Petty Officer

The Petty Officer

Petty Officer

A Petty Officer was a trusted and experienced seaman who could be relied on to teach other members of a ships crew how to handle the anchors and cables, how to man the ships boats and many other shipboard duties.

Petty Officers would be assistants to the Boatswain, Gunner, Sailmaker and the Master.

Petty Officers were given their rates by the captain and many of them would go from ship to ship with the same captain giving him a group of highly trained men when he arrived in his new command.

James Hartnell (Petty Officer)

Hartnell, James. Rank: Petty Officer - he was the ship’s rope maker, ship’s book number S303, age 29, nationally British. He was born in Devon, received a Government grant of £4-12-6 and prize money of £1-17-6. He joined Victory from HMS Utrcht/HMS Clyde on 11th May 1803 and left Victory on January 15th 1805 to join HMS Ocean

Hartnell’s main task on Victory was to be the Rope-maker and would help to keep all her ropes in good working order.

In battle Hartnell would be the second Captain of a gun (cannon) and this would be his action station. If, during a battle, some of Victory’s sailors had to board another ship to capture it Hartnell would join them and carry a pistol and cutlass to fight with.

When taking in sail or making sail he would man the lower yard-arms. When bringing in the anchor he would help stow (put away) the anchor cable which was done on the Orlop deck in the cable tiers.

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