Amphibious Economies: âBum Boatâ Women and the Supply of Goods and Services to Ordinary Seamen of the British Royal Navy, 1770â1830

Helen Berry

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Chapter 2 Amphibious Economies: âBum Boatâ Women and the Supply of Goods and Services to Ordinary Seamen of the British Royal Navy, 1770â1830

In: Mermaids in History: Engendering Maritime Labour and Business History, 1700â1900

Author:

Helen Berry

Helen Berry
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 46â67

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004744141_004

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Abstract

Eighteenth-century Royal Navy sailors were notorious for binge drinking, a behaviour tolerated by officers and port authorities. However, the credit operations of sailors and the supply chain for their needs are not well understood. This research suggests that women played crucial yet often overlooked roles in the âamphibious economiesâ between land and sea. For instance, the âBum boatâ women were vital in supplying sailors and their families in coastal areas. This chapter examines a rare account book from a female lodging-house keeper in the 1740s, highlighting sailorsâ consumer habits and the female micro-creditors managing the amphibious economies of British port towns.

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Mermaids in History: Engendering Maritime Labour and Business History, 1700â1900

Series:Â Brill's Studies in Maritime History, Volume: 20

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004744141

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 03 Dec 2025

Subjects
- History
- Literature and Cultural Studies
  - Cultural History
  - Gender Studies

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Part 1 On-Shore

Part 2 Fish-Fags

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Chapter 2 Amphibious Economies: âBum Boatâ Women and the Supply of Goods and Services to Ordinary Seamen of the British Royal Navy, 1770â1830

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Mermaids in History: Engendering Maritime Labour and Business History, 1700â1900

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Chapter 2 Amphibious Economies: âBum Boatâ Women and the Supply of Goods and Services to Ordinary Seamen of the British Royal Navy, 1770â1830

Mermaids in History: Engendering Maritime Labour and Business History, 1700â1900