Lower Deck Details

Gunroom:  "... bending low under the beams he walked into the gunroom just as Pullings took up his station at the door to welcome him 'Come, this is altogether snugger and more homely,' said Jack, smiling at the friendly faces, eight of them tight-packed round the gunroom table; and homely it was for those brought up in sea-going slums, though perhaps a little snugger than could have been wished, since each had his servant behind his chair and since the day was uncommonly warm and still, with no air coming below. The fare was homely too, the main dish being the roast beef of Old Calabria, a great piece of one of those Italian buffaloes known as grey friars in the Navy and shipped to Malta when they were quite past work; and this was followed by figgy-dowdy."  The mess-room of the lieutenants, officers of marines, and certain warrant officers.  Return to deckplan

1st Lieutenant:  The first lieutenant was the executive officer of the ship, responsible for much of the day-to-day operation of the vessel.  The bosun reported directly to him on a daily basis.  Ordinarily, the 1st lieutenant did not stand watch unless there were too few officers in the vessel.  In the captain's absence the 1st lieutenant would command the ship.  Return to deckplan

Thomas Pullings:  "As he had expected with such a first lieutenant, everything was in order - hatches laid, the decks so carefully dried not long ago now wetted and sanded, scuttle-butts of fresh water amidships for the men to drink, shot-garlands full, arms-chests open: the guns were not run out yet, since the ship had not beat to quarters, but the slow-match for firing them was smouldering away in its little tubs, sending its fierce, well-remembered scent along the decks, and the boarders already had their cutlasses or those axes with a spike that some preferred in a hand-to-hand engagement.”  Pullings had been a master's mate in Jack Aubrey's first command, the Sophie, and had received his promotion to lieutenant through Jack's request.  He had served as Jack's 1st Lieutenant aboard the Worcester and had transferred with him to Surprise.  It is hard to imagine a better 1st lieutenant than this thorough-going seaman.

2nd Lieutenant:  The next in seniority to the 1st lieutenant.  His most important duty was standing watch.

James William Mowett:  "Jack straightened, snapped his telescope to, and looked up at the sails: they were trimmed much as he could wish, which was scarcely surprising since he himself had formed young Mowett's idea of how a ship should be conducted."  Like Pullings, Mowett had been a master's mate in Jack's first command and had transferred to the Surprise from Worcester.  He was an accomplished poet in the modern manner.  Return to deckplan

3rd Lieutenant:  The most junior lieutenant aboard.  Like the 2nd lieutenant, his most important function was standing watch.

Mr Rowan:  "Rowan was a round-faced, bright-eyed young fellow with a rather decided air: Jack had seen enough of him to know that although he was a man of little formal education - a West-Country shipwright's son - he was a competent officer.”  Rowan had transferred into HMS Worcester under Jack Aubrey to replace a incompetent lieutenant but had quickly proven his worth and transferred with his captain to the Surprise.  Like Mowett, Rowan was a poet, but in the classical style.  Return to deckplan

Officer of Marines:  A single commissioned officer was assigned to Fifth and Sixth Rate ships to command their contingents of Marines.  Ordinarily this was a lieutenant, but apparently a captain was given this assignment aboard the Surprise.

Mr Driver:  "… a very ample, pink, amiable young man with weak eyes and a way of chuckling to himself.”  Driver was newly assigned to the Surprise.   Return to deckplan

Master:  The most senior warrant officer, the master was responsible for navigating and sailing the ship and for the stowing of ballast and stores.  Along with the surgeon and the purser, the master lived and messed in the gunroom.

Mr Gill:  "Gill came running, frowsty and dishevelled, a glum companion but a Channel pilot and a fine navigator."  Gill and the other warrant officers came with Jack when he transferred into Surprise.  Return to deckplan

Surgeon:  Even by shore standards of the day, naval surgeons frequently had little formal training.  To have a university-schooled physician as ship's surgeon was an extreme rarity.

Stephen Maturin:  "Jack Aubrey was afflicted with an undue proportion of small pale, meagre friends of a shrewish turn … and even before Stephen opened his mouth Jack knew that he was about to say something disagreeable."  Stephen had served as surgeon in almost all of Jack Aubrey's commands and his secret intelligence connections were frequently carried out under that cover.  Return to deckplan

Purser:  The purser was unique in being both a warrant officer and a private contractor with the expectation that he would profit by his handling of the crew's provisions and slops (clothing).  

Mr Adams:  "Mr Adams the purser had seen the Doctor in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at the Commissioner's ball, and was very happy to see him again [with a] fat round-faced jollity."  Adams was an old associate of Jack Aubrey, having been his clerk in previous commands.  Return to deckplan

Political Adviser:  Carrying a political adviser aboard a frigate was unusual, but the circumstances of the Surprise's present assignment warranted the step.  As an important supernumerary, Graham lived and messed in the gunroom.

Professor Graham:  "…although the Scotchman was a grey, somewhat positive, humourless soul he had read a great deal, and now that he had overcome at least some of his initial reserve he was a grateful companion, a man of obvious parts, and in no way a bore."  Return to deckplan

Bosun or Boatswain:  The bosun was responsible for the ship's sails and rigging, about which he would make a daily report to the 1st lieutenant, and also for seeing that the crew performed their duties in a prompt and efficient matter.  The bosun, like other lesser warrant officers such as the gunner and carpenter, had a cabin outside the gunroom and messed separately.

Mr Hollar:  "Hollar, though an excellent bosun in most respects, had a passion for smartness, for dead-straight shrouds and backstays, and whatever Jack might say he would set up the standing rigging so iron-taut that the masts were in danger of being wrung."  Return to deckplan

Gunner:  The gunner was responsible for the maintenance and condition of the ship's cannons and powder supplies.  Traditionally, the gunner and his wife (many such warrant officers had their wives with them aboard ship) had special responsibility to care for the youngsters.

Mr Borrell:  "Captain Aubrey belonged to the school of Douglas and Collingwood, men who believed that a ship's prime purpose was to bring cannon within range of the enemy and then to fire with extreme speed and accuracy, and Borrell supported this view with all his heart."  Return to deckplan

Carpenter:  The carpenter was the only warrant officer actually required to have special training ashore, having served an apprenticeship as a shipwright.  He was primarily responsible for maintaining the ship's hull, masts and yards.  Traditionally, the carpenter was nicknamed "Chips".

Mr Watson:  "'Chips,' said Killick, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, and a moment later the carpenter came in, followed by some of his crew and the captain's joiner. Rather more civilly than the steward, he asked if he might begin."  Return to deckplan

Captain's Clerk:  The clerk was responsible for all the papers and book accounts required by the Admiralty from the ship's captain.  Service as a captain's clerk was considered sufficient background to become a purser.

Mr Ward:  "'The twenty-second Article of War, sir: the second part,' said the clerk, and he continued in a hieratic boom, 'If any mariner, or other person in the fleet, shall presume to quarrel with any of his superior officers, being in the execution of his office, or shall disobey any lawful command of any of his superior officers; every such person being convicted of any such offence by the sentence of a court-martial, shall suffer death."  Return to deckplan

Midshipmen:  By 1813 midshipmen were primarily future officers in training, ranging from pre-teen youngsters to men who were effectively serving as assistant lieutenants.  Traditionally, midshipmen's berths were located down on the orlop (as was the case aboard HMS Lively when Jack had temporary command), but increasingly they were now located between the senior warrant officers' cabins and the open crew's berth deck.

Midshipmen:  "He had dispersed his more useless midshipmen and all his youngsters but for two, Calamy and Williamson, for whom he felt a particular responsibility.”  Return to deckplan

Sick-Bay:  "They walked into the sick-bay and there, standing in the strong light from the grating overhead and looking out of the scuttle was a tall dark heavy man."  The sick-bay was where the surgeon and his assistants looked after the sick and hurt.  The loblolly boy was the regular attendant.  Return to deckplan

Dispensary:  "In point of fact Stephen was rolling pills in the dispensary and listening with half an ear."  The surgeon's office where he would examine crew reporting sick.  Return to deckplan

Foremast:  The mast closest to the bow.  Return to deckplan

Crew Berth Deck:  "Now the berth-deck, with an ill-looking cat that sat defying them with studied insolence, its arms folded, and its particular friend, an equally mangy green parrot, lying on its side, prostrated with the heat, that said 'Erin go bragh' in a low tone once or twice as Jack and [the 1st lieutenant] paced along with bowed heads past the spotless mess-tables, kids, benches, chests, the whole clean-swept deck checkered with brilliant light from the gratings and the hatchways."  In this large open area the crew would sleep in their hammocks, with Marines closest to the officers' quarters and petty officers in the outboard positions.   Return to deckplan

Main Hatch:  A hatch is the cover over a hatchway, and the main hatchway was the stack of deck openings in the middle of the ship, allowing direct access to the hold for loading heavy stores and barrels.  Return to deckplan

Pump Room:  Through this space about the mainmast pass the principal pumps to draw water from the hold below.  Return to deckplan

Mainmast:  The middle and tallest of the three masts.  Return to deckplan

Captain's and Officers' Pantries:  "... the captain's pantry, a stout erection the height of the 'tween decks, seven feet across and five fore and aft."  The captain had a separate pantry from that of the officers of the gunroom.  In these compartments were kept the dishes and other tableware used in the formal dinners frequently given.  Return to deckplan

Scuttle:  Any opening in the deck or hull to provide access was termed a scuttle, but this scuttle in the gunroom was of particular importance, as it opened down to the ladder to the magazine.  Return to deckplan

Mizzenmast:  The hindmost of the three masts.  Return to deckplan

Bread Bins:  In these compartments was kept the "bread" (most usually hardtack) for the officers.  Return to deckplan

Lower Deck Plan