TRENCH ART JOLLY JACK TAR ROYAL MERCHANT NAVY SAILOR SEAMAN CARVED BELL, RARE!

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Jack Tar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 1915 British silent film, see Jack Tar (film). For the hotel chain, see Jack Tar Hotels.

Jack Tar (also Jacktar, Jack-tar or Tar) is a common English term that was originally used to refer to seamen of the Merchant Navy or the Royal Navy, particularly during the British Empire. By World War I the term was used as a nickname for those in the US Navy.[1] Members of the public and seafarers alike made use of the name in identifying those who went to sea. It was not used pejoratively, and sailors were happy to use the term to label themselves.[2]

Etymology[edit]

Recruitment poster from the Napoleonic Wars

There is some dispute among historians about the origin of "Jack", but it was a frequently used generic that identified the mass of common people.[3] There are several plausible etymologies for the reference to "tar":

  • During the age of wooden sailing vessels, a ship's rigging was rope made of hemp, which would rot quickly in such a damp environment. To avoid that, the ropes and cables of the standing rig were soaked in tar, which had to be replenished by tarring.[4][self-published source]
  • Seamen were known to "tar" their clothes before they departed on voyages to make them waterproof before the invention of waterproof fabrics. Later, they frequently wore coats and hats made from a waterproof fabric, called tarpaulin. That may have been shortened to "tar" at some point.[3]
  • In a widely-accepted myth with no period evidence, it was said that sailors smeared their hair with tar. In a book published in 1915, the author surmised that it was common among seamen to plait their long hair into a ponytail and smear it with high-grade tar to prevent it from getting caught in the ship's equipment.[1]

Usage[edit]

  • James Gillray's 1807 political caricature British Tars Towing the Danish Fleet into Harbour features the cabinet ministers George Canning, Lord Liverpool and Lord Castlereagh as British sailors.
  • Gilbert and Sullivan's 1878 operetta, H.M.S. Pinafore, subtitled The Lass That Loved a Sailor, uses the synonym "tar" frequently in its dialogue, including the songs "The Merry Maiden and the Tar" and "A British Tar".
  • In the 19th century, coopers who crafted barrels on ships were often called groggers or jolly jack tars, as when a barrel of rum had been emptied, they would fill it up with boiling water and roll it around, creating a drink which was called grog.[5]
  • One of John Philip Sousa's lesser-known works was his "Jack Tar March", written in 1903, which featured "The Sailor's Hornpipe" tune in one of its segments.
  • Ship Ahoy! (All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor) is a 1908 music hall song with the line "all the nice girls love a tar".
  • The second verse of George M. Cohan's song "You're a Grand Old Flag" contains the line "Hurrah! Hurrah! for every Yankee Tar".
  • Jack Tars: Life in Nelson's Navy is a best-selling non-fiction book written by Roy and Lesley Adkins about the real lives of sailors in Horatio Nelson's age.[6]
  • The traditional English folk song "Go to Sea Once More", alternatively titled "Jack Tarr the Sailor", tells the tale of a sailor by the name of Jack Tarr who loses everything after an ill-advised drunken escapade while he is ashore in Liverpool.
  • The traditional English folk song "Jacky Tar" was sung by Eliza Carthy (previously collected and sung by A. L. Lloyd as "Do Me Ama"): Roud 511; Laws K40; Ballad Index LK40.[7]
  • John Adams called the crowd involved with the Boston Massacre "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negros and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish jack tarrs".[8]
  • "Heart of Oak",. the official march of the Royal Navy, features the line "Heart of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men".
  • Rollins College of Winter Park, Florida, chose the "Tar" as its mascot.[9]
  • People born in Swansea, Wales, are known as "Jacks" or "Swansea Jacks". One explanation for the name is that the people of Swansea had a reputation as skilled sailors and that their services were much sought after by the navy.[10]
  • In Anthony Shaffer's comedy/thriller play Sleuth, the most prominent of Andrew Wyke's automata is Jolly Jack Tarr, the Jovial Sailor. This life-sized figure laughs, and his body shakes appropriately with the pressing of a remote control button. He is in several scenes, including one in which a clue to a murder is hidden on Jolly Jack Tarr's person.
  • The term forms the basis for the expression, "I'm alright, Jack", which signifies smug complacence at the expense of others.
  • Period writers often referred to the simplicity of Jack Tar, and when he was represented as a drunk and a womanizer, the moral of the story was that he was easy prey for women, publicans and keepers of boarding houses.[3]


Jack Tar: Myth and Reality

Jack Tar was a common English term used to refer to seafarers of the merchant marine and Royal Navy, particularly at the time when the British Empire was at its largest. The public, and seafarers themselves, used the name to identify men who went to sea. There is some dispute among historians about the origin of "Jack," but it was a frequently used generic that identified the mass of common people. The suffix "Tar" is traceable to the 1600s, and became a popular term for a sailor. It probably derived from "tarpaulin," canvas coated with tar to make waterproof clothes. A sailor's waterproof hat was also called a "tarpaulin." Seafarers were stereotyped by their "rolling gait and outlandish outfit and tarry waterproof trousers" (Land 2010, 14).

Period writers often referred to the simplicity of Jack Tar, and when he was represented as a drunk and a womanizer the moral of the story was that he was easy prey for women, publicans and boarding house keepers. Though the social imagery of the port with its bars and brothels can be entertaining, there were teetotalers and family men amongst seafarers. In fact, by 1891, over half of home-trade seafarers and nearly two-fifths of foreign-going men were married (Burton, 1985, 316).

The stereotype of British seafarers is overdrawn. Most men entered the occupation in early adulthood and left before their late thirties. They were men of experience, and they were often the children of sailors, fishermen and coastal mariners. Thus they might bring with them practical experience. Many seamen were literate and could read and understand their contracts. Some could read but could not sign their name. Others appear to be literate because they signed their contract, though an autograph might have been the limit of their abilities (Sager 1989, 158). Canadian and British crews tended to be more literate than other crews. (Alexander 1980, 11). Even seafarers without the ability to read would have a working knowledge of their contractual rights as seafarers.

Men who were firemen, coal trimmers and engineers are less commonly written about than deck crew. By way of redressing this imbalance the experiences of William Finlinson are recounted here. He was born in 1880 in Whitehaven, a port which sustained a vibrant seaborne export trade in coal. But the fortunes of the port waned as larger ones such as Liverpool and Bristol gained prominence in the late-19th century. William's father, Musgrave Finlinson, was a carpenter aboard merchant vessels, and the family moved to Liverpool in 1886 so he could seek better employment. Like many sailors' sons, William went to sea. He first sailed in May 1901, joining the Manchester Merchant as a junior engineer. He continued to sail regularly until his death in 1919 and received his engineer's certificate in April 1904 (Correspondence of Ian Finlinson with Archivist, MHA, Memorial University, September, 2008).

The crews of merchant shipping vessels were multi-national. According to Frederick William Wallace, "seafaring was the profession of a mobile international pool of labor" (Wallace 1924, 186). Crews across the North Atlantic were often comprised of Scandinavians, Greeks, Italians, Germans and Russians. Temporarily drawing men away from their homeland, seafaring attracted those who wanted to see the world and acquire skills. Many joined British vessels for the better pay (Committee on Manning 1896, 397). Foreigners were often hired when crews deserted (160). Many companies hired their officers locally, and more particularly the master (Ommer 1980, 193).