The gunner

The gunner

The Gunner

The Gunner was a senior warrant officer and would be in charge of the ships armament, the magazines, powder room, small arms and the training of the seamen in gunnery.

He would instruct the gun captains and the gun crews as well as teaching some of them the use of side arms and how to use them when boarding enemy ships.

The manufacture of cartridges and shot onboard was also part of his job. The illustration shows the gunner pouring molten metal into a mould with cavities for making lead shot for pistols.

The Gunner was responsible directly to the Captain in all gunnery matters.

William Rivers (Gunner)

Rivers, William. Rank: Gunner, ship’s book number S004, age 50, nationality British, received a Government grant of £108-12-0 and prize money of £44-4-6. Joined Victory when she was in the Ordinary (Reserve Fleet) on 9th April 1803. After Trafalgar he took the ship into refit in Chatham Dockyard in 1805.

William Rivers was another of the senior Warrant officers and his responsibility was to look after and maintain the Victory’s main armament and all the small arms on board the ship - this included the Grand magazine and the two hanging magazines. To help him, Rivers had a team of Mates (assistants), an Armourer, Gunsmith, Yeoman of the Powder Room and Quarter Gunners.

Rivers lived in the gunroom on the lower gun deck and took responsibility for the boys who lived in there. In battle Rivers would be found in the Grand magazine which was well below the waterline and where the gun powder was stored. He would make up new bags of gun powder for the guns to keep them in action.

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