Up Spirits

I have been "Excused Dog Walking" duties today and have spent my time going through old personal effects when I came across this old rum cask, empty of course, and it brought back memories of tot times whilst afloat with the grey funnel line.

"Up Spirits" was the famous call that seamen aboard Royal Navy vessels had heard each day around noon for more than three centuries, signalling them to report to the deck and receive a tot, or shot, of rum.

Sailors were originally served a gill (a quarter of a pint) of neat rum This often led to sailors being intoxicated by saving their tots and drinking them together. In 1740, Adm. Edward Vernon, nicknamed "Old Grog," ordered that the rum be watered down before being served so that sailors would be forced to drink it right away.

The officer in charge of dispensing the rum onboard ship is called the purser. Mispronunciations eventually gave way to calling the rum "Pusser's." One member of each mess was detailed off to collect the rations. On my ship it was a Royal Marine who was the rum bosun responsible for measuring each messes rations. A generous bosun would accidentally spill extra rum into to the fanny which was called "Queens". Each of us then had a little extra when our tot was measured into our glass.

The tot played an important social role on the ships. "At sea, rum was a kind of currency, just like money. To offer a shipmate a portion of one's tot, no matter how small, was deemed to be the height of generosity." you could often get someone to do your duty for a tot (sandy bottoms) or perhaps obtain a favor or barter for a piece of kit or equipment Those who did not draw their tot received an extra 3p per day.

In think in UK waters we drew our tot at the end of the working day. In warmer climes we worked tropical routine and finished work at 1pm. I really enjoyed that one. The last tot were issued on the 31st July 1970 and the crew could draw an extra can of beer instead

My collage of pictures are My old rum cask. My old ship HMS Gurkha off the Seychelles. Me ON the rum barrel and me enjoying my tot.(A bit out of focus for some reason)