“The Boatswain”
The boatswain (or “bo’sun") was usually picked from among
the most experienced and knowledgeable able-bodied seamen aboard. He was
the equivalent of the ship’s general foreman, and supervised the crew
as they carried out such work details as sail handling, anchor-setting,
cargo-hauling and maintenance work.
While he also helped enforce discipline aboard merchant ships, a pirate
boatswain’s most important job was keep the rigging ship-shape,
and to direct the crew in properly setting the ship’s sails.
The boatswain of Bellamy’s crew was Jeremiah Burke while Jeremiah
Higgins was boatswain of the Marianne under Williams
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