Naval courts martial . t Martial was convinced that, by what-ever accident he died, the captain had acted in self-defence*. A less serious, but no doubt more common instanceof the rowdyism of the age is to be seen in the story ofthe chaplain and the carpenter of the Assistance. Thechaplain was a Scot whose name appears as Tuar(? Dewar), who we may presume was one of theEpiscopalian clergy rabbled by the triumphantPresbyterians in 1688. Some friend had provided forhim by securing him the very modest position of chaplainto a man-of-war. The carpenter, Mr Wilmott, a manof drunken habits, had a vi
Naval courts martial . t Martial was convinced that, by what-ever accident he died, the captain had acted in self-defence*. A less serious, but no doubt more common instanceof the rowdyism of the age is to be seen in the story ofthe chaplain and the carpenter of the Assistance. Thechaplain was a Scot whose name appears as Tuar(? Dewar), who we may presume was one of theEpiscopalian clergy rabbled by the triumphantPresbyterians in 1688. Some friend had provided forhim by securing him the very modest position of chaplainto a man-of-war. The carpenter, Mr Wilmott, a manof drunken habits, had a visible prejudice against Scots,and showed it by the use of much abusive language. * It is not unusual for long after 1694 to find the papers relatingto a Court Martial in a fragmentary state. From notes scribbled onthe backs of documents which do survive, we learn that the minutesof the evidence were sometimes claimed by the Secretary of the Ad-miralty, to be laid before the Board, or the Judges, and were Richard Parker I] THE NAVY IN 1688 23 At last there came a day when the padre was readingin his hammock, and the carpenter walked round himsaying in an offensive manner Sawney, prejudice was sharpened on this occasion bysome dispute concerning a barrel of wine. At lastthe carpenter became so intolerable that the chaplainforgot his cloth and trounced his tormentor. They bothappeared before a Court Martial on the Swiftsure whichfined the cleric a months pay for the assault and dis-missed the carpenter, not only for this particular offence,but for his general sottishnesse. The briefest account of the old Navy which tookno notice of mutiny and desertion would be veryincomplete. Mutiny was an elastic word, coveringdisorders which ranged from mere threats to beat theboatswain, to attempts to seize the ship. Desertionwas common in an age when men were driven to serve,were paid only at the end of a commission, and werethen forced to recover their wages b
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