[Scheduled for re-edit : December 20-31]

Back | Setting | Occupations

It can sometimes be a difficult and daunting task to choose an occupation for a character since this RP takes place in another time, where many familiar professions were either not as common, or just non existent at the time. Add in the fact that most professions were closed to women, whose place was believed to be the home doing their husband's bidding and watching over the children, it can sometimes make it difficult to come up with an interesting profession to RP for female characters, one that is not necessarily run of the mill, or overused. The most popular professions for PotC boards are typically pirates, nobles, and thieves. Naturally, being Pirates of the Caribbean, one can guess why one of those occupations at least is incredibly popular, however all of those occupations will have a limit to how many characters are allowed in them. I can’t have 20 female pirates of mediocre quality, and only one housewife or Navy character. In fact, no one is allowed to have a female pirate character until after they have an accepted character of a different type. If you are stumped on how to create a female character who is not a pirate, or not too stereotypical you may feel free to contact me (Alia) and I will offer what assistance I can.


Skilled Labourers
(Blacksmiths, Seamstresses/Tailors, Wigmakers, Carpenters, Sailmakers, Painters, Silversmiths, Spinners, Cobblers, Candlemakers, Printer, etc)

Members - William Turner (Blacksmith), Ruben Velazquez (Printer), Horace Tennyson (Apprentice Printer), Mr J. Brown (Blacksmith, NPC)

Many of these professions are skills that would also be necessary and known by women in the household because of the amount of things that were homemade at the time—for instance, most women should be able to card and spin wool (provided they live in the country), and perhaps sew as well—but these skills weren’t the women’s profession at the time. Others did make a profession out of the skills, and if they are, they should be highly skilled at it. Some of the these professions would require that you be apprenticed for so many years before you could go out on your own and practice. These are also the days before the Industrial Revolution, so it is acceptable for character to have a small side trade in some of these (spinning, sewing, painting, carpentry, etc). While none of these alone could earn you the most money, it is typically enough to gain you a comfortable standard of living.


The Military:
(Royal Navy, Army, Marines, Militias, Mercenaries)

The Royal Navy
(Officers, sailors) – If interested in RPing one, please contact Norrington, who can provide further information upon request)

Officers - Admiral Lord Heyworth (NPC), Commodore James Norrington, Commodore Frederick St Montgomery, Post-Captain Peter Somersby (NPC), Commander Wesley Gillette, Commander David Torrington, Lieutenant Theodore Groves, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed (NPC), Lieutenant Gabriel Alderbury (NPC), Midshipmen George Evans and Kevin O'Brien (NPCs), Doctor Abraham Finch (NPC)
Sailors - Thomas Yardley (Able Seaman NPC)


There is much that can, and has been written about the British Navy, and its influences around the world, however that is not a necessary topic here, and I shall refrain from giving too much information. Pirates of the Caribbean, being a historically based movie with a touch of supernatural elements fantasy with a thin and faux veneer of historical accuracy (as of DMC), does get several points about the Navy wrong, some of which are addressed in AG and corrected, and others which are allowed to stand as they are.

For one thing, “Commodore” was not a true rank—it was a temporary rank conferred upon a Post Captain (a person who was both in command of a ship, and whose actual rank was Captain, since Captain was the title used for anyone who was in command of a vessel), and would be relinquished later. It was certainly not something arguably worthy of the promotion ceremony that Norrington did receive. Anther temporary rank that existed was “Commander.” It was a shortened form of “Master and Commander” (popularized and better known by people due to the Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin series of books), and the person was in fact merely a lieutenant (which traces its spelling back to lievtenant) in command of a vessel. The true ranks then were: Admiral, Rear Admiral, Post Captain, Lieutenant (which would be preceded by an ordinal number like 6th lieutenant, or 1st lieutenant). There was also the rank of Midshipman, which was a sort of quasi-officer status. They were non-commissioned and would later take the examination to become a lieutenant, but they never quite fit in any other category. Other people who will have benefits as officers would be the warrant officers, sailing master, coxswain, surgeon, and their mates. It was better to be an officer for living conditions, and how you were treated.

The people who were off the worst on the vessel by far were the common sailor. They were often forced, or “pressed,” into service by what was called a “press gang.” Since people could not be drafted into the Navy, when Captain’s had to crew their ship (since their commands were not always furnished with a full crew when they took command) and they had to replace those who died, the press gang was utilized. It was most common for sailors from merchant ships to be pressed into service, since they already had the requisite set of skills. There was no set uniform for sailors onboard the ship, unlike officers, though some captains might try to require the sailors to wear some sort of common item to help distinguish them as part of their crew. They were divided up as Able Seamen, Ordinary Seamen, and landsmen. Discipline was harsh upon the ships and it was not uncommon for them to “jump ship” and try to escape the harsh circumstances.

The Navy is much like other armed forces of the time period (namely the Army), where one is much, much more likely to die of disease than a death in battle. Accidents, wrecks, storms—all these claimed more lives than battle, and battle was pretty much the one thing you were least likely to die from when serving. If one was wounded in battle, people did not recover because of the surgery, they often survived despite it, and important, and ironic distinction.

Related Topics/For more information:
Brendan's Royal Navy and Marines for Dummies
AG's Navy vessels and Crews AG
Military/Historical Q&A Thread

His Majesty's Marines
(Officers, marines) – If interested in RPing one, please contact Brendan who can provide you with further information.

Members - Captain of Marines Arthur Cartwright (NPC), Colour-Sergeant Robert Crawford (NPC), Corporal Brendan McIntyre, Corporal Oliver Jones (NPC), Private James Gray, Private Murtogg (NPC), Private Mullroy (NPC), Private Michael Quintin, Private William Springfield, Private George Thompson, Fifer Thomas Shepherd (NPC), Drummer Andrew Shepherd (NPC)

Emphasis here on Marines, not Royal Marines. The marines did not adopt the prefix Royal until 1802. You can tell that they are the Marines in the colonial era, as opposed to Royal Marines by looking at their uniforms (and this portion was correct in the films). The marines had the white facings (where the coat, or “frock,” folds over or near the buttons) as opposed to the blue facings, which were adopted when they became the Royal Marines.

Marines' duties and situations were different than that of the standard run of the mill sailors. While sailors didn’t have any set uniform until the 19th century, the marines did, and Marines were outfitted with more equipment, including a musket, whereas sailors would only receive weapons (usually a club, cutlass, or pistols) when going into battle. Marines would often be assigned to a gun (aka cannon) crew, and one or two would always be on guard outside of the captain’s cabin. The marines were often there to dissuade, or when it came to it, enforce the captain’s orders and order in general. In a place and time where many sailors were unwilling men forced to serve—it was a bit of extra and necessary assurance to prevent mutinies. During battles they were often aloft in the yards, acting as sharpshooters. They did not only fight in ship to ship battles, they would be used to fight land battles when necessary.

Related Topics/For more information:
Brendan's Royal Navy and Marines for Dummies
AG's Navy vessels and Crews (AG)

British Army
(Officers, soldiers, surgeons, camp followers)

29th Foot:
Members - Major Lord Alexander Edrington (NPC), Captain Lord David Edgecumbe (NPC), Private Benjamin Wingfield

2nd Foot:
Members - Brigadier Percy Kirke

2nd of Foot AG Info

Mercenaries
(Soldiers, Bounty Hunters, Pirate Hunters, Sailors)

Mercenaries are professional (usually) soldiers for hire. Many princes of different nations would hire out their armies to other monarchs—such as happened with the Hessian troops being hired by King George III during the American Revolution. For AG, we shall allow two different types—land based and sea based. Mercenaries who are ‘rented’ out by a monarch will simply do as they are ordered, with no real interest in what their conflict may be other than where and when they shall fight, whereas single mercenaries’ allegiance is to no king, nor country, but rather to the money being paid, for whatever job they have taken.

Militia
(Officers, Militiamen) – If interested in RPing, please contact Alia for more information.

People do not always have the protection that they may want from an Army or Navy. In colonial times, in the colonies where the parent country would not always keep an abundance of troops, militias would be started. Militias would be organized into a hierarchy—each town and surrounding area would have it’s militia, which in turn would be part of a larger say, county militia, which would comprise of the entire militia of that colony—for example the militias utilized by the Americans during the Revolutionary War. In say, the Massachusetts colony, each town would have a militia, which would then be grouped within their county and such, which could, during important time, be called up and all militias of the colony put into a sort of army. Being in the militia was not the only job for these people, they had their own outside jobs, and were expected to provide their own “uniforms,” as well as musket, bayonet, shot and powder. There would be an appointed date and time for the militia in each town to meet, so that they could drill, and call the role, and fines could be levied against those who did not bring all the appropriate equipment. Militias were often seen as a joke by the Army, as they were not professional soldiers, and had a tendency to not stand their ground, and flee when it came to real battles.


Social Classes and Appropriate Jobs:
(Nobles, Servants, the middle class, Public servants)

Nobility and Aristocrats:

(Kings, Queens, Lords, Ladies, Dukes, Governors)

Members - Elizabeth Swann, Lord Cutler Beckett, Dona Catrina Navarro de Jimenez, Governor Weatherby Swann (NPC), Jonathan Collins

Also known as the aristocracy, and a whole slew of other names, the nobility here are the wealthy upper class of citizens who are in power. To the common people, where the struggle to get food on the table and a roof over their heads is an everyday battle, the aristocracy is decadent and overdone- with the women and men caring about how fashionable an outfit is. The aristocracy, as a rule, looks down on those of lower class, and a marriage between two people of different classes- such as Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner, would be very unlikely, and the center of frequent gossiping.

English (British) Royalty

Servants
(Maids, Governesses, Butlers, Stablehands, Cooks, etc)

Members - Barnaby Hales (Steward), Noah Rand (Tavern worker), Alden Woodrow (Tavern Boy, NPC), Estrella (Maid, NPC)

Every rich family needs several servant to show their class, and for most of those wealthy families it would be impractical to try and keep their homes if there was no additional people to help them clean and cook and do other sorts of chores. If one could afford to, they would typically keep a servant even if they were not perhaps of the noble blood, but simply had enough wealth. Without modern conveniences such as the vacuum, electric or gas ovens, washing machines and dryers, tasks like sweeping, cleaning clothing, cooking would take longer, and much more concentration. The richer families would most likely have on their staff a cook, several maids (for cleaning, some to help with dressing the family), a butler, a carriage driver (if they had a carriage, as all fashionable families should), a gardener, and several others. If you are a rich family—there can be no such thing as too many servants to show your wealth.

Middle Class
(Merchants, bankers, tavern owners, some Skilled Labourers)

Members - the McAllister Clan (NPCs)

The middle class was perhaps not quite what we think of it now, that it to say, I’m using this term to stand for anyone who has a decent standard of living—they can afford the food they need, have clothing, shelter, and live decently enough. They aren’t poor, living in substandard housing, begging for food or scraps, but neither are they truly welcomed amongst the elite of society.


Outlaws, Criminals, and the Oldest Profession in the World
(Pirates, Thieves, Highwaymen, Privateers, and Whores)

Pirates and Theives
Captain Jack Sparrow, Anamaria, Ragetti, Pintel, Mallot, Grapple, Joshamee Gibbs (NPC), Keegan McAllister, Mr Cotton (NPC)

Thievery and pirates both have rich histories back to the beginning of the written word, and civilization. As long as humans have had items they “owned,” people have been taking them from others without permission.

Piracy is essential the same as thievery, with the exception that it is an act committed at sea, usually with one vessel preying upon another, otherwise anyone stealing something from a crewmate onboard a ship would be considered a pirate, when they are essentially only a thief. Piracy was a major problem throughout as it is highly disruptive to trade, and all other business that is conducted over the sea. Gaius Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates whom held him for a ransom, and after it was paid, and Caesar had enough time to prepare, he went back and wiped out those particular pirates.

Pirate crews, and pirate ships were an early form of democracy, not often ruled by an iron fisted dictator who was their captain, as was often portrayed in movies. Instead, they elected their captains, first mates, quartermasters, and sometimes a lieutenant—those with higher positions would gain more shares of the plunder than the others. Pirates were also multi-national, members being of any and every race, and even sex was not necessarily discriminated against.

When pirates attacked a vessel, they would typically only steal from the cargo (it was bad form to steal from the actual crew, although that didn’t keep it from happening). There were pirates who were more gentlemanly, some reported as actually giving and providing the vessel they took with provisions, or other cargo. Other pirates were much more bloodthirsty, and not as concerned with the welfare of the passengers, crew, of the vessel.

Pirate vessels were typically not that large. They favored smaller, faster vessels that would allow them to quickly descend upon their victims—a sloop was a favorite amongst them. Larger vessels were used by pirates, as vessels they captured were sometimes converted into pirate ships as well. Some pirates commanded fleets—Blackbeard for one had a couple of ships under his command for a while.

Pirates also had different names depending upon where they preyed upon vessels. In the Mediterranean they were often referred to as Corsairs, and Buccaneers in the Caribbean.

Pirates were not disliked by all people—certainly a good number of those they stole from, but in ports where they sold their goods, they were often well received. The cargoes they seized could and would be sold at lower prices than what they would normally go for, and additionally the items they might legally acquire (buy) would have prices jacked up when they came. It was a good deal financially, not only for the pirates, but the towns and city people who would buy the goods. Also, if one recalls, Elizabeth Swann herself, was quite enamored with pirates—which was not entirely uncommon at the time. The freedom promised in a pirate crew was a bright dream for those who were indentured servants, or living in low class conditions. Someone like Elizabeth Swann might also have read A General History of Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates, written in 1724 by a Captain Charles Johnson. The book was a success, and led to the romanticizing of piracy, a notion still around today.

Pirates, Privateer, and Mercenaries Listing AG

Privateers
(Officers, sailors)

Another form of piracy, though legal, was privateering. Privateers were civilians who essentially fulfilled the position of a free roaming warship for whatever country they served. What would happen, was when there was a war declared, a would-be privateer would contact and through the appropriate government official—a governor in this time period,receive what was called a "letter of marque and reprisal" (often shortened to a "letter of marque"). While the initial reasoning for this was to seize goods back from the enemy which had been stolen, it soon came to be just another vessel in service for your country attacking the most vulnerable and valuable part of the enemies’ fleets on the sea—their merchantmen. Privateers would attack the merchants, seize the vessels, the cargo, and return to a friendly port where they could then put it through the courts, auctioning the vessel and its goods off, and the money would then be divided by shares amongst the financial backers of the vessel, in addition to the crew. A lot of money could be made off of privateering, and the crews and captains, once the state of war was ended, were often loath to give up their way of life.

Whores/ "Pleasurable Company"

Members - Viena Jankovsky

Visiting a whore wasn’t something to brag about in this time, but it was very common—and not just for pirates. Pirates may have been more vocal about visiting such (as they tended to be looked upon as crass, ill-tempered, and having no skills for polite society—not an unfair view entirely), but those in the military forces were not lacking when it came to visiting them either. It was a common thing of life for sailors on the whole—days, weeks, and years spent at sea without “companionship” (though they were able to find some companionship—though that was looked down upon, and in the case of the Navy—an offense punishable by death) that when they got to land and could take their leave they would most often be spending the night at brothels and the like.


There are numerous professions that fall under several categories Doctors/Surgeons (Middle Class, Skilled people, Navy, Marines), and others that seem to defy classification (wife, child, dockworker), but they still are viable professions. I won’t bother to explain each one of theses, but simply list them incase one tickles your fancy.

Dockworker
Dockmaster (minor official)
Dancer (often doubles as a whore)
Actor/Actress (once again, doubles as whore often)
Musician
Barrister
Plantation Owner
Plantation Overseer
Slaves
Indentured Servants (like a slave in some ways, must work for a certain amount of time)
Other Navies or Armies
Merchant Sailor
Doctor
Surgeon
Midwife
Street Urchin
Barkeeper
Brewer
Farmer
Innkeeper


© Alia-Hildwyn and Elaina Beauvais, 2005 - 2008
Written by both Finally Forgotten (Elaina Beauvais) & Hildwyn of Rohan (Alia-Hildwyn) for Aztec Gold
Rewritten September 2006, January 2007 by Alia-Hildwyn