Historically, did a ship's captain in the English navy (or any other navies) have the power to execute sailors

Question

at sea? If so, what method of execution was used? Do you know of any historical examples of this? For what reasons would this happen?

Answer 1

yes they did

Answer 2

There are two answers to this question.

First, the legal position. The Articles of War gave a captain the authority to order floggings (never more than 12 lashes), and to inflict less formal punishments - fatigues, extra duty, loss of privileges etc. Except in emergency (e.g. an attempted mutiny when far from authority) it took a proper court-martial to inflict death, or even a sentence of two dozen lashes. In practice the restrictions on flogging were often ignored, but a captain who usurped the privileges of a court to execute a man could himself have been tried for murder.

The practical position could be very different. A captain, when on detached service, had wide-ranging powers. It was impossible to refer a case to higher authority, and there are a few  cases of insane or sadistic captains who provoked their crews to the point of mutiny by repeated excessive and unjust punishments. However, I have not come across a case of a captain who actually had a seaman executed on his own authority, though there are several cases of men who died after a brutal flogging or committed suicide by drowning to avoid one.

When a ship was part of a squadron or fleet it was possible for too rigorous discipline to be checked, and at need to convene a court to try serious cases (insubordination, mutiny, assaulting or retaliating against a superior), all of which carried a possible death sentence. In a word, ships in a fleet tended to abide by the rules; in a ship on its own a bad captain could more or less have his own way.

Answer 3

You might be interested in this:

http://www.answers.com/topic/billy-budd-...

Answer 4

Yes. Hanging. Notably mutinies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spithead_an...

p.s. if u are interested in this history read

Patrick O'Brian's novels - they are very good and give good accounts of life at sea during those times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_O'B...

Answer 5

they had the ability to execute in order to prevent mutiny, however, execution could also ferment mutiny as well.

Answer 6

One of the notable historical examples was an execution carried out on the orders of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell.  The ship was sailing from the Bay of Biscay towards England.  A seaman went to see Shovell and told him that he had been studying navigation and he knew that the ship was heading straight for the rocks off the Scillies.  In those days an ordinary seaman was not allowed to know anything about navigation, and Shovell had him hanged from the yard arm.  Then the ship ran aground on the rocks off the Scillies.

Answer 7

Yes, for serious crimes. However, for capital crimes, except under emergency conditions he was encouraged to wait until a court of several captains could be convened, usually at a home port.

The common method of execution was hanging from a yardarm. A noose was placed around the prisoner's neck and he was hoisted up for all the fleet to see. So he usually strangled slowly rather than dying of a broken neck as in the ordinary hanging process.

Answer 8

Not sure but I they now have the power to marry them!

Answer 9

They could hand out lashes of the old cat o' nine tails for assorted misdemeanors, but one of the truly horrible ways of effectively executing someone was to order more than 100 lashes-you would be flayed alive.

"Flogging around the fleet" meant you got flogged on each ship in the fleet as an example.

"Keelhauling" was being tied to a rope and pulled under the ship and up the other side, usually from broadside to broadside, with a marine drummer keeping the pace so you couldn't do it too fast. Usually you drowned, but before you did the barnacles would shred you up pretty bad! Some sailors actually survived this one but if the captain was feeling pretty nasty, you would get it from bow to stern-a death sentence!

I was suprised in the movie "Master and Commander-the far side of the world" when a mate who deliberately pushed an officer got a dozen lashes-he could have easily been executed for assaulting an officer! The captain in the books and the movie had a reputation for being a soft touch.