Category: Pirate way of life

The ship’s surgeon was one of the most indispensable members of crew and was normally held in high esteem by them. They were always present on warships, but only occasionally on merchant vessels. Someone with medical knowledge was extremely valuable, as a ship was a dangerous place to live and work on. In the early 1700s there was a scarcity of physicians, so surgeons and apothecaries were essential. On board a ship, as well as serious accidents there were also mundane ailments to deal with such as rashes caused by constantly wet clothes, sunburn, and toothache, and common minor injuries like cuts, bruises and sores inflicted by daily work, which were usually treated by applying plasters. Also the crew needed a regular cutting of their hair, shaving, and the trimming of their beards with scissors and razors, which was also the responsibility of the surgeon. These men were often referred to as barber surgeons in society.…

The term quartermaster can be confusing, as the meaning can vary according to the context. The quartermaster on a naval vessel stood watch next to the helmsman and was responsible for maintaining the ship’s course, whereas in armies on land, a quartermaster was an officer who supervised logistics and requisitions, managed the stores and barracks, and distributed supplies and provisions. A pirate quartermaster had numerous, less well defined  responsibilities, which could vary from ship to ship.

The term quartermaster might derive from the title of a German royal official, the Quartiermeister. This term meant ‘master of quarters’, where ‘quarters’ refers to lodgings or accommodation. Alternatively, it could have been derived from ‘master of the quarterdeck’, the deck where the quartermaster was positioned on a naval vessel. Both terms might have developed independently in the navy and army. The French and Dutch naval titles were quartier-maître and kwartier-meester.