A powder boy or powder monkey manned

naval artillery Naval artillery is artillery mounted on a warship, originally used only for naval warfare and then subsequently used for more specialized roles in surface warfare such as naval gunfire support (NGFS) and anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) engagements. ...

guns as a member of a warship's crew, primarily during the

Age of Sail The Age of Sail is a period in European history that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid-15th) to the mid-19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the int ...

. Their chief role was to ferry

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

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. Powder monkeys were usually boys or young teens, 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 The gunwale () is the top edge of the hull of a ship or boat. Originally the structure was the "gun wale" on a sailing warship, a horizontal reinforcing band added at and above the level of a gun deck to offset the stresses created by firing ...

, keeping them from being shot by enemy ships' sharpshooters. These powder monkeys held no official naval rank on the ships that they sailed on. Some women and older men also worked as powder monkeys. Many of the powder monkeys in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

that ended up on ships were part of the poor working class.

The Marine Society The Marine Society is a British charity, the world's first established for seafarers. In 1756, at the beginning of the Seven Years' War against France, Austria, and Saxony (and subsequently the Mughal Empire, Spain, Russia and Sweden) Britain urg ...

, which encouraged youths to join the Royal Navy recruited them by providing clothes, bedding, and a rudimentary education. In the mid-1790s, it is estimated that the Marine Society was sending five or six hundred boys a year to the fleet, although not all of these boys became powder monkeys. Of the boys who were recruited by the Marine Society, most had no other option than to join the navy, as their parents could not afford to raise them. However, a significant number had familial ties to the sea. This group had cousins, fathers, and even grandfathers who were sailors, thus making them want to continue family traditions and exploit their sense of adventure. The United States did not have an established navy until after its independence in 1776, and even then, it was loosely organized. The

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

started using powder monkeys in the late 1700s after modeling its structure upon the Royal Navy. The two navies fought against each other in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, during which time both sides utilized the special physical gifts that powder monkeys offered on board their warships. After the War of 1812, boys under the age of twelve were forbidden by the U.S. Navy from serving on ships. However, boys above that age were still used as powder monkeys until the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

at the end of the nineteenth century. The Royal Navy first began using the term "powder monkey" in the 17th century. The term was later used, and continues to be used in some countries, to signify a skilled technician or engineer who engages in blasting work, such as in the mining or demolition industries. In such industries, a "powder monkey" is also sometimes referred to as a "blaster".

References

External links

History of HMS Victory: Crew
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powder monkey Children in the military Marine occupations Obsolete occupations Combat occupations Combat occupations of the late modern period Naval ranks Nautical terminology Military ranks of the Royal Navy Gunpowder