Etiquette on British Warships

The Commander does not sit at the head of the table. That place is reserved for the President of the Mess. The Commander invariably sits at his right hand, while the former changes every month.

Etiquette plays an important part on the modern battleship, and the British Navy enforces many little forms and customs. In the wardroom, where the officers and midshipmen dine, the Commander does not sit at the head of the table. That place is reserved for the President of the Mess. The Commander invariably sits at his right hand, while the former changes every month.

Evening dress is a steadfast rule, so much so that the man who has to take a watch after dinner, and who has no time to change, sits at a table by himself. 

The toast of “The King” in the Navy is drunk sitting. Tradition has it that a certain King once proposed a toast and jumping up, hit his head against a beam above. Orders were given, the story goes, that all toasts were in future to be drunk sitting. The “middy” on a warship is just like a fag at a public school, with the officers as his prefects or monitors. Midshipmen have to make themselves generally useful to the latter.—London Answers, 1912

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

British Naval Etiquette

Lord Charles Beresford’s career in the British Navy, was marked by a longstanding dispute with the Admiral of the Fleet, Sir John Fisher, over reforms championed by Fisher introducing new technology and sweeping away traditional practices. Fisher, more successful and slightly senior to Beresford, became a barrier to Beresford's rise to the highest office in the navy. Beresford failed in his ambition to become First Sea Lord.

A Minor Naval Etiquette Breach

London, July 26 – Lord Charles Beresford Jr., Lord of the Admiralty, has resigned. He had been requested to withdraw his resignation. The cause of his resignation was a minor breach of etiquette at Spithead during the naval review last Saturday, when the private signal made by Lord Charles from the Royal yacht was converted into a public signal, it is described as follows:

While the Queen was receiving the Captains of the Fleet in the saloon of the Royal yacht Albert and Victoria, the Lord signaled to the Enchantress, aboard of which his wife was, the following message: “Tell Lady Charles to immediately go aboard the yacht Lancashire Witch, where I will join her.” The Captain of the Enchantress, when the signal was given, thought of course, it was a special Royal command. But as the message was slowly spelled out, he became greatly enraged. He had, however, to smother his feelings, not daring to report Lord Charles in view of his position as Lord of the Admiralty. 

The Captain could not refrain, however, from complaining privately to his friends, and in this way a reporter of the Times learned of the incident. The result was the publication of the whole story in Monday's Times. Lord Charles then had no option but to resign. The incident is believed to be unparalleled. Disciplinarians declare that Lord Charles' conduct was virtually a gross insult to the Queen. The permanent officers of the Admiralty Office, it is said, are delighted over the position in which "reformer" Beresford is placed by the affair. – Sacramento Daily Union, 1887

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Naval Etiquette

The rules of politeness to be observed by admiral, officers and seamen alike. The honors are paid to the uniform and not to the personality of the wearer. 

NAVAL ETIQUETTE

The fact that the Germans, while in Manila Bay last summer, were said to have no "sea manners," shows how rigidly the etiquette of the sea is observed by those afloat.

Admiral Horatio Nelson

The English and Americans are the greatest sticklers in these matters. And their regulations are laid down with great minuteness. The rules of politeness to be observed by admiral, officers and seamen alike. The honors are paid to the uniform and not to the personality of the wearer. The seaman salutes the officer, who is compelled to return the salute in like way; the junior is always the first to enter a boat and the last to get out: each person must salute the quarterdeck coming up from below, and so on.

A "Nelson Fork"~ It was developed and used from 1797 on, by Horatio Nelson, after he was attacked fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, resulting in the loss of his right arm.  Nelson was given command of the British naval ship, Agamemnon.  He served in the Mediterranean, helped capture Corsica and saw battle at Calvi. He lost his right arm at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797. He subsequently used, what came to be known as, a 'Nelson Fork' in order to assist him in cutting and eating food with the same hand.

Between the ships themselves, like rules are laid down. The junior commanding officer must first call upon the senior. The ilag officer in port must send his aide to offer the usual courtesies to the new arrival before more formal calls are exchanged. Consular officers must receive the honors and salutes due their rank, and a failure in the exact number of guns in a salute demand an apology and a new salute. The seamans being comparatively new to the sea have not yet attained such a degree of familiarity as those nations where the customs on board ship are the outgrowth of a century's experience and many of vile faults they committed were rather through ignorance than design.-From The Los Angeles Herald, 1899

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Maritime Manners, Naval Traditions and "Shipshape Etiquette"

Naval Traditions

October 21, 1805, The Battle of Trafalgar  (Painting by J.M.W. Turner,  1822)

"I recently attended a Trafalgar Day dinner with my father as part of the Maritime Volunteer Service. It was a highly enjoyable evening and a very educational one too.  After mingling with the guests for some time we were commanded to “stand fast” and “clap in the top table” before proceeding to our seats for the first course, which was a delicious prawn cocktail dish.

Most dinner guests had once served in the Royal Navy and were now involved in the Maritime Volunteer Service, of which my father is now proudly a member. I was sat beside an elderly gentleman who had fought in World War Two and had some extremely interesting stories to tell.

In addition the war veteran to my left I had the good fortune of sitting opposite the Fleet Chief, an entertaining gentleman who is determined to preserve the traditions and etiquette rules of the Royal Navy. He took charge of ensuring we were behaving appropriately at dinner which funnily enough involved telling my father off for stealing his napkin.

I learned several interesting facts regarding Navy tradition which I would like to share with you:

Passing the Port: The port began its rounds at relatively the same time as the biscuits and cheese were served and I proceeded to learn some fascinating facts regarding the etiquette of port and where the customs originated from.  The port must always remain touching the table. When passing the port around the table one must slide it along and not lift it from the surface. When pouring the port one must ensure that at least one part of the decanter remains on the table. I accomplished this by keeping a corner of the base on the table and tilting it as far over as possible. 

The Fleet Chief showed me how it can be done by tilting it off the very edge of the table and holding the glass beneath it. This technique would surely be useful the further along the table it went.  The reason for this may just be a practical one as by keeping the port resting against the table it ensures balance and stability, decreasing the likelihood of any spills.  I am of the understanding however that whether or not the port touches or does not touch the table varies and it depends on the rules of that particular mess. We can therefore perhaps give one the benefit of the doubt if they do not follow the same rules as their fellow diners.

“The Loyal Toast” by James Gillray, 1798 ~ A salute given to the head of state of the country in which a formal gathering is being given, whether or not the particular head of state is present. A matter of protocol at military and state occasions, and a display of patriotism when at civilian events.

The Loyal Toast: The Loyal Toast, which is the toast given to the reigning monarch, is actually given sitting down in the Royal Navy. The gentleman I mention above told us all to sit down as we had proceeded to incorrectly stand up for the toast.  The reason for this is attributed to King William IV who having served in Navy himself understood the discomfort and impracticality of suddenly standing up while at sea. He therefore permitted the serving seamen to remain sitting during the Loyal Toast.  

Although we were not actually at sea during dinner the very fact that we were celebrating Admiral Lord Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar meant that we were to show respect to Navy tradition.  It is also important to note that the port is consumed following the Loyal Toast and should not be touched beforehand.

A “Nelson Fork”~ It was developed and used from 1797 on, by Horatio Nelson, after he was attacked fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, resulting in the loss of his right arm.  Nelson was given command of the British naval ship, Agamemnon.  He served in the Mediterranean, helped capture Corsica and saw battle at Calvi. He lost his right arm at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797. He subsequently used, what came to be known as, a 'Nelson Fork' in order to assist him in cutting and eating food with the same hand.

One of the other interesting things the Fleet Chief told me about port was that upon bringing Nelson’s body home from battle they preserved it by pickling it in port. I’ve since looked into this online but all references found regarding pickling Nelson’s body is said to have been done by either rum or brandy; I cannot therefore verify this piece of information as fact.

Port ages in old wooden barrels ~ "The port is always passed to the left. There are various explanations for why this is so, most originating from the Royal Navy, where it is said to be passed from “port to port”. It is said that one of the reasons it is passed to the left is so that the sword arm (right arm) is available. The Fleet Chief I was speaking to also implied that one of the reasons comes from Lord Nelson due to his missing right arm.  Another possible reason is that it involves an old superstition that passing something in an anti-clockwise direction opens the doors to evil spirits.  Whatever the origin of the tradition, the port is never to reverse direction and should more port be required it will need to make the rounds again in much the same manner."

Biscuits: I also learnt that one should tap biscuits three times before eating them. And the reason for this? To get rid of any weevils!  I must say I’m glad we don’t have to worry about that anymore. After dinner there were several ways in which money was raised for the Maritime Volunteer Service as it is a charity after all. One of the ways they raised money was by charging £2 from the men who did not tie their own bowties! 

My father happened to be one of them! His excuse is that he didn’t have time so he got himself a clip on! Hmmmm, I think some lessons are in order!  They then had a raffle and I managed to pull my father’s ticket from the bucket! There were many suspicious glances passed my way but I assure you I do not have X-Ray vision.

To finish off the evening of great enjoyment and education we sang sea shanties and naval songs, just to get that rowdy feel of sailors at sea.  I must say I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Originally posted on "Shipshape Etiquette" October 30, 2013 by Rachel North

More on the Etiquette of Serving Port

Antique Port Wine Chariot

"Where port is served, the bottle on its coaster stands before the host, the tablecloth having been removed before the ritual begins. He pours for whoever is on his right -- to save this person, seated in the honourable place, from having to wait until last to be served. Then the bottle is slid reverently along the polished wooden table top (originally so that the dregs might be disturbed as little as possible, though all good ports should be decanted before they are drunk); or it is rolled along in a wheeled silver chariot; or it is handled with special ceremonial gestures from male to male, as drinking cups were handled at ancient Greek symposia. But port is passed clockwise (to the left), not as drinks circulated in ancient Greece, to the right. "Beg your pardon, sir," says Jingle in "The Pickwick Papers", after the waiter has left the men to themselves, "bottles stands-- pass it round-- way of the sun-- through the button-hole [both these expressions are ways of saying "to the left": men's buttonholes are traditionally placed on the left]-- no heeltaps [meaning "leave no wine at the bottom of the glass"]." At the British Factory House dinners in Oporto, the men move into a second dining room in order to enjoy vintage port, for fear of any smell of food interfering with the drink's aroma."  from Margaret Visser, "The Rituals of Dinner"

Captain James Cook and Scurvy

Captain James Cook managed to make dining on sauerkraut not just popular, but highly desirable and the result was that none of his crew died of scurvy. Scurvy was caused by mainly vitamin C and B deficiencies, oftentimes compounded by the overdose of vitamin A from eating seals' livers, producing a breakdown in the cellular structure of the body.

One of Cook’s most important discoveries during his voyages was actually about food. Cook realized that there were certain foods that, if eaten, prevented the disease called scurvy.  Scurvy, we know today, is caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet. Scurvy was common among sailors, because most vitamin C comes from fruits and vegetables.  Fruits and vegetables were very difficult to keep fresh during long sea voyages in the days before refrigeration. So, sailors before Cook’s time ate a diet that was mostly dried, hard bread known as hard tack, and dried, salted meat.

Cook took two major steps to change the diet of his crew. First, every time the ships stopped anywhere that grew fresh fruit and vegetables, he bought some to feed to the crew. However, because there were sometimes weeks between stops, and fruit and vegetables would rot in that time, he had to have another plan. He knew that sauerkraut, which is pickled cabbage, had been shown to prevent scurvy. Sauerkraut, because it is pickled, can be kept in jars, and will not go bad. Cook brought a lot of sauerkraut on his voyage – but the crew didn’t want to eat it at first.

Captain Cook played a very interesting trick on his crew. When he realized that the men were refusing to eat the sauerkraut, he took it away from them. He said only the officers could eat it, and only put it out on the officers’ tables. Telling the crew they couldn’t have it, made them want it more – so they started eating it.

Cook’s crew was out to sea for a longer period of time than any sailors before them. And yet, not one of Cook’s sailors died of scurvy. This means that Cook proved that certain foods could prevent scurvy, and smart sea captains after him followed his example and took sauerkraut, fruit, and vegetables on their voyages.

From BBC's History of the British Empire

Article Contributed by Rachel North ~ Rachel North is an etiquette and afternoon tea enthusiast with a love for anything ancient and historical. You can visit her blog here: http://shipshapeetiquette.co.uk/

🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia