History question - British Navy

[jeninflorida]

I'm not sure about this idea, and need to verify some facts. When the British dominated and America was a colony, I thought that it was legal and common for the British Military to take over citizen's homes, and that ment that the men could enjoy liberities with the women (wife and if they had daughters that were of age). Looking for some facts on this, as this is not a subject most educational history books would cover....

 

[sirhugs]

I'm not sure about this idea, and need to verify some facts. When the British dominated and America was a colony, I thought that it was legal and common for the British Military to take over citizen's homes, and that ment that the men could enjoy liberities with the women (wife and if they had daughters that were of age). Looking for some facts on this, as this is not a subject most educational history books would cover....

the military was allowed to 'quarter' without paying in unoccupied homes if other accomodation was unavailable. This was one of the greivances that led to the Revolution. I doubt that liberties with the females was officially allowed but no doubt it happened, and likely a blind eye was often turned. Look up "Quartering Acts" on wikipedia.

 

[snooper]

... When ... America was a colony ...

Technically what you call the USA is still is a series of separate colonies in revolt, or as we call them "the revolting colonies".

... When the British dominated ...

Not just the British and not just back a few hundred years.
See http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWbilleting.htm for compulsory billeting in WWII in the UK.
See http://www.peggynoonan.com/article.php?article=260 for a modern worry about the Third Amendment.
See http://ohq.tpl.toronto.on.ca/gr10-wq-2d-src3.jsp and click on view large image for 1957 Canadian policy.
See http://www.gardelegen.info/uk/geschichte_militaer.htm for a particularly interesting item on one German town from 1600's to 1940's.
See http://www.huguenotsociety.org.uk/history/ for the Hugenots' persecution by billeting.
See http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm?frm=3657&sec_id=3657 for an analysis of warfare.
See http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/66thinfantry/index.html for mention of US Troops billeted on English families.
And finally "The Salacious Historian's Lair" at http://www.kipar.org/military-history/kirkes_recruitment.html is always useful to the writer of historical erotica.

You will note that I am kind enough not to give any of the many references to the South in and after 1865.

 

[BlueEyesInLevis]

Sounds like a great topic for an erotic story.

 

[Monazwx]

Sounds like a great topic for an erotic story.

I agree. I see a loving-wives story coming out of this.

 

[sirhugs]

I agree. I see a loving-wives story coming out of this.

lotsa island settings...

 

[Weird Harold]

I'm not sure about this idea, and need to verify some facts. When the British dominated and America was a colony, I thought that it was legal and common for the British Military to take over citizen's homes, and that ment that the men could enjoy liberities with the women (wife and if they had daughters that were of age). Looking for some facts on this, as this is not a subject most educational history books would cover....

Snooper provided alot of good links, but I don't think the question is particularly relevant to the British NAVY -- sailors generally are billeted aboard ship and since a large percentage of British sailors were impressed they weren't generally billeted individually even when on-shore quarters were necessary -- too manyof them were likely to desert when they were kept under watchful eyes to spread them out through a community.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Snooper provided alot of good links, but I don't think the question is particularly relevant to the British NAVY -- sailors generally are billeted aboard ship and since a large percentage of British sailors were impressed they weren't generally billeted individually even when on-shore quarters were necessary -- too manyof them were likely to desert when they were kept under watchful eyes to spread them out through a community.

Harold is correct. All Naval Officers were British but the seamen were mostly Irish conscripts when the ships left England. Along the way, the British ships would stop American Merchent Ships and conscript (kidnap) additonal seaman. (That's one of the reasons for the Revolutionary War.) Comon seamen were kept to a small area of the port towns where they found drink and prostitues and were required to return to their ship each night to sleep in the crew quarters or the gun deck depending on the size of the ship.

As far as billiting Sailors on shore, in American ports, it's my understanding that was only available to the Officers.

The same situation of British Officers and Irish Soldiers existed in the British Army at the time. That may be more in line with what you are thinking.

 

[jeninflorida]

Harold is correct. All Naval Officers were British but the seamen were mostly Irish conscripts when the ships left England. Along the way, the British ships would stop American Merchent Ships and conscript (kidnap) additonal seaman. (That's one of the reasons for the Revolutionary War.) Comon seamen were kept to a small area of the port towns where they found drink and prostitues and were required to return to their ship each night to sleep in the crew quarters or the gun deck depending on the size of the ship.

As far as billiting Sailors on shore, in American ports, it's my understanding that was only available to the Officers.

The same situation of British Officers and Irish Soldiers existed in the British Army at the time. That may be more in line with what you are thinking.

maybe the navy was a bad example...I was thinking of troops as they moved throughout the country, that they would stop at a farm...take food, and things....

 

[Weird Harold]

maybe the navy was a bad example...I was thinking of troops as they moved throughout the country, that they would stop at a farm...take food, and things....

That would come under the heading of "Foraging" rather than "Billeting" although the "Quartering Act" mentioned earlier was used as justification for throwing a farmer out and taking over his house and supplies for the officers.

"Foraging" in the 18th century -- and to a large extent continuing into the present -- was often a euphemism for "Rape, Pilage and Plunder;" especially in "hostile" territory.

 

[sirhugs]

and "Foraging" would look sooo cool in a title...maybe because of the visual "raging" element"?

 

[jeninflorida]

That would come under the heading of "Foraging" rather than "Billeting" although the "Quartering Act" mentioned earlier was used as justification for throwing a farmer out and taking over his house and supplies for the officers.

"Foraging" in the 18th century -- and to a large extent continuing into the present -- was often a euphemism for "Rape, Pilage and Plunder;" especially in "hostile" territory.

its a powerful fantasy, well the "Quarting Act". to have some strong powerful leader in your house, that he picked your house and you have no choice but to accept him. hum...something to research!

 

[Weird Harold]

its a powerful fantasy, well the "Quarting Act". to have some strong powerful leader in your house, that he picked your house and you have no choice but to accept him. hum...something to research!

All too often, the "strong powerful leader" types didn't move in with the residents, they evicted them and took over the house completely as a headquarters. That would be the colonels and up for the most part. Majors and below -- the "company grade officers" -- would be quartered with the residents and the residents would be expected to feed him and, in most cases, act as his servants, doing his laundry, caring for his horse, running errands, etc.

The lower the rank, the less imposition on the hosts, but also the less the hosts could afford the imposition -- especially since "bed and board" was the least that was required.

Since there were abuses and exceptions to the general rule -- both bad and good -- a fiction author can get away with almost any scenario and blame on the Quartering Act.

 

[snooper]

its a powerful fantasy, well the "Quarting Act". to have some strong powerful leader in your house, that he picked your house and you have no choice but to accept him. hum...something to research!

Try the South in 1865. More and worse things were done then than by the Brits.

 

[emap]

I think alot of the evicting depended on where the officer was billeting and the size of the house. If memory serves, they tended to toss out the owners to the spare house while the slaves or servants stayed put. Since men in the army/navy aren't exactly known for thier cooking skills.

Especially in army billeting arrangements, the husband unless he was older would also be conscripted and sent off to the front lines, along with the butlers or male slaves, leaving lots of women rooming with that colonel and his entourage. Especially bad in the south during the civil war, there also were quite a few new widows marrying army officers. That tended to happen when you get pregnant and your husband is dead.

 

[jeninflorida]

All too often, the "strong powerful leader" types didn't move in with the residents, they evicted them and took over the house completely as a headquarters. That would be the colonels and up for the most part. Majors and below -- the "company grade officers" -- would be quartered with the residents and the residents would be expected to feed him and, in most cases, act as his servants, doing his laundry, caring for his horse, running errands, etc.

The lower the rank, the less imposition on the hosts, but also the less the hosts could afford the imposition -- especially since "bed and board" was the least that was required.

Since there were abuses and exceptions to the general rule -- both bad and good -- a fiction author can get away with almost any scenario and blame on the Quartering Act.

the only challenge for me would be the language. after all, todays english has changed and we use different and more slang...maybe its time to visit B&N and check out some history romance books.

 

[snooper]

the only challenge for me would be the language. after all, todays english has changed and we use different and more slang...maybe its time to visit B&N and check out some history romance books.

Gone With The Wind?

 

[jeninflorida]

Gone With The Wind?

hum, i will have to re-watch the movie....remember parts of it but its been like 15 years...god im getting old! lol

 

[jeninflorida]

hum, i will have to re-watch the movie....remember parts of it but its been like 15 years...god im getting old! lol

I think this idea is a strong fantasy, as 'one' has to. she has no choice. now, in the fantasy, the general is strong, powerful, and very attractive. her husband will have to understand as she had no choice...this way she will not feel any guilt, but can let go and enjoy herself.

talk about wild, when you think about it. i'm sure (if this story was true) that in this situation, the general would be her second man/lover. so for her, she would be so nervious as he took her to bed. how would he feel? would he feel different then her husband? what if she enjoyed it? on internal conflict...could the general release the passion in her? bring out the inner slut? yummy

 

[Texguy84]

Although the actual content of the thread doesn't seem to concern the British Navy, I am reminded of a phrase that goes back to naval tradition: Son of a Gun.

Basically whenever they had ladies aboard for "Conjugal visits", the only place you could get any pretense of privacy was between two of the ship's guns (which, of course, were big, bulky, and heavy, unlike most other things you find inside of a ship which were designed to be easily removed and stowed away before a battle, so as to minimize sources of splinters).

Children born of such relations could oftentimes, due to the realities of naval warfare (or even the realities of dating sailors), find themselves fatherless, so they were refered to as being a "Son of a Gun". Basically, a bastard.

You could write an epic story about such a lad who grows up and signs on with a sailing ship in hopes of tracking down his father. Adventures for him could include girls or whores while in port, a cute female stowaway who is willing to trade her services in return for her presence not being revealed to the officers, maybe being captured by pirates or conscripted into the Royal Navy (depending on the time frame, since the British banned the practice during the War of 1812). If he's captured by pirates, maybe he runs into one of those female pirates we've heard of (usually they cross-dressed to hide their genders, so it could start off as a sort of akward humerous homoerotic thing as he finds himself attracted to this sailor without realizing she's a woman).

All sorts of fun to be had with him sailing from place to place and finding himself in different situations. Even while still being in the Navy, he could find himself taking command of a re-captured merchant ship (captured by pirates or enemy forces) since if the ship needed more repairs than the crew could handle, or if too many of the crew had been lost or taken prisoner in the initial capture of the ship, the Navy ship would leave a detatchment of men aboard with an officer (a Midshipman or a Lieutenant, depending on the manpower required to run the ship). Once he finds himself aboard this vessel, maybe a female passenger (either a paying passenger, or even better, the daughter of the ship's owner...) takes a liking to him...