A frigate of King George : life and duty on a British man-of-war 1807-1829

Format:

Book

Title:

A frigate of King George : life and duty on a British man-of-war 1807-1829

Author:

Vale, Brian.

ISBN:

9781860646546

Publication Information:

London ; New York : I.B. Tauris ; New York : Distributed in U.S.A. and Canada by St. Martin's Press, 2001.

Physical Description:

xi, 204 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Contents:

Early days : Bombay to sheerness--1807 to 1821 -- Turmoil and liberation in Latin America -- The British South America squadron -- HMS Doris : the ship and the men -- Preparing for sea : march to August 1821 -- The outward voyage -- Pernambuco and Bahia -- Rio de Janeiro and round cape horn -- Travels in Chile and Peru -- The struggle for Bahia -- Brazilian victory and British neutrality -- Promotion and 'interest' in the South America squadron -- Changes in command -- Playacting and blockade -- Preparing to leave -- Home again : winter 1824-25 -- Final days : 1825 to 1829 -- Doris : commissioned and warrant officers, August 1821 and August 1824 -- Doris : punishments June 1821--December 1824 -- Doris : deserters -- Doris : fatalities -- Doris : recruiting and retention figures for 'other ranks'.

Summary:

This book describes what life was really like on a wooden warship. The author examines recruitment, desertions, food, drink, disease, and death. He details operations in Brazil, Chile, and Peru from a military and a political angle, as well as from the perspective of ordinary seamen.

Corporate Subject:

Doris (Man-of-war)

Great Britain. Royal Navy -- History -- 19th century.

Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Sea life.

Great Britain. Royal Navy. (OCoLC)fst00529487

Subject(s):

Doris (Man-of-war)

Great Britain. Royal Navy -- History -- 19th century.

Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Sea life.

Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century.

South America -- History -- 1805-1830.

Great Britain -- History -- George IV, 1820-1830.

Geographic Term:

Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century.

South America -- History -- 1805-1830.

Great Britain -- History -- George IV, 1820-1830.

Genre:

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	359.00941 Vale 2001	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

What was life really like on a wooden warship? Brian Vale takes a look at life on board the 42-gun frigate HMS Doris, from Bombay in 1807 to Valparaiso in 1829. This intriguing account of life on board concentrates on the ship's service under Sir Thomas Hardy as she protected British interests during the stormy years of South American Independence. Vale vividly examines recruitment, desertions, food, drink, disease, sex, flogging, and death. He enthusiastically details the operations in Brazil, Chile, and Peru from a military and a political angle, as well as from the perspective of sailors.

Author Notes

Brian Vale is the author of Independence or Death , and A War Betwixt Englishmen .

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

This feast for nautomaniacs chronicles HMS Doris, a British frigate built in Bombay in 1807 and scrapped in Valparaiso, Chile, in 1829. Doris traveled far and wide on many lawful occasions, but Vale focuses on a four-year commission, from 1821 to 1825, on the South American station. All the health lessons of the Napoleonic Wars had been reasonably well learned, and diseases claimed few of the crew; but accidents, desertion, and disgruntlement with the naval service did their work. Doris survived captains who used the lash freely and others who used it sparingly, minor scandals and major blunders in handling money and promotions (two commodities that usually went to men who combined "interest" and serious practical experience), difficulties obtaining supplies, and all the headaches of what would now be called "peacekeeping" in a Latin America in revolt against Spain and actively assisted by many British officers and seamen. A serious, seriously irresistible addition to the literature of the classic era of sailing warfare. --Roland Green

List of Illustrations	p. vii
List of Plates	p. viii
Preface	p. ix
1. Early Days: Bombay to Sheerness--1807 to 1821	p. 1
2. Turmoil and Liberation in Latin America	p. 13
3. The British South America Squadron	p. 20
4. HMS Doris: The Ship and the Men	p. 26
5. Preparing for Sea: March to August 1821	p. 42
6. The Outward Voyage	p. 54
7. Pernambuco and Bahia	p. 62
8. Rio de Janeiro and round Cape Horn	p. 71
9. Travels in Chile and Peru	p. 82
10. The Struggle for Bahia	p. 94
11. Brazilian Victory and British Neutrality	p. 104
12. Promotion and 'Interest' in the South America Squadron	p. 115
13. Changes in Command	p. 124
14. Playacting and Blockade	p. 131
15. Preparing to Leave	p. 142
16. Home Again: Winter 1824-25	p. 150
17. Final Days: 1825 to 1829	p. 158
Appendices
1. Doris: Commissioned and Warrant Officers, August 1821 and August 1824	p. 169
2. Doris: Punishments June 1821--December 1824	p. 171
3. Doris: Deserters	p. 176
4. Doris: Fatalities	p. 178
5. Doris: Recruiting and Retention Figures for 'Other Ranks'	p. 179
Notes	p. 180
Bibliography	p. 190
Index	p. 195

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

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