A Pirate Crew

Captain

The Captain was elected by the crew because of their skill, daring and ability to win booty. If the Captain failed to do this, the crew were likely to maroon him or throw him overboard. The Captain never had the final say in what went on - he had to take note of the majority decision, except in battle.

 

Quartermaster

The Quartermaster was the second in command, and responsible for distributing rations, powder, work, prize, and punishment. This is seemingly because of pirates' natural distrust of authority meaning they didn't want to give one man all the power. The Captain oversaw battle and navigation, whilst the Quartermaster led boarding parties, decided what was worth taking and kept custody of the booty. In matters of punishment, the Quartermaster is responsible for seeing it carried out.

 

First Mate

The First Mate ranks just below the Captain of the ship and takes over in the event that the Captain can no longer perform his duties. On some ships, this duty was carried out by the Quartermaster and so there ws no First Mate.

 

Boatswain (bos ´n)

The Boatswain was a skilled seaman who handled specific tasks on board ship such as rigging or deck crews. Another boatswain may be in charge of the anchoring of the ship.

 

Carpenter

The man who kept the ship afloat by making necessary repairs. Obviously a useful skill and so skilled carpenters were highly valued.

 

Gunner

Another skilled sailor who aimed the guns on a ship, a job that took years of practice. Some ships had a master gunner who would give orders to other gunners on how to set their guns during a broadside.

 

Surgeon

In the dangerous life of a pirate, surgeons were highly sort after and even press ganaged into joining the crew. In the absence of a trained surgeon a member of the crew with any medical knowledge was appointed.