Ahoy, mate! Is Your Marriage Ship-Shape?
You men who are everlastingly wed to the witching waters of the world, but who incidentally have a wife based on land, may fathom some new helmsman tactics in a marriage contract unearthed by an Edinburgh lawyer from an old deed box. Drawn up by a seafaring man who thought of marriage in terms he knew best, it envisages each mate's duties in a ship-shape union, Bristol-fashion. What a pity his logbook is lost to posterity!
Having read to her the Articles of War, I explained to her the conditions under which we were to sail in company on life's voyage, namely:
She is to obey signals without question when received;
She is to steer by reckoning;
She is to stand by as a true consort in foul weather, battle or shipwreck;
She is to run under my guns if assailed by picaroons or privateers;
I am to keep her in due repair and see that she hath her allowance of paints, streamers, and bunting as befits a saucy craft;
I am to take no other craft in tow, and if any be now attached to cut her hawsers;
I am to revictual her day to day;
Should she chance to be blown on her beam ends by winds or misfortune, I am to stand by her and see her righted;
I am to set her course for the Great Harbour in the hope that moorings and ground to swing may be found for two well-built craft when laid up for eternity."
--From the Naval Historical Foundation Newsletter - Fall 1980. Typewritten by Hugh Siegel to his wife Jeanette
No comments:
Post a Comment