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::Heres a [http://www.hmsrichmond.org/avast/customs.htm website] that gives detail on Naval punishments. This might also be of interest. This vessel is considered average in regards to punishments on a Royal Navy ship during war time.<br />[[HMS Queen (1769)|HMS Queen]]. Flagship of Real Admiral [[Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport|Alexander Hood]]. 750 crew with a total of 2,547 sailors serving on the vessel during the American War of Independence. A total of 201 floggings were given for 207 offenses between 1776 to 1780.<br />172 crew received 12 lashes, 23 x 24, 3 x 36, 2 x 200 and 1 x 300. 19 crew with more than 12 lashes were all charged with multiple offenses while the other 7 were thieves for which 24 lashes, although against the rules, was standard.<br />14 were repeat offenders (11 sailors were flogged twice, 2 flogged 3 times and 1 flogged 4 times).<br />Drink related offences: 70<br />AWOL: 31<br />Neglect of duty: 28<br />Insolence: 27<br />Theft: 22 (7 who stole from shipmates received 24 lashes and ran the gauntlet while 15 who stole from the Admiralty were given 12 lashes each)<br />Riotous behaviour: 11<br />'''Desertion: 10 (9 received 12 lashes and 1 x 300)'''<br />Fighting: 10<br />Quarrelling: 4<br />Mutiny: 2 (sentenced to 400 lashes each but received only 200)<br />Forgery: 1.<br />The instance of 300 lashes for desertion was explained as happening in 1778 when war with France was expected and the lashes were given in Plymouth Harbour as an example for the entire fleet in order to discourage desertion. In February 1783 the war of Independence officially ended and the ''Queen'' was supposed to be paid off but the government was slow to pay the crew wages owed. On March 22 the crew raided the arms locker and mutinied. They held the ship for 3 days before surrendering. None were punished in any way.<br />In conclusion, the original artical text was correct in that desertion was treated with leniency. [[User:WLRoss|Wayne]] ([[User talk:WLRoss|talk]]) 18:44, 11 October 2009 (UTC)
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== Fines for press officers and cooling off periods ==
A recent edit made three changes. 1) It says the glass bottom tankard story isn't an urban legend. 2) That press officers were not subject to fines for using trickery. 3) that pressed men had no cooling off period.
The three contrary allegations were unsourced, and the new version is still unsourced.
Number 1 appears highly dubious, for reasons discussed above. Assuming that press officers ever did trick sailors into taking the King's shilling, the key act to avoid would be putting the shilling in your hand or pocketing it, not detecting it in your glass beforehand.
Number 2 could be true or false; there's no evidence either way. Unless somebody finds a source saying whether impress officers could be fined for trickery, we should simply omit all reference to it.
Number 3 is almost certainly correct in its new version. The idea of a ''pressed'' man, as opposed to a volunteer, having a four-day cooling off period is self-evidently absurd. The whole point of impressment was to compel sailors (or people who looked like sailors in an odd light) to serve against their will if they could not be induced to volunteer; allowing them to opt out freely during the first four days would obviously defeat the purpose. [[User:Piratedan|Pirate Dan]] ([[User talk:Piratedan|talk]]) 15:14, 10 December 2009 (UTC)
:The acceptance or not of the King's shilling whether in a hand or possibly in a beer mug is only relevant for recruitment into the Army. The Navy had no need to trick people because they had a right under law to gather up men "who had used the sea".
:Magistrates did occasionally side with pressed men and their families and officers were fined for illegally pressing men. It was nothing to do with trickery, but whether or not the men were legally eligible to be pressed.
:I have never heard of any "cooling off period". A man gathered up in the press could sometimes "volunteer" so as to claim the bounty, but once aboard a receiving hulk, there was no way to avoid being enlisted save by the ruling of a magistrate (see above).
:I will look for references. [[User:Dabbler|Dabbler]] ([[User talk:Dabbler|talk]]) 16:42, 10 December 2009 (UTC)
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