Why are people on airplanes or ships referred to by captain and crew as "souls" ?

Question

Why do the captain and crew of ships or airplanes refer to those on board as "souls"? I've heard this whenever there's been some sort of accident, or the captain asks the steward about the number of "souls" on board -- always referring to people,( especially when "lost", I've heard them say "how many souls were on board?") Is this a carry over from the distant history when ships came into use for transporting large (or small) numbers of people from place to place? And how did it carry over to airlines? It not a fictional reference. Such reference to "souls" are not made of people on trains, that I've heard anyway. How is the word usage accounted for?

Answer 1

To distinquish them from the Cargo...

although, more recently, its hard to tell where the cattle are left off and the paying passengers begin.  You would think that would have been sorted out at the gate, but we're forced into long lines waiting to be inspected, and then tagged before finally being stunned.

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Answer 2

The first known reference to people as "souls" and the first use of the term "souls on board" showed up in 1834 in the hand written diary / manuscript of Richard Henry Dana, Jr. the American author of the book "Two Years Before the Mast" which was published in 1840.

"Two Years Before the Mast" was written by Dana following a two-year sea voyage starting in 1834.  In his book, Dana writes an epic sea adventure that highlighted how poorly  common sailors were treated on ships. It quickly became - not just a best seller - but the best seller of its time. And later (1946) became a movie.

On his return trip around Cape Horn in the middle of the Antarctic winter Dana describes such terrifying storms and incredible beauty, with such vivid description... that even Herman Melville wrote in his book, "if you want the best idea of Cape Horn, get my friend Dana's unmatchable Two Years Before the Mast. His chapters describing Cape Horn must have been written with an icicle."

In the book, Dana describes the common sailors as "souls" "poor souls" and "souls on board" and uses the term when describing their "living conditions" as well as when the ship is in peril.  

Since his book published in 1840, the term "Souls" has been commonly used in maritime contexts when enumerating "passengers" on board. The usage is most traditionally used by "officers" of the ship to describe the "common" sailors, crew and passengers: "before-the-mast" meaning the forward, or forecastle of the ship - the sailors' quarters - where they hung their hammocks up at night above the deck that housed the cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, on which the officers dined.

Ever since, most of us (my generation anyway) picked up the term either from reading Dana's book, or from hearing the now commonly used reference from our mentors and trainers, instructors. Pilots of planes, and Officers on ships commonly use the reference today to refer to passengers and "all" those on board.

I suggest you check out the book... if you don't read it all - at least read the Chapters on Dana's description of "Cape Horn" - then, I bet, forever more - you will refer to 'em as "souls on board" - whether on board your ship, plane, or Company.

Answer 3

Refers to number of all humans aboard without dividing them into crew, and passenger categories.

Answer 4

Souls = people, not just anything living on board - such as Dogs, Cats, Birds, etc.

It is a carry over from distant past such as starboard bow and so forth. A highly recognizable statement that could be understood by many in diverse situations.