Count the system, not just the barrels
Ten cannon is a striking number. It does not tell a reader how many were mounted, what ammunition remained, whether the supporting equipment was usable or how many people could work them. Smith’s manual makes the gunner’s charge a collection of related stores, not a row of isolated metal objects. [1]
That broader view is essential when comparing vessels. Two ships described with the same number of guns could have different loads, conditions and purposes. A number can be accurate while the comparison drawn from it is misleading.
Stores had to be accounted for
The master gunner’s assistants received responsibilities and were expected to account for their stores. Smith’s list joins ordnance and ammunition with the equipment surrounding them. The historical point is organization: material had to be available in the right form, under someone’s charge. [1]
| Question | Evidence to look for |
|---|---|
| What was reported aboard? | A dated inventory, deposition or narrative |
| What was mounted? | A record specific to that configuration and moment |
| What survived? | The archaeological assemblage and recovery context |
| What could be used? | Condition, supporting stores and the people available |
Maintenance was part of readiness
The articles attributed to Roberts require arms to be kept ready. That clause describes an expectation within one reported company. It does not establish that every weapon was always in good condition, or that all companies enforced the same penalty. [2]
Rules often identify a problem someone wanted to prevent. They are therefore useful evidence of priorities, but a rule against neglect cannot be read as proof that neglect never occurred.
The hull carried the cost
Smith discusses ordnance placement alongside the vessel and its load. The relationship matters even without reconstructing an exact battery: guns and their stores occupied space and contributed weight. A ship was not a platform onto which unlimited force could be added without consequence. [1]
The General History describes Roberts’s company discarding heavy items during an escape. The episode brings tactical choice back to the working vessel. A useful load for one situation might become a burden in another. [2]
What archaeology can add
The QAR project documents cannon and associated material recovered from the wreck site. Such finds give a different kind of evidence from an author’s rounded claim about the flagship’s armament. Recovery counts, reported mounting and original ownership should remain distinct. [3]
Use the cannon guide to read ratings and shot evidence, then return to the people aboard. This is a history of equipment and responsibility, not a firing or ammunition-making manual.
Questions, answered.
Does “forty guns” tell us everything about a ship’s power?
No. Mounting, condition, ammunition, load and available crew all affect what that figure can mean.
Is the gunner simply another name for the captain?
No. The source distinguishes responsibility for ordnance and stores from command of the vessel.
Sources & reading notes
Source checks distinguish an artifact, a reported account and a modern interpretation. They do not constitute independent historian review.
- A Sea Grammar (1627)Open the keyboarded source transcriptionJohn Smith; Early English Books Online / Text Creation Partnership · Seventeenth-century seafaring manual; TCP transcription released under CC0
Chapter VIII, master gunner and assistants; Chapter VII on placing ordnance and cargo; Chapter XII on selecting a vessel for its intended use. A prescriptive manual from 1627, not the operating rules of every merchant, naval or pirate vessel. The TCP text preserves gaps and transcription uncertainty. Modernized explanations here do not reproduce its period medical or physical theories as current advice.
- A General History of the Pyrates (1724)Published under the name Captain Charles Johnson · Early printed account; public-domain text
Chapter IX, Roberts’s articles on maintaining arms and officer shares. Authorship is disputed. A near-contemporary compilation, not a surviving signed pirate code or a neutral transcript. Cite its claims as reported claims.
- CannonNC Office of State Archaeology · Archaeological collection
QAR project’s cannon evidence; distinguish reported mounting from recovered assemblage. Dated inventory, not all guns ever carried by the ship.
See the details.What did pirates eat and drink?Explore the illustrated guide