Powder monkey

Common card · No. 276591

A powder boy or powder monkey manned naval artillery guns as a member of a ship's crew, primarily during the Age of Sail. Their chief role was to ferry gunpowder from the powder magazine in the ship's hold to the artillery pieces, either in bulk or as cartridges, to minimize the risk of fires and explosions. The function was usually fulfilled by boy seamen of 12 to 14 years of age, selected for the job for their speed and height: they were short and could move more easily in the limited space between decks and would also be hidden behind the ship's gunwale, keeping them from being shot by enemy ships' sharpshooters. Powder monkeys held no official naval rank on the ship. Some women and older men also worked as powder monkeys. Many of the powder monkeys in the Royal Navy were of the poor working class. The Marine Society encouraged youths to join the Royal Navy by providing clothes, bedding, and a rudimentary education. In the mid-1790s, it is estimated that the Marine Society was sending...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Louis-Philippe Crépin, Public domain