Archaic word of the day: demesne - a region or domain; the territory ruled by a state or a sovereign (Pronounced 'dih-meyn'; first recorded in 1250; Old French 'demein') #englishlanguage #history #medievalsky

164 years ago, on the 13th of May 1862, Robert Smalls escaped slavery by capturing the steamboat 'Planter' and steering it through Confederate lines. The US Navy commissioned it as the USS Planter and appointed Smalls as captain, making him the first black man to command a US ship. #otd #history 🗃️

Archaic word of the day: delate - report (an offence); to inform against; denounce or accuse (Scottish) (First recorded in 1505; Latin dēlātus) #englishlanguage #history

Roc Brasiliano - not a very nice man. #piratehistory #pirates #history

#OtD 12 May 1797 the crew of the Sandwich ship anchored at Nore in the Thames estuary mutinied. They demanded better conditions and an end to the war with France, then began blockading London. Dozens were later hanged, jailed and transported stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8421...

Something for Hornblower fans - how camels work. Two water-filled boxes are lashed tightly to each side of a ship. When they are pumped out, they lift it, reducing its draft. Invented by the Dutch to get large warships out of shallow harbours. #DutchNavy #Tallships #Ageofsail

Archaic word of the day: darbies – handcuffs; manacles (First recorded in 1565; probably from the phrase 'Darby's bonds' a rigid bond) #englishlanguage #history

#OtD 10 May 1857 a rebellion against the British East India Company began in India. Indian troops mutinied, sparking other mutinies and civilian uprisings. It was ultimately unsuccessful but forced the company to dissolve. More on resistance to empire: shop.workingclasshistory.com/en-gb/collec...

Archaic word of the day: dandiprat - a young or insignificant person; a diminutive person; also a silver coin of 16th-century England, equal to about twopence (First recorded in 1510) #englishlanguage #history

An interesting, illustrated overview of boats and ships from the earliest canoes to today’s sophisticated ocean-going giants. #history #maritimehistory #historybookchat

Check out one of our mote cited articles 'The Jamaica discipline and the epochal nature of English Atlantic privateering and piracy, 1660–1726' by Nathan T. Jopling doi.org/10.1177/0843... #maritimehistory #piracy

Archaic word of the day: damsel - a young unmarried woman; a maiden, originally one of gentle or noble birth (First recorded at the end of the 12th century; Middle English damisel from Old French damoisele) #englishlanguage #history #medievalsky

Overview of Spanish coins in the Golden Age of Piracy: 1 Spanish dollar = 8 reales = 272 maravedíes 1 doubloon = 2 escudos = 4 dollars = 32 reales = 1088 maravedíes #history #17thc #c18th

Archaic word of the day: cutpurse - a pickpocket; a person who steals by cutting purses from the belt (First recorded in First recorded 1325; from the Middle English word cutte-purs) #englishlanguage #history #medievalsky

The maravedíes was the smallest denomination of Spanish coin from 1537 to 1847; 64 in a Spanish dollar. Name derived from the Arabian Almoravid dinar. They were made of copper and were widespread in the Spanish colonies, being useful for small transactions. #history #17thc #c18th #c19th

6 May 1682 (O.S.) // 50-gun 3rd-rate HMS Gloucester struck a sandbank at Great Yarmouth, stuck for a time, then slid off and sank. About 130 people drowned. She was carrying many distinguished passengers including the Duke of York: he survived the wreck to become King James II. [1/3] #RoyalNavy

7 May 1765: HMS Victory, the future flagship of Admiral Horatio #Nelson at the battle of #Trafalgar, was launched at #Chatham. #History #HMSVictory

The Spanish escudo was a gold coin introduced in about 1536 and issued until 1833. They were initially worth 16 reales. They were minted in denominations of half, one, two (doubloon), four and eight escudos. Most were minted in Spain. #history #17thc #c18th #c19th

Archaic word of the day: curmuring - making stomach sounds; rumbling in the bowels (From Scottish word 'curmurr', meaning to rumble) #englishlanguage #history

The doubloon, also known as the double escudo, was worth two escudos. In 1537 it replaced the excelente/ducat. Doubloons were minted in Spain and the Spanish American viceroyalties from 1537 until 1849. #history #17thc #c18th #c19th

Archaic word of the day: cully - a friendly form of address for a man; also to trick or dupe someone (First recorded in 1665) #englishlanguage #history #17thc

A brutal business. #piratehistory #pirates #history #maritimehistory

USS Constitution by Anton Fischer Her long career almost ended a month into the war of 1812, when she fell in with a Royal Navy squadron. She used her boats and ditched all her water to escape the British in a chase lasting two days and nights. #USNavy #RoyalNavy #AgeofSail

Archaic word of the day: cruse - an earthenware pot or jar for liquids (First recorded in the 13th century; Old English crūse, cognate with German Krause = pot with a lid) #englishlanguage #history #medievalsky

The Spanish real was made of silver and minted in denominations of half, one, two, and eight real coins. The eight real coin was know as the real de ocho or piece of eight. It was minted from the mid 14th century until 1868, when it was replaced by the peseta. #history #17thc #c18th #c19th

It's Frigate Friday! The victories of the large US frigates in 1812 led the Admiralty to order the Leander and Newcastle. Built of softwoods (pine and fir) to speed construction, they were designed to carry a mixed armament of over 50 cannons and carronades on the main and spar deck. #NavalHistory

Archaic word of the day: crapulous - to feel ill from overindulgence; given to or characterized by gross excess in drinking or eating (First recorded in 1530; from Late Latin crāpulōsus, meaning 'inclined to drunkenness') #englishlanguage #history

The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight, was made of silver and was in use from 1497 to 1864. It was also known as the 'real de ocho', being worth eight reales. #history #17thc #c18th #c19th

HMS Charles Galley (1676) Designed for use in the Mediterranean against the Barbary Pirates, this 32 gun ship was designed to be rowed as well as sailed. #NavalHistory

Archaic word of the day: cottier - a rural labourer living in a cottage, especially in Scotland and Ireland; also cottager (First recorded in the 14th century; from old French 'cotier') #englishlanguage #history #medievalsky

The story of the thousands of sailors and marines who manned the ships in the time of Admiral Nelson. #history #historybookchat #maritimehistory #c19th

The frigate Højenhald by Christian Mølsted Seen after an attack on Copenhagen in 1659. The ship resisted repeated attacks made by Swedish troops across the ice. #DanishFleet #SwedishArmy #AgeofSail

"The Republic of Texas Navy in the 1840s: Repel Boarders!" by the late Bruce Marshall. #NavalHistory

Mary Read buried #OTD 1721. Born in England, she began dressing as a boy and joined a pirate crew. Arrested in 1720, she was condemned to death. One of the few women convicted of piracy, hear her story in our Women and Crime Podcast: tinyurl.com/bde5bt3f #history #pirate #piracy

Archaic word of the day: cordwainer - a shoemaker; a worker in cordovan leather (first recorded in 1150; Middle English cordewaner) #englishlanguage #history #medievalsky

#OTD 24 April 1715 a Danish squadron under Rear Admiral Gabel defeated a Swedish squadron under Rear Admiral Wachtmeister at the Battle of Fehmarn. The Swedish warships were captured along with Wachtmeister, who surrendered to the young Norwegian naval hero Peter Wessel.

Archaic word of the day: contumely – insulting or humiliating language or treatment; contemptuous or humiliating treatment (First recorded in 1350; Middle English 'contumelie') #englishlanguage #history #medievalsky

Daniel Defoe died #OTD 1731. Thrown into jail for his political views, where he was inspired to write Moll Flanders. Brought out to the market pillory for public punishment, the people conspired to save him from harm. Hear the story in our Newgate Jail Podcast: tinyurl.com/48dr483b #history #defoe

An interesting and detailed look at the Jacobites - supporters of the deposed Stuart monarchs after the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688. #history #historybookchat #17thc #c18th

Archaic word of the day: collogue - talk confidentially; to plot mischief; conspire (First recorded in 1595) #englishlanguage #history

22 Apr 1848 // HMS Erebus and HMS Terror of Franklin's Northwest Passage expedition were abandoned off King William Island, Canada, after being trapped in ice for 19 months. There were no survivors from the 128 men who abandoned the two ships. (Images: Wikimedia Commons) #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory

Navigating in the 17th and early 18th centuries was a tricky business. #maritimehistory #17thc #c18th

Archaic word of the day: cockalorum - a self-important little man; bragging talk (First recorded in 1705; pseudo-Latin) #englishlanguage #history #c18th

USS United States by Geoff Hunt. She was one of the US Navy’s six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. #USNavy #Tallships #AgeofSail

#OtD 21 Apr 1834 30,000 marched for the freedom of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, agricultural workers from the Dorset town of Tolpuddle who were transported to Australia as punishment for their trade unionism stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9336...

Archaic word of the day: clout - a piece of cloth or clothing; any worthless piece of cloth; rag (From Old English clūt meaning piece of cloth or metal) #englishlanguage #history

Howell Davis - born in 1690 in Milford Haven, Wales. Grew up around the sea and was a competent sailor. Never his plan to become a pirate, his short pirating career lasted from July 1718 to June 1719. He captured 15 ships. waynesavage.com/howell-davis... #piratehistory #history #c18th

#OtD 19 Apr 1882 hundreds of women, men and children fought police on the mountainous Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland. It was the start of what would become a widespread land revolt that required a military invasion to restore order stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9059...

Archaic word of the day: clew - a ball of thread; the thread by which Theseus found his way out of the labyrinth (Old English cleowen; cognate with Old High German kliu = ball) #englishlanguage #history