What is a privateer?
That’s an important thing to know when reading book three in my Other Pens series, Mary: To Protect Her Heart.
This is the definition of privateer from the Online Etymology Dictionary:
1660s, “private man of war, armed vessel owned and officered by private persons, usually acting under commission from the state,” from private (adj.), probably on model of volunteer (n.), buccaneer. From 1670s as “one commanding or serving on a privateer.” As a verb, 1660s (implied in privateering) “to cruise on a privateer, to seize or annoy an enemy’s ships and commerce.”
Why would you need to know what a privateer is before reading Mary Crawford’s rather bumpy road to happily ever after?
Because the hero of her story owns and has sailed on privateers, which makes both him and the ships he owns privateers. 😉 Yes, it is a word that refers both to people and things.
And if you read that definition thinking that privateering sounds a lot like piracy, you wouldn’t be alone in that opinion. Even at the time when privateering was being practiced, there were those who did not see privateers as defenders of the country but rather no more than legalized pirates.
How is privateering different from piracy?
To state it simply, a privateer sailed under a letter of marque from the government which allowed them to legally attack and capture vessels from a nation with whom the government was at war. When a vessel and its cargo were captured, they were brought back to a port and the prize was evaluated as to whether or not it was legitimate and then, if it was a clean capture, it was listed and sold. The privateer owners and crew shared in the amount of money brought in by such sales.
If you look up the history of privateering you will see that there were rules the privateers were supposed to follow and that there was also often confusion over whether things were done legally or illegally. It was definitely not always all neat and tidy.
And that describes the hero of Mary: To Protect Her Heart pretty well. He was a man of stalwart integrity, don’t get me wrong. However, he was also someone with whom few, who were wise, would wish to tangle.
But before we meet him, let’s look at story connection.
Continue reading Meet the Characters: Mary Crawford and a Privateer
