Mobility, Madness and the Marine: Disability at Sea

Disability has existed in every part of society since time immemorial. The maritime sphere is no exception; the image of the sailor with a missing limb or lost eye or another lifelong injury lives on in popular consciousness for a reason. No wonder, as working in or around ships has been - and still is - gruelling and dangerous work. It is therefore important to consider disability among seafarers: how they acquired their disability and how they continued their lives afterwards. Bear in mind this is a broad, complicated topic, with more research going on all the time. This article will serve more as a primer on the issue of disability in maritime history, as well as discussing the modern reality of disabled seafarers.

Historically, there were an uncountable number of ways a sailor could become disabled. Accidents at sea, such as falling off a mast or getting caught in equipment, were shockingly common. The prevalence of alcohol aboard, illicit or otherwise, did not help. Shipwrecks could also be the cause of disability. Survivors of a shipwreck might face having their bones  or suffer frostbite. In naval warfare, the cannon could easily cause devastating injuries1. In all these cases, if the injury was severe and could not be treated, amputation was the most likely outcome 2.  This was dangerous. Before antiseptics, amputation had a fatality rate of up to 60% in the worst-case scenario, though usually it was lower 3. If they lived, a sailor would be left with a life-changing limb difference. Other causes of disability could include venereal diseases, most notably syphilis, which caused disfigurement in later stages by attacking the bones 4. Indeed, while the image of the amputee sailor is popular, disease was a greater danger to sailors.

What happened to the seafarer afterwards? It depended on the severity of their injury, and in some cases, rank. Amputee officers in the Royal Navy could continue to serve after their injury, with the loss of limb sometimes being a distinction for them they could leverage for higher command; losing a limb proved them to be deserving of the privilege 5. The most famous example of this was Lord Nelson, who went on to become one of the most celebrated naval commanders of all time despite being partially blind in one eye and losing his arm before his fame.

Admiral Horatio Nelson, drawn with his missing arm prominently on display.

Portrait from the Welsh portrait collection at the National Library of Wales. John Henry Robinson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Viscount_Horatio_Nelson_(4673805).jpg

Even with the better promotion chances, their disability forced them to adapt. Rear Admiral John McKerlie, for example, had a telescope made with signal flags on one side so he could identify them with only one arm, instead of a telescope in one hand and a guidebook in the other 6.

One did not need to be an officer to still have a career after disability, as long as one was skilled. If a carpenter or sailmaker could still work despite his disability, he would. The term “able-bodied” seaman was for one who possessed certain skills, not a certain body type 7. A profession that disabled or wounded men often took up aboard a ship was cook, as the job was less physically taxing than that of an ordinary sailor 8. However, seafarers who were too disabled to work often had to rely on a pension.

The earliest national pension scheme, called the Chatham Chest, funded deductions of sixpence from naval salaries 9. A century later, Royal Greenwich Hospital was established in 1694 as the Royal Hospital for Seamen, with a mission to provide reliefe and support of seamen serving on board the Shipps or Vessells belonging to the Navy Royall who by reason of Age, Wounds or other disabilities shall be uncapable of further Service at Sea and being unable to maintain themselves”10 This was limited, however, as the number of sailors who could be taken on by the hospital was overshadowed by the sheer number. Their pensions were also not enough to live on. Many relied on charity.

A poster raising money to fund a home for disabled soldiers and sailors, 1915. Copy of object held at the US Library of Congress. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_%26_Garter_Home_for_totally_disabled_soldiers_and_sailors_LCCN2003675266.tif

Keeping disabled sailors alive even after they were rendered unable to work was important, but the system was imperfect. Many would go the way all disabled people did at the time: either looked after by their families or left in poverty. It is for no reason that the popular image of the amputee in the early 19^th century was the disabled, discharged, impoverished sailor 11

Caricature of two disabled sailors delivering a message to a servant at a townhouse. Item from the Wellcome collection. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Two_disabled_veteran_sailors,_employed_by_an_admiral_as_mess_Wellcome_L0029884.jpg

What about mental disability? It is more difficult to find definitive historical records on specifics, as the understanding of what constitutes mental disability was not as widespread in history. It was often either an overlooked, invisible disability, or put under the blanket definition of “insanity” when symptoms became noticeable. Those deemed insane were often discharged from duty until such a time as they could recover, if at all 12. An asylum in London dating back to approximately 1755 was set aside for naval men 13. It makes sense the Royal Navy hadits own asylum: in 1813, it was calculated that sailors went mad at seven times the rate of ordinary people on shore. The cramped, isolated, taxing conditions of a ship made it much more likely 14. Sadly, this is one thing that has not changed over time: one in four seafarers in 2017 indicated signs of depression 15

In modern times, due to stricter fitness and safety regulations, it is rare to find a disabled sailor. A study of accidents on Danish merchant ships between 1993-97 found that out of 1993 accidents, 209 caused permanent disability. Only two resulted from the historically common loss of a limb. Many were chronic back problems, ranging from mild to severe 16. The study does not record what happened to these seafarers. However, these days, the medical examination of seafarers to deem them fit for duty is a requirement, at least in the UK 17. This often excludes those who are disabled, so a sailor who becomes disabled in the line of duty must often retire. In recent years, however, disability advocacy groups have been pushing back against the notion thatdisabled people have no place on board ships, arguing that with reasonable adjustment, a seafarer can perform their duties 18.

It is stereotypes about disabled people and their ability to work that holds them back, in the industry and the wider world 19. A study involving the Jubilee Sailing Trust, which enables disabled people to crew a tall ship, found that the adaptations madefor its crew’s disabilities often made individual disabilities irrelevant. 20Skilled sailors in the past were recognised despite their disability, and allowed to work. Though we should not return to the accident rate or brutal treatment of the past, and strive to improve mental health among sailors, perhaps once again, disabled sailors should be allowed to work based on their skill, not their impairment, whether real or perceived.

Tall ships of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, Lord Nelson (front) and Tenacious (back), two modern ships which aimed to give disabled people a chance to crew them. Jubileesailing at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SV_Tenacious.jpg