining voyages and travels, from the earliest accounts to the present time... by Edward Cavendish Drake, this plate also appears in earlier versions, dating back to 1765. It represents the pirate Woodes Rogers and his crew of scalawags pillaging helpless ladies in Ecuador. Though the image is meant to represent an event from decades before, the fashion of Roger's suit and the ladies clothes are more in line with the time it was printed.

The first batch of nefarious pirates strides through the door behind Rogers, enjoying the day and admiring their plunder. All wear cocked hats, and all of them wear those hats at different angles. Their short jackets are single breasted but with an odd set of double buttons on one side. Perhaps this was the artist's nod to an older style of mariner's clothing? They all wear the same white trousers and white neckcloths.

These scoundrels are enjoying themselves. They rob the Spanish colonists by searching their dresses, something the women are clearly distressed by. Dressed the same as their mates, the major difference is that these tars do not show any buttons on their coats. It is also worth noting the hat on the ground bound in tape beside the walking stick.

Kenelm Dawson Salesman, date unknown

"Kenelm Dawson, Salesman," trade card, date unknown, Spitalfields Life.

Spitalfields Life attributes this image to the Bishopsgate Institute, but a search of their website did not turn up a match. The date is hard to pin down, but Kenelm Dawson wrote a will in 1758, placing himself well within our era of study.

Dawson's trade card is rather similar to another trade card examined on this page: Rich'd Kilby at the Jolly Sailor. In fact, the posture, dress, and accessories of the Jolly Sailor are remarkably similar!

Dawson's Jolly Sailor wears a short jacket without buttons, collar, cuffs, or pockets, over a half open single breasted waistcoat. His cocked hat is turned with the point forward(ish), and he wears a plain neckcloth. Slops hang loose over white stockings and pointed toe shoes. As usual, the sailor carries a walking stick.