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Posted: 1/27/2021 8:24:31 AM EDT
[#1]
Quoted: I've seen it many times, not much of a reader though so never read any of the books it was based on. About the kids, how did kids that young come to be in the service, were they actual enlistees? Obviously a few of them were officers, how did they get to be officers on a ship that young? In the act where they put the mini ship with the lights in the water and mislead the other ship, then came up behind it in the morning, why does the surprise have the advantage to the point the other ship can only attempt to out distance it. It's a long ways ahead, seems it could just turn and fight from there? Why are kids standing at attention like behind the officers when they're having dinner in that one scene? Are they on kp or something? It would take a book. There were ship's boys and midshipmen. A life of Nelson might help with midshipmen, but I'm tired. |
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Posted: 1/27/2021 6:18:06 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted: And you expect us to explain to you the structure of 18th century Britain society and the social history of the Royal Navy? It would take a book. There were ship's boys and midshipmen. A life of Nelson might help with midshipmen, but I'm tired I appreciate the site suggestions. Correct if anyone can explain that too would be appreciated as it’s a forum for social interaction. Reading books is good certainly, but often it’s more intriguing listening to others in responses. |
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Posted: 1/27/2021 6:40:08 PM EDT
[#3]
A holdover from fuedal times when knights took young boys in as squires, mostly.
Your family is impoverished with too many mouths to feed and not enough income. Send your boys off to sea so they can learn a resurrected and honorable trade. |
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Posted: 1/27/2021 6:50:48 PM EDT
[#4]
You really should read the books if you enjoyed the movie that much-- the movie is a loose adaptation of two of the books. The Horatio Hornblower series is excellent too, it had me ready to take the King's shilling when I was a kid-- they will both deepen the stories and make them that much more enjoyable.
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Posted: 1/27/2021 6:57:37 PM EDT
[#5]
The kids were Midshipmen.
Not Officers, think Cadets or Officer Candidates. Note they didn't eat with the Captain in his cabin. |
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Posted: 1/27/2021 7:02:16 PM EDT
[#6]
David Farragut was a Midshipman at age 9 and a Prize Master of a captured ship at age 12 in the war of 1812.
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Posted: 1/27/2021 7:39:24 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I appreciate the site suggestions. Correct if anyone can explain that too would be appreciated as it's a forum for social interaction. Reading books is good certainly, but often it's more intriguing listening to others in responses. Obviously no one here lived in Georgian Great Britain or served in the Royal Navy during that period. Anything anyone "says" is either what they've read or someone told them or a flippant remark. How does someone with no background in the subject know what's accurate? Another source is Youtube videos. Of course these range from useless shit to very good. This is very complex subject. This might help with some of your questions.  Failed To Load Title |
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Posted: 9/21/2021 1:41:45 PM EDT
[#8]
Others have answered your cadet questions, but put simply, naval service started early in those times for officers.
As far as your question on the Surprise coming in behind the other ship, but it can only flee... Well, the movie answers this one when Captain explains to Stephen about the "weather gauge." This means that the Surprise has the favorable wind to maneuver and control the engagement. The books go into fascinating detail about the ship handling for the fighting engagements that's only touched upon in the movie. |
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Posted: 9/21/2021 2:22:32 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: And you expect us to explain to you the structure of 18th century Britain society and the social history of the Royal Navy? https://www.amazon.com/dp/0870212583?tag=arfcom00-20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1848320361?tag=arfcom00-20 For the OP, you can consider that they started apprenticeships at a very young age back then. The kids that were studying to be officers came from upper class families. It was a class system, and class and rank had it's privileges. |
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Posted: 10/9/2021 2:47:40 PM EDT
[#10]
Un
Quote HistoryQuoted: The kids were Midshipmen. Not Officers, think Cadets or Officer Candidates. Note they didn't eat with the Captain in his cabin. Unless they were invited. |
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Posted: 6/20/2022 4:02:05 PM EDT
[#11]
I always figured the kids were mostly from families of wealth who bought a lower commission for the kids on track towards becoming an officer, then command. The sailors were just laborers who couldn't afford a commission
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Posted: 8/6/2022 1:19:45 PM EDT
[#12]
Midshipman was a path for young “gentlemen” to learn the sea and were expected to eventually grow into officers, in a time when officers and the upper class English were tightly coupled. They were unpaid until they were commissioned as lieutenant. Boys were often placed with friends of their family who happened to have seagoing commands.
Midshipmen without the wit or grit to become officers ended up like Hollom, a pathetic figure who was no seaman or fighter. The sailors had no respect for him as a result. It wasn’t impossible for a “before the mast” sailor to end up as an officer, but it was rare. Most often that career path ended at a warrant officer position like sailing master, gunnery officer, bosun, etc. When dining with the captain, each diner had a servant to serve him. These were common sailors. |
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