Crew
List:
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Captain |
Capt.
James
Tooke (Black Heart Jim) |
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Quartermaster |
Daniella
Silver-Tooke |
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Sailing
Master |
Allyhandra |
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Boatswain |
Talyn
Dmitrieva |
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Master
Gunner |
(Father)
William
Blackpoole |
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Cook |
Cookie |
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Surgeon |
Blaze |
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Mates |
Rozhena
Ashford |
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Pillaging
Plundering Patty |
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Honorary
Member |
(Capt.)
Angus MacBeth |
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Typical
shipboard positions on a pirate ship: |
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CAPTAIN
Most pirate captain's were democratically elected by the ships
crew and could be replaced at any time by a majority vote of the
crewmen. For example some captains were voted out and removed for
not being as aggressive in the pursuit of prizes as the crew would
have liked. And others were abandoned by their crews for being a
little to bloodthirsty and brutal. They were expected to be bold and
decisive in battle. And also have skill in navigation and
seamanship. Above all they had to have the force of personality
necessary to hold together such an unruly bunch of seamen.
This left the captain of most pirate ships in a rather precarious
position and some were in truth little more then a figurehead.
Generally speaking, he was someone the crew would follow if he
treated them well and was a fairly successful pirate captain, but
could be replaced if enough of the men lost confidence in him and
felt he wasn't performing his duties as well as he should. However,
despite all this the captain was frequently looked upon with respect
as a knowledgeable leader of men. And the pirate crews historically
appeared to have followed his judgment in most matters. There are
surprisingly few detailed descriptions of what the pirate captains
looked like, and those we do have are rarely flattering. Most seem
to have adopted the clothes of naval officers or merchant sea
captains, which in this period followed the style of English
gentlemen.
QUARTERMASTER
During the Golden Age of Piracy, most British and Anglo-American
pirates delegated unusual amounts of authority to the Quartermaster
who became almost the Captain's equal. The Captain retained
unlimited authority during battle, but otherwise he was subject to
the Quartermaster in many routine matters. The Quartermaster was
elected by the crew to represent their interests and he received an
extra share of the booty when it was divided. Above all, he
protected the Seaman against each other by maintaining order,
settling quarrels, and distributing food and other essentials.
Serious crimes were tried by a jury of the crew, but the
Quartermaster could punish minor offenses. Only he could flog a
seaman after a vote from the Crew. The Quartermaster usually kept
the records and account books for the ship. He also took part in all
battles and often led the attacks by the boarding parties. If the
pirates were successful, he decided what plunder to take. If the
pirates decide to keep a captured ship, the Quartermaster often took
over as the Captain of that ship.
SAILING MASTER
This was the officer who was in charge of navigation and the
sailing of the ship. He directed the course and looked after the
maps and instruments necessary for navigation. Since the charts of
the era were often inaccurate or nonexistent, his job was a
difficult one. Many Sailing Masters had to be forced into pirate
service.
BOATSWAIN
The Boatswain supervised the maintenance of the vessel and its
supply stores. He was responsible for inspecting the ship and its
sails and rigging each morning, and reporting their state to the
captain. The Boatswain was also in charge of all deck activities,
including weighing and dropping anchor, and the handling of the
sails.
CARPENTER
The Carpenter was responsible for the maintenance and repair of
the wooden hull, masts and yards. He worked under the direction of
the ship's Master and Boatswain. The Carpenter checked the hull
regularly. If leaks were detected the Carpenter would place oakum
between the seems of the planks and wooden plugs in holes to keep
the vessel tight. He was highly skilled in his work which he learned
through apprenticeship. Often he would have an assistant whom he in
turn trained as a carpenter.
MASTER GUNNER
The Master Gunner was responsible for the ship's guns and
ammunition. This included sifting the powder to keep it dry and
prevent it from separating, insuring the cannon balls were kept free
of rust, and all weapons were kept in good repair. A knowledgeable
Gunner was essential to the crew's safety and effective use of their
weapons.
MATE
On a large ship there was usually more than one Mate aboard. The
Mate served as apprentice to the Ship's Master, Boatswain, Carpenter
and Gunner. He took care of the fitting out of the vessel, and
examined whether it was sufficiently provided with ropes, pulleys,
sails, and all the other rigging that was necessary for the voyage.
The Mate took care of hoisting the anchor, and during a voyage he
checked the tackle once a day. If he observed anything amiss, he
would report it to the ship's Master. Arriving at a port, the mate
caused the cables and anchors to be repaired, and took care of the
management of the sails, yards and mooring of the ship.
SAILOR
The common sailor, which was the backbone of the ship, needed to
know the rigging and the sails. As well as how to steer the ship and
applying it to the purposes of navigation; he needed to know how to
read the skies, weather, winds and most importantly the moods of his
commanders. Other jobs on the ships were surgeon (for large
vessels), cooks and cabin boys. There were many jobs divided up
amongst the officers, sometimes one man would perform two functions.
Mates who served apprenticeships were expected to fill in or take
over positions when sickness or death created an opportunity.
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