The Patriot's Fate (39 page)

The Battle of Tory Island (often referred to as Warren’s Action, or the Battle of Donegal) was the final major action of the 1798 Irish Rebellion, and marked the last of several attempts made by the French to land a large body of men in support of a rising. British losses were relatively slight; 13 killed and 75 wounded, as opposed to 270 casualties in the French flagship alone. The
Hoche
was repaired and taken into British service where, renamed HMS
Donegal,
she served for many years, finally being broken up in 1845.

The cost of the rebellion, in terms of lives and money, has been calculated many times, with almost as many different results. In March 1799 the government reported that eighty-one men had been executed since Cornwallis took command, four hundred and eighty-one transported, and “great numbers” sentenced separately at the assizes. At that time the total number of casualties was thought to be roughly twenty thousand, fifteen hundred of which were loyalists. Later estimates placed the initial figure far higher at seventy thousand deaths, (twenty thousand being government troops), while more recent research puts the total nearer to thirty thousand. The British government received claims for just over one million pounds in compensation from loyalists. Obviously no figures are available for rebel losses; the vast majority had less to lose, although being as they were far greater in number, it is thought that their cost was considerably higher. But figures, however accurate, can never hope to indicate the suffering caused by such a conflict. At least ten towns were heavily affected; some, like Kildare, being razed to the ground by the military, with at least two others similarly destroyed by rebel forces. In 1799 Dublin was reported to be filled with the widows and orphans of those who had fallen in battle, and on both sides whole families were effectively wiped out.

As a direct result of the 1798 rebellion, union with Britain became official on the 1
^st
of January 1801, just six months after the Irish Parliament had effectively voted itself out of existence.

Selected Glossary

Abercromby
(Ralph) –
Scottish lieutenant-general in charge of British forces in Ireland until mid 1798.
 

Able Seaman
–
One who can hand, reef and steer; well acquainted with the duties of a seaman.

BackWind
–
Change, anticlockwise.

Backed sail
–
One set in the direction for the opposite tack to slow a ship.

Backstays
–
Similar to shrouds in function, except that they run from the hounds of the topmast, or topgallant, all the way to the deck. Serve to support the mast against any forces forward, for example, when the ship is tacking. (Also a useful/spectacular way to return to deck for topmen.)

Backstays,running
– A less permanent backstay, rigged with a tackle to allow it to be slacked to clear a gaff or boom.

Barkie
–
(Slang)
Seaman’s affectionate name for their ship.

Beetle headed
–
(Slang)
Dull, Stupid.

Belaying pins
– Pins set into racks at the side of a ship. Lines are secured to these, allowing instant release by their removal.
 

Bight
– Loop made in the middle of a line.

Bilboes – Leg irons, or iron garters. Bilboes were supposed to have originated in Spain – Bilbao – and were used to restrain prisoners on the punishment deck; a sort of pedal handcuffs.

Binnacle
– Cabinet on the quarterdeck that houses compasses, the log, traverse board, lead lines, telescope and speaking trumpet

Biscuit
– Small hammock mattress, resembling ships rations. Also Hard Tack.

Bitter end
– The very end of an anchor cable.

Bitts
– Stout horizontal pieces of timber, supported by strong verticals, that extend deep into the ship. These hold the anchor cable when the ship is at anchor. Also Jeer bits.

Blab
–
(Slang)
Gossip.

Block
– Article of rigging that allows pressure to be diverted or, when used with others, increased. Consists of a pulley wheel, made of
lignum vitae
, encased in a wooden shell. Blocks can be single, double (fiddle block), triple or quadruple. Main suppliers Taylors, of Southampton.

Boat fall
– Line that raises or lowers a ship’s boat.

Boatswain
(pronounced
Bosun
) – The officer who superintends the sails, rigging, canvas, colours, anchors, cables and cordage, committed to his charge.

Bolt rope/line
– Line sewn into the edge of a sail, at the bolt.

Boom
– Lower spar to which the bottom of a gaff sail is attached.

Bootnecks
–
(Slang)
Marines. Also Gallouts, Guffies or Jollies.

Bower
– Type of anchor mounted in the bows.

Bowline
– Line attached to the middle of the leech that keeps the leading edge of a sail forward when sailing close to the wind.

Braces
– Lines used to adjust the angle between the yards and the fore and aft line of the ship. Mizzen braces, and braces of a brig, lead forward.

Breach rope/line
– Heavy line to stop the recoil of a cannon, (7” for 32 pounder).

Brig
– Two masted vessel square-rigged on both masts..

Broach
– When running down wind, to round up into the wind, out of control usually due to carrying too much canvas.

Bulkhead
– A wall or partition within the hull of a ship.

Bulwark
– The planking or wood-work about a vessel above her deck.

Bumboat
–
(Slang)
A shore based vessel that approaches large sea going ships to sell luxuries, etc. Often contains money lenders (who will give a mean return in cash for a seaman’s pay ticket). Frequently crewed by large masculine women, who employ far more fetching girls to carry out the bargaining with the seamen.

Bunt
– Middle upper part of a sail, next to the mast.

Bunting
– Material from which signal flags are made.

Button
– Top of a mast or extreme end of a cannon, (on the Blomefield model, carrying a loop to take the breach rope) See cascabel.

Canister
– Type of shot, also known as case. Small iron balls packed into a cylindrical case.

Carronade
– Short cannon firing a heavy shot. Invented by Melville, Gascoigne and Miller in late 1770’s and adopted in 1779. Often used on the upper deck of larger ships, or as the main armament of smaller.

Cascabel
– Part of the breach of a cannon.

Caulk
–
(Slang)
to sleep. Also Caulking, a process to seal the seams between strakes.

Channel
– Projecting ledge that holds deadeyes from shrouds and backstays, originally chain-whales.

Channel Gropers
–
(Slang)
The Channel Fleet, when under blockading duties.

Cleat
– A retaining piece for lines attached to yards, etc.

Close hauled
– Sailing as near as possible into the wind.
 

Coaming
– A ridged frame about hatches to prevent water on deck from getting below.

Companionway
– A staircase or passageway.

Cornwallis
(Charles) – Viceroy and Commander in Chief of Ireland during 1798.

Counter
– The lower part of a ship’s stern.

Course
– A large square lower sail, hung from a yard, with sheets controlling, and securing it.

Crimp
–
(Slang)
One who procures pressed men for the service.

Croppy
– hunter
(Slang)
One who persecutes rebels.

Crown and Anchor
– A popular shipboard dice game.

Crows of iron
– “Crow bars” used to move a gun or heavy object.

Cutter
– Fast small, single masted vessel with a sloop rig. Also a seaworthy ship’s boat.

Cutting out
– The act of taking an enemy vessel while it is in a supposedly safe harbour or anchorage.

Deadeyes
– A round, flattish wooden block with three holes through which a lanyard is reaved. Used to tension shrouds and backstays.

Ditty bag
–
(Slang)
A seaman’s bag.
Derives its name from the dittis or Manchester stuff of which it was once made.

Dollond
– Maker of optical instruments; slang for the instrument itself.
 

Doxies
–
(Slang)
Shore based prostitutes or temporary wives. Usually reasonably attractive as by tradition they do not pay the ferryman’s fair unless they find a “Fancy Man”. (Also the officer allowing them on board will only admit pretty women, for the honour of the ship.)

Driver
– Large sail set on the mizzen in light winds. The foot is extended by means of a boom.

Dunnage
– Officially the packaging around cargo. Also
(Slang)
Seaman’s baggage or possessions.

Eight bells
– The end of a normal 4 hour watch. The bell is rung every half hour, the number of rings increasing with the passage of time.

Fall
– The loose end of a lifting tackle on which the men haul.

Fat head
–
(Slang)
The feeling one gets from sleeping below on stuffy nights.

Fetch
– To arrive, or reach a destination. Also the distance the wind blows across the water. The longer the fetch the bigger the waves.

Fife rail
– Holed rail to accept belaying pins.

First Luff
–
(Slang)
First lieutenant.

Flexible rammer
– Gun serving tool made of thick line, with rammer to one end and sponge to the other. The flexibility of which allows a gunport to remain closed while the gun is served.

Forereach
– To gain upon, or pass by another ship when sailing in a similar direction.
 

Forestay
– Stay supporting the masts running forward, serving the opposite function of the backstay. Runs from each mast at an angle of about 45 degrees to meet another mast, the deck or the bowsprit.

Frapping/Frapped
– To make secure by binding.

Frizzen
– Striking plate of a flintlock mechanism.

Futtock shrouds
– Rigging that projects away from the mast leading to, and steadying, a top or crosstrees. True sailors climb up them, rather than use the lubber’s hole, even though it means hanging backwards.

Gaff
– Spar attached to the top of the gaff sail.

Gangway
– The light deck or platform on either side of the waist leading from the quarterdeck to the forecastle, often called a gangboard in merchant ships. Also, narrow passages left in the hold, when a ship is laden.
 

Gammoning
– Wrapping line about a mast or spar
e.g
. the lashing that holds the bowsprit against upward pressure, to the knee of the head.

Gasket
– Line or canvas strip used to tie the sail when furling.