Up Spirits! Dept: an account of the early Brit's daily tot.

Now's here's the real stuff - traditional, cleans your socks on the way down. Unlike the Royal Navy, the pirates drank while eating, sailing and fighting - the first multitaskers. Here's to Port Royal, the Port of Orgies! Say it loud and say it plowed!
Post Reply
User avatar
Capn Jimbo
Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
Posts: 3550
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:53 pm
Location: Paradise: Fort Lauderdale of course...
Contact:

Up Spirits! Dept: an account of the early Brit's daily tot.

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Credit to Luis Ayala of "Got Rum"...

"At 10.30 in the morning the stores assistant – nicknamed Jack dusty – starts the book-keeping and assesses the exact amount of rum required that day. At 11 six Bells are followed by the boatswain’s whistle. “Up spirits!” calls the boatswain’smate, followed by the murmurs of the men who are eagerly awaiting the main social event of the day. Then, the Petty officer of the day goes up to the officer of the day and politely reminds him that it is time for Up Spirits. The officer ushers into the spirit room a small party consisting of the Petty officer, Jack Dusty with his helper, nicknamed Tanky, and often a small guard.

After a complex and ritualized routine, which includes taking the keys, going below deck and unlocking the door, the whole group enters the spirit room where Jack Dusty and Tanky draw out the right quantity of rum. Another intricate routine follows, to lock the room, retain the key and go up into a room where rum is measured again, under the watchful eye of the
officer of the day.

in the meantime, by 11.45 the grog tub, with its splendid brass lettering The King – god Bless him has been set up on the deck. When the party with the breaker of rum reaches the tub, Jack Dusty starts the proceedings and the rum is measured again. Next, Tanky measures the water in the tub and offers a glass to the officer, with the words “Test for salt, sir”. If the water is good, the officer nods, the rum is poured into the tub and stirred thoroughly.

The grog is ready. The men form long lines and the issue starts. When everybody has received their ration, what is left over in the tub is emptied over the ship’s side into the sea. Even this part of the ceremony follows a precise procedure of words and gestures. "
From Pusser's folklore...
"Jack Dusty and the Tanky - These two men, under the "Pusser," were responsible for doling out the daily tot of rum - or "grog" - to sailors on board ship. Jack Dusty comes from "Jack of the Dust" who was once the Pusser's steward employed in the bread room working with flour. In later years, the Jack Dusty was assigned the task of meticulously maintaining daily book-keeping and inventory record's for the ship's rum. The Tanky was the Jack Dusty's assistant, whose job it was to tend the fresh water tanks and to mix the Pusser's Rum with the correct amount of water for the grog issue. The selection of the Tanky required discrimination since Tanky could develop into the biggest "rum rat" of all if he was inclined that way and not someone to be trusted."

"Pusser / Pusser's Rum Nothing more than a corruption of the word Purser by the sailors after the officer responsible for the daily issue of rum - thus the name Pusser's Rum."
The big difference I see is that the officer in charge of the rum is the Purser, bastardized into "Pusser". If interested, do check out especially Pusser's page of other folklore - here's one of my personal favorites...
"Sucking the Monkey - An unlawful prank and a violation of Admiralty Regulations undertaken by "Jack" in older times in the West Indies when he would fill empty coconuts ashore with rum and then bring them back on board ship filled with the illegal rum."
The Preacher ought take note, lol...




*******
http://www.gotrum.com/
http://www.gotrum.com/downloads/855/dow ... ch2015.pdf
http://www.pussers.com/t-folklore.aspx
Post Reply