Pirates Culture > Distribution of Treasure
Distribution of Treasure
Background
Table of Payment:One of the easiest ways of comparing the rank or station of different officers on board different pirate ships might be to compare the different shares of prizes they received. I have included in this table the shares accorded to officers in the articles of Roberts, Lowther and Phillips, and the shares given to privateer officers of the 17th century according to Monson. By way of comparison I have also included the amount officers listed would have been paid per month had they served in a Royal Navy sloop in 1700. I have not included all the ranks listed in Monson or the Navy pay lists, only those ranks which also appear in pirate articles.RankRobertsLowtherPhillipsMonsonRoyal NavyCaptain2 shares2 shares11/2 shares10 shares£8, 8sMaster11/2 shares11/2 shares11/4 shares7 or 8 shares£4Boatswain11/2 shares11/4 shares11/4 shares5 shares£2Gunner11/2 shares11/4 shares11/4 shares5 shares£2Quartermaster2 shares4 shares£1, 6sCarpenter11/4 shares5 shares£2Mate11/4 shares5 shares£2, 2sDoctor11/4 shares5 shares£5 + 2d per man aboard."Other Officers"11/4 sharesVarious rates
Primary Sources
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