Hello sweetpaws:
Thanks for the fascinating question. The short answer is *yes* - the
earl could very likely be "leaning on the taffrail, looking at the
waves."
To start, in ships of the 1840's, the taffrail would definitely be
part of the quarter-deck.
Definition : quarter-deck
http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/quarter-deck
Quote: "the stern area of a ship's upper deck"
Definition : taffrail
URL: http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/taffrail
Quote: "the rail around a ship's stern"
So seeing as the quarter-deck is at the stern of a ship and that any
railing would be at the upper part of the deck, then the taffrail is
only accesible via the quarter-deck.
Now for who was or was not allowed on the quarter-deck on sailing
ships of that era. While there were restrictions on being on the
quarterdeck, those restrictions were not always for passengers - but
rather for non-officer members of the crew.
Here are some literary mentions of passengers on the quarter-deck:
Poor Jack - Captain Frederick Marryat - Chapter XLI.
URL: http://www.athelstane.co.uk/marryat/poorjack/pjack41.htm
Quote: "As we were standing out from the English coast, the captain
and one of the passengers were at the taffrail close to me."
Two Years Before The Mast - Chapter XXXIV
URL: http://www.underthesun.cc/Classics/Dana/TwoYearsBeforeTheMast/TwoYearsBeforeTheMast38.html
Quote: "A clear sky; burning, vertical sun; work going lazily on, and
men about decks with nothing but duck trousers, checked shirts, and
straw hats; the ship moving as lazily through the water; the man at
the helm resting against the wheel, with his hat drawn over his eyes;
the captain below, taking an afternoon nap; the passenger leaning over
the taffrail, watching a dolphin following slowly in our wake; the
sailmaker mending an old topsail on the lee side of the quarterdeck;
the carpenter working at his bench, in the waist; the boys making
sinnet; the spun-yarn winch whizzing round and round, and the men
walking slowly fore and aft with their yarns."
The Crusader of the Excelsior - PART I. - CHAPTER IV.
URL: http://www.underthesun.cc/Classics/Harte/crusader/crusader4.html
Quote: "The mate had clambered halfway up the main ratlines, and was
looking earnestly to windward. Two or three of the crew on the
forecastle were gazing in the same direction. The group of cabin-
passengers on the quarterdeck, following their eyes, saw what appeared
to be another low shore on the opposite bow."
However, the most compelling evidence I found for passengers being
allowed on the quarterdeck comes from an article about "The Lightning"
an actual clipper ship carrying passengers in 1854:
RULES OF THE "LIGHTNING."
URL: http://www.eraoftheclipperships.com/page49web7.html
Quote: "9th. Second cabin passengers are not allowed on he windward
side of the vessel; but can promenade at all hours on the leeward
side....
12th. On account of the overcrowded state of the poop and to satisfy
all parties, third class passengers are only allowed on the
quarterdeck from 7 till 9 in the evening....
14th. No person allowed to speak to the officers of the watch whilst
on duty: nor to any of the quartermasters, whilst at the wheel."
An earl would likely be travelling first-class - or second-class at
the *worst* - and would therefore be allowed on the quarter-deck and
could lean on the taffrail.
However, you should make sure that your author is careful about
placing any non-officer crew members near that taffrail without a
really *good* reason:
WHISTLEBLOWING IN HISTORY
URL: http://www.workingnet.com/thunderbear/256.html
Quote: "No seaman was allowed on the quarterdeck: that would mean mutiny."
THE HISTORY OF SHOPPOLIS ISLANDS
URL: http://www.shoppolisislands.com/sihistoryarrivaltoaprilpage.htm
Quote: "Miss Doreen DuChamp, sparked by Franklin Ogilvie, of the crew,
fell from a yardarm on the mainmast and died of her injuries....Doreen
would be carried ashore soon and buried in her new home, a place she
would never see. Ogilvie, normally not permitted on the quarterdeck
because of his rank, stood next to the box and kept vigil because he
felt he was responsible for the mishap."
Pirates! Fact and Legend
URL: http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:H4rYboEEKrkJ:www.piratesinfo.com/mysql/phorum/read.php%3Ff%3D5%26i%3D2150%26t%3D1543+%22permitted+on+the+quarterdeck%22&hl=en&start=3
Quote: "The division of the vessel into 'officer country' aft and
'crew country' forward is a very ancient maritime tradition, and is
still practiced in navies today. Ordinary crewmen were not even
permitted on the quarterdeck, much less into the stern cabin, unless
specifically ordered to go there."
The following page has a nice view of a taffrail for a model ship of the period.
Diana Project On-Line - Progress Report # 5
URL: http://modelers.tallshipmodels.com/dianaproject6.htm
Quote: "Photo 5 - Fast forward! side view of completed quarter gallery
structure. Note also the finished Taffrail.
Search Strategy (on Google):
* taffrail
* taffrail passengers
* taffrail quarterdeck
* quarterdeck "no passengers"
* "passengers on the quarterdeck"
* "allowed on the quarterdeck"
* "permitted on the quarterdeck"
* taffrail "on the quarterdeck"
* quarterdeck stern
I hope this helps!
websearcher |
