#philip bramble

[marryat92]

We weighed with the young flood; the weather was fine, but, as usual at that time of the year, thick fogs prevailed. We had, however, a leading wind, and had well rounded the North Foreland, and entered the Queen's Channel, when it came on very thick.

"Tom, have you the bearings?" said Bramble; "if not, take them at once, for the fog will soon be over the land."

— Frederick Marryat, Poor Jack

The North Foreland Lighthouse, Kent, 1780 watercolour by Michael Angelo Rooker.

[marryat92]

I ran aft, and gathered some flags, which I brought and laid over the sky-light, so as to intercept their view of Bramble; but whilst I was so doing another pistol-shot was fired—it passed me, but hit Bramble, taking off one of his fingers.

“That's no miss, but we've got through the worst of it, Tom — I don't think they can see me now—don't put that English ensign on—but hoist it Union downwards. I shall round to now; there's the men-of-war in the Medway. Why don't the fools look out, and they will see that they can't escape.”

“They've only the stern windows to look out of: the quarter galleries are boarded up.”

“Then, Tom, just look if they have not beat them out, for you know they may climb on deck by them.”

It was fortunate that Bramble mentioned this: I went aft with the handspike in my hand, and when I was about to look over, I met face to face a Frenchman, who had climbed out of the starboard quarter-gallery, and was just gaining the deck.

— Frederick Marryat, Poor Jack. Original illustration after Clarkson Stanfield (1840).

[marryat92]

The first thing you must learn, and which you can do on shore, are the points of the compass, to know them at sight and tell them quickly; for you see it's of great importance to a pilot to know exactly how a ship's head is; and the men at the helm, although good seamen and steering well, are not so ready at answering as a pilot wishes, and very often stammer at it — sometimes make mistakes. Now you see, when I'm piloting a vessel, if you stand at the binnacle, watch the compass, and answer me quickly how the ship’s head is, you'll be of use to me in a very short time.

— Frederick Marryat, Poor Jack

[marryat92]

An original illustration for Captain Marryat's Poor Jack (1840) by Clarkson Stanfield. The ship that Philip Bramble and his apprentice Tom Saunders are piloting up the channel is captured by a French privateer, and they mull their options as they contemplate their new destination in a French prison.

“We shall see, Tom—where there's a will there's a way: however, it's no use talking about it just now.” Here Bramble filled his pipe, took out his flint and steel, and lighted it.

After smoking for ten minutes, during which I stood by him, he said, “I wonder where they will take us to, St. Malo's or Morlaix, for the course they are steering will fetch, I should think, thereabouts. One thing is certain—they've got a good prize, and they mean to keep it if they can; and, my eyes! if they won't make a fuss about it! A ship with twelve guns taken by a lugger with only six! They'll make the ship mount eighteen or twenty guns, and have a hundred and fifty men on board, and they'll swear they fought us for three hours.”

— Frederick Marryat, Poor Jack

[marryat92]

Peacoats and P-Jackets

"Are you the lad for whom the pilot sent the boat?" inquired a man whom I afterwards found to be the second mate.

"Yes," replied I.

"Well, there he is abaft, in a P-jacket," said he, walking to the gangway, and directing the men to drop the boat astern.

I looked aft, and perceived my future master talking with the captain of the vessel. Philip Bramble was a spare man, about five feet seven inches high: he had on his head a low-crowned tarpaulin hat; a short P-jacket (so called from the abbreviation of pilot's jacket) reached down to just above his knees.

Frederick Marryat certainly uses an interesting word (and spelling) for what I'd call a peacoat. There's even an illustration of the garment in question, drawn by Marryat's friend Clarkson Stanfield for Poor Jack.

The P-jacket covers Bramble's thighs, as noted in the text, and how the buttons are arranged can't be seen. According to the wikipedia article for pea coats, a pea coat that extends to the thighs is actually a "bridge jacket" and is reserved exclusively for "officers and chief petty officers."

Philip Bramble is a maritime pilot, guiding large ships into harbors and up rivers, so it makes sense that he would have a pilot's jacket. Even his young apprentice Tom "Jack" Saunders owns a P-jacket.

I fixed my glass upon the vessel; and, after a time, not having forgotten the lessons so repeatedly given me by Spicer, I said, "She has no colours up; but she's an Embden vessel, by her build."

"Oh!" said he, "hand me the glass. The boy's right, — and a good glass, too. Come, I see you do know something; and good knowledge, too, for a pilot. It often saves us a deal of trouble when we know a vessel by her build; them foreigners sail too close to take pilots. Can you stand cold? Have you got a P-jacket?"

"Yes; father bought me one."

"Well, you'll want it this winter; for the wild geese tell us that it will be a sharp one. Steady, starboard!"

Some of the original watercolor illustrations for Poor Jack are in the National Maritime Museum's collection, and Marryat was known to be very fond of them. According to his daughter Florence, they decorated the room where he composed his last books. The accuracy of the nautical clothing can be assumed to be correct— Clarkson Stanfield was also a sailor, working on a merchant vessel before he was impressed into the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars.