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In the days of yore, before concepts like health and safety regulations, child welfare, or human rights were given much thought, a captain of one of His Majesty’s finest vessels in the British Royal Navy had the power to command the crew (or any part of the ship) with strict authority.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, life in the Royal Navy was tough for sailors, with numerous punishments handed down for various infractions. The milder punishments often involved more minor consequences, like watering down the grog, additional watch duties, shortened meal times, or being “reprimanded” by the ship’s boys using wet swabs.
The crew lived in close quarters for extended periods, making severe punishment rare to prevent damaging the overall morale. However, as we will soon discover, things could escalate to much worse outcomes.
10. Beginning
Many of the punishments were formal, issued directly by the captain with an official record noted in the ship’s log. In contrast, the discipline administered by the boatswain or bosun’s mate (essentially a foreman) was carried out immediately and didn’t require any written documentation. This meant it could happen for any reason, at any time.
The bosun’s mate always carried a small weapon to punish the unfortunate sailor. Typically, this weapon was a knotted rope, a small whip, or a cane known as a 'rattan.' On occasion, three canes were bound together and referred to as the 'three sisters.'
These beatings were referred to as 'starting,' meaning the beginning of a beating. A bosun’s mate could be ordered to continue until told to stop. If his arm grew weary, another mate would be summoned to take over the punishment. These violent acts were a regular part of life aboard the ship.
At any given moment, a mate could strike an insubordinate sailor. Left unchecked, a cruel bosun’s mate could and often did inflict severe harm. Eventually, this led to the restrictions on such practices starting in 1811.
9. Gagging
This punishment was applied when a sailor became too outspoken or committed other minor misdeeds. To teach him a lesson, his hands and legs were restrained. An iron bolt was inserted into his mouth, tied in place behind his head, and left there for whatever duration the officer deemed appropriate for the offense. If you’ve ever seen the movie Pulp Fiction, think of the pool-balls-in-the-mouth scene (shown above).
This was another form of punishment not recorded in the ship’s logs due to its potentially severe consequences. Because it was frowned upon by the Admiralty, gagging was never officially sanctioned. However, it was still used on multiple occasions.
In 1867, George Addison, a crew member aboard the HMS Favorite, was gagged for drunkenness and violent behavior. He tragically died from asphyxiation within two hours.
8. Flogging
While many are familiar with the term flogging, you may not fully understand the extent of its brutality. This was one of the most common forms of punishment in the Royal Navy, with nearly any crime resulting in this painful ordeal.
The condemned sailor would be lashed with a cat-o’-nine-tails, a whip with nine (sometimes waxed) knotted tails. Before the flogging, the sailor would be confined in leg irons on the upper deck for a day to give him time to prepare the cat.
Yes, that’s right. The unfortunate sailor was tasked with making his own instrument of torment. If he failed to create it or didn’t finish in time, the punishment could be made even harsher. After twenty-four hours, the flogging would commence.
The entire crew would gather on deck to witness the punishment. The specific rule the sailor had broken would be read aloud from the Articles of War (a list of shipboard regulations). The sailor would then be given a chance to speak in his defense against the sentence.
The sailor’s shirt would be stripped off, and he would be bound standing to a part of the ship, often the rigging or the gangway entrance. The bosun’s mate was the one to carry out the punishment, standing at arm’s length and delivering each lash with the full force of a swing.
By 1750, floggings were limited to 12 lashes. A ship’s doctor described this as still leaving the sailor’s back 'swollen like a pillow, looking black-and-blue.' However, a captain could circumvent the 12-lash rule by charging the sailor with multiple offenses, thus earning 12 lashes for each. Prior to this, sentences could involve hundreds of strikes.
Once the first 12 lashes had been administered, a new mate could be called in to keep the force of the blows consistent. As the cat continued to tear into the skin, a sailor’s back could end up looking like butchered meat from the market.
After each lash, the bosun’s mate would run his fingers through the tails of the whip to clear away the blood. When changing to a new mate, sometimes a left-handed one would take over, intentionally crossing over the previous cuts to inflict even more damage.
The suffering didn’t end with the flogging. Afterward, the sailor was taken to the ship’s doctor, where his back would be covered in vinegar-soaked paper or have salt rubbed into his wounds. This was intended to prevent infection but often caused more agony than the flogging itself.
7. Flogging Around The Fleet
This punishment was similar to a regular flogging with the cat-o’-nine-tails, but it was intended to be more of a spectacle for others to witness—typically when several ships were gathered in a harbor. The crew member would be tied to a small boat’s mast and lashed by the bosun’s mate.
The boat would then sail to the next ship, where that vessel’s bosun’s mate would take his turn with the flogging. This process would continue across all the ships, giving rise to the term 'flogging around the fleet.' For added drama, the boat was sometimes followed by another small vessel carrying a drummer boy, heightening the somber atmosphere.
Flogging persisted in the Royal Navy until 1881.
6. Cobbed And Firked
You might assume that being a cook aboard a ship would allow a man to avoid punishment for his minor errors. Not quite. He had his own unique medicine to face.
While not as severe as some other forms of punishment, a cook could expect to be 'cobbed and firked' for misplacing food or letting it go bad. This informal punishment involved hitting the cook with sand-filled stockings or bung staves (the wooden slats from a cask).
This wasn’t so much a painful punishment as it was a form of humiliation. The cook would usually be struck 'as a boy'—hit on the backside rather than anywhere else. The goal was not to harm the cook too much, since they needed to keep preparing food on time for the crew.
5. Child Punishment
Speaking of 'as a boy,' a ship's crew wasn't composed solely of adult men. Young boys were frequently employed, often starting at ages 11 or 12. Sadly, their age did not exempt them from corporal punishment. Historical ships' logs reveal that about a third of all floggings were carried out on children.
At any given moment, boys under the age of 19 could be caned for even minor offenses. Like their adult counterparts, these punishments were typically not documented. This often resulted in daily bullying. In one instance, a captain was noted for having his boys caned every morning. When one boy dared to plead, 'Please, sir,' his punishment was made worse.
For more severe offenses, a boy would be forced to 'kiss the gunner’s daughter.' This meant he would be bent over a cannon in front of the crew, have his trousers lowered, and be struck on the bare bottom. Aside from being a more child-appropriate punishment, this method was used because the boys typically worked the rigging. Whipping their hands would interfere with their work.
By the mid-19th century, this punishment was carried out with a 'cane or birch.' However, prior to that, a smaller version of the cat-o’-nine-tails, known as 'the boys’ pussy,' was used. This was similar to the cat-o’-nine-tails but had only five whip ends.
On rare occasions when a boy was sentenced via a court-martial, an adult-sized cat could be used. This occurred to the unfortunate Valentine Woods in 1813. The 17-year-old was sentenced to 60 lashes on his bare backside for stabbing a fellow crew member. In retrospect, perhaps Valentine did deserve that punishment.
4. Running The Gauntlet
One of the gravest offenses you could commit in the navy was to steal from your shipmates. The punishment for this crime reflected how deeply it was detested by nearly everyone. To 'run the gauntlet,' the offender would be stripped to the waist and flogged with the 'thieves’ cat,' a cat-o’-nine-tails with extra knots for added impact.
The offender would then be forced to walk between two lines of men, each holding a length of knotted rope. As he walked past, each man would strike him as forcefully as possible. To ensure the criminal didn’t rush, an officer with a cutlass would stand in front of him, blocking his way. Once the gauntlet was complete, the offender would be flogged again for good measure.
Though primarily used for thieves, this punishment was also meted out for other offenses such as fraud and sodomy, leading to many casualties. After several notable deaths, the practice of running the gauntlet was officially abolished by 1806.
3. Keelhauling
Arguably the most horrific punishment of the Age of Sail, keelhauling was never officially sanctioned by the Royal Navy due to its extreme brutality. However, it was still carried out on several occasions before being outlawed around 1720.
The condemned individual would be stripped naked on the ship’s deck, with the rest of the crew watching. Two ropes would be fastened to him, one of which would be passed beneath the ship’s bottom, across the 'keel.'
The man would then be suspended over the ship’s side, submerged underwater, and dragged along the keel by the second rope until he surfaced on the opposite side. This could be done slowly or repeated as many times as the officers deemed necessary.
A weight was attached to the man's legs to ensure his body remained properly aligned with the ship’s hull, resulting in many drownings. But even if he didn't perish, the man had more suffering to endure.
Beneath the water, the hull of a ship (especially a wooden one) was often covered with barnacles. Anyone who has slipped on a barnacle-covered rock will understand how sharp they are. It was like being dragged across a massive, razor-sharp cheese grater, tearing the man’s flesh. Even if he survived, the scars would stay with him for life.
2. Hanging From The Yardarm
The hanging basket method wasn’t the only execution technique. In the 18th century, serious offenses like striking an officer, desertion, or being accused of 'indecent practices' could lead to execution.
By the 1800s, executions were reserved for the most severe crimes such as mutiny or murder. Regardless of the offense, a court-martial could result in a death sentence by hanging from the yardarm. Unlike modern drop-hanging, where death is immediate, a yardarm hanging was a slow and agonizing process.
The condemned would have their hands and feet bound, with a noose placed around their neck. The crew would gather on deck to watch. A gunshot would signal the start, and a group of men would pull on the rope, hoisting the prisoner up to the yardarm. The prisoner would be left hanging, slowly strangling to death. After about an hour, the body would be lowered.
This execution method was last used in 1860, after Royal Marine John Dalliger murdered both a lieutenant and the commanding officer of the HMS Leven after being caught stealing brandy. US ships also used this form of punishment, as seen in the image above.
1. Falling Asleep On Watch
Being on watch was a critical responsibility as it meant protecting all the lives aboard a ship. But life at sea could be monotonous, leading to sailors falling asleep. If severe punishments were given for every offense, a ship would quickly run out of crew. Therefore, the consequences for sleepy sailors escalated over time.
As outlined in the Black Book of the Admiralty, the punishments for falling asleep went as follows. For the first offense, a sailor would simply have cold seawater thrown over them while others laughed. Not the worst of punishments.
The second time, the sailor’s hands would be bound, and cold water would be poured into his shirt. It was uncomfortable but not overly cruel.
For a third offense, the sailor would be tied to a mast and forced to hold heavy objects with his arms extended. Usually, these objects were cannon chambers. Over time, this became increasingly painful. Additionally, the officer in charge had the authority to add any other suffering they wished.
The fourth punishment ended the sailor’s sleeping habits—usually because the sailor didn’t survive. The offender would be placed in a basket and hung from the bowsprit (the forward mast of the ship). An armed sentry would be posted with orders to kill the sailor if he tried to escape. The sailor would be left to starve to death.
The prisoner was given a few choices. He could be handed a knife, with the option to cut his own wrists. Alternatively, he could sever the rope of the basket and drown in the vast, open sea.
