
The Myth of the Press Gang
Volunteers, Impressment and the Naval Manpower Problem in the Late Eighteenth Century
J. Ross Dancy(Author)
Boydell Press
Published on 16. February 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
227 pages
978-1-78327-289-1 (ISBN)
Description
Overturns the generally held view that the press gang was the main means of recruiting seamen by the British navy in the late eighteenth century.
SHORTLISTED for the Society for Nautical Research's prestigious Anderson Medal.
The press gang is generally regarded as the means by which the British navy solved the problem of recruiting enough seamen in the late eighteenth century. This book, however, based on extensive original research conducted primarily in a large number of ships' muster books, demonstrates that this view is false. It argues that, in fact, the overwhelming majority of seamen in the navy were there of their own free will. Taking a long view across the late eighteenth century but concentrating on the period of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of 1793-1815, the book provides great detailon the sort of men that were recruited and the means by which they were recruited, and includes a number of individuals' stories. It shows how manpower was a major concern for the Admiralty; how the Admiralty put in place a rangeof recruitment methods including the quota system; how it worried about depleting merchant shipping of sufficient sailors; and how, although most seamen were volunteers, the press gang was resorted to, especially during the initial mobilisation at the beginning of wars and to find certain kinds of particularly skilled seamen. The book also makes comparisons with recruitment methods employed by the navies of other countries and by the British army.
J. ROSS DANCY is Director of Graduate Studies in History and Assistant Professor of History at Sam Houston State University
SHORTLISTED for the Society for Nautical Research's prestigious Anderson Medal.
The press gang is generally regarded as the means by which the British navy solved the problem of recruiting enough seamen in the late eighteenth century. This book, however, based on extensive original research conducted primarily in a large number of ships' muster books, demonstrates that this view is false. It argues that, in fact, the overwhelming majority of seamen in the navy were there of their own free will. Taking a long view across the late eighteenth century but concentrating on the period of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of 1793-1815, the book provides great detailon the sort of men that were recruited and the means by which they were recruited, and includes a number of individuals' stories. It shows how manpower was a major concern for the Admiralty; how the Admiralty put in place a rangeof recruitment methods including the quota system; how it worried about depleting merchant shipping of sufficient sailors; and how, although most seamen were volunteers, the press gang was resorted to, especially during the initial mobilisation at the beginning of wars and to find certain kinds of particularly skilled seamen. The book also makes comparisons with recruitment methods employed by the navies of other countries and by the British army.
J. ROSS DANCY is Director of Graduate Studies in History and Assistant Professor of History at Sam Houston State University
Reviews / Votes
[An] excellent study. . . . In this book Dancy has shown how historians can exploit digital humanities. By doing so he has implemented a sea-change in the way we view how the Royal Navy manned its ships . . . He has well and truly debunked 'The Myth of the Press Gang'. * WAR IN HISTORY * An important book. * THE NELSON DISPATCH * J. Ross Dancy is to be congratulated for shedding light on a core issue in the history of the Royal Navy. * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Woodbridge
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
59 line illus.
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
354 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78327-289-1 (9781783272891)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

J. Ross Dancy
The Myth of the Press Gang
Volunteers, Impressment and the Naval Manpower Problem in the Late Eighteenth Century
Book
02/2015
Boydell Press
€111.00
Shipment within 3-4 weeks

J. Ross Dancy
Myth of the Press Gang
Volunteers, Impressment and the Naval Manpower Problem in the Late Eighteenth Century
E-Book
02/2015
1st Edition
Boydell & Brewer
€48.99
Available for download

J. Ross Dancy
The Myth of the Press Gang
Volunteers, Impressment and the Naval Manpower Problem in the Late Eighteenth Century
E-Book
02/2015
1st Edition
De Gruyter
€48.99
Available for download
Person
J. Ross Dancy
Content
Introduction
British Naval Administration
Manning Statistics
Volunteers
Impressment
The Quota Acts
Conclusion
Bibliography
British Naval Administration
Manning Statistics
Volunteers
Impressment
The Quota Acts
Conclusion
Bibliography