Widow's man
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A Widows' Man is a fictitious seaman kept on the books of British ships in the Georgian era for accounting purposes. The wages of these men were paid to the widows of seamen who were killed, as such widows were often left destitute by the death of their husband.[1]
The number of widows' men on a ship was proportional to the ship's size. A 1st rate might have as many as eighteen, while a 6th rate might have only three. The ratio was reduced by Admiralty order on Oct 25, 1790.[2]
The existence of widows' men served as an incentive for men to join the Royal Navy, rather than the Merchant Navy, as they knew that their wives would be provided for if they died.
This procedure can lead to some confusion to modern students of history. For example, the sloop Discovery carried 153 men on its voyage exploring Puget Sound, but the Widow's Man brings its official complement to 154.[3] Reportedly, in 1738 the Sloop Wolf discharged its widow's man when the company was reduced, but whether this was an accident or an attempt to maintain crew strength is difficult to determine.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Wing, Robert and Newell, Gordon (1979). Peter Puget: Lieutenant on the Vancouver Expedition, fighting British naval officer, the man for whom Puget Sound was named. Gray Beard Publishing. ISBN 0-933686-00-5.
- ^ The Pandora's 135 crew. Queensland Museum (1791). Retrieved on December 15, 2006.
- ^ Muster Table of His Majesties Sloop The Discovery. Admiralty Records in the Public Record Office, U.K. (1791). Retrieved on December 15, 2006.
- ^ Ships of the 18th Century Royal Navy. Maritime History and Naval Heritage Web Site. Retrieved on December 15, 2006.
