What is in military terms "Mate on Privateer Revenge"?

Question

My ancestor was Surgeon Mate on Privateer Revenge in King George's War of 1744.

Answer 1

maybe your related to George W.

Answer 2

A privateer vessel is a piravately owned & crewed pirate vessel commissioned by one country to raid the commerce & shipping of another who they may or may not be at war with & split the profits. An XYZ mate means they are a qualified enlisted sailor assigned to assist in the reponsibility mentioned under the supervision of commissioned or non-commissioned officer. In this case this is a guy who served as the assistant to the ships surgeon (meaning holding people down & passing insturments while their arms & legs were being amputated). In times of war with legal commission from the governemnt these people were many times granted pensions if they were wounded beyond further service, which is probably the case here if that information is recorded.

Answer 3

there were two types of seaman back in that era, not counting Marines. The everyday common sailor was just simply called a seaman. when a seaman held a specific job for long enough he was given what is called a rate, or a job holding position and called a 'mate'. a mate was esitionally an assistant to a particular officer who was a specialist in a particular field. so your ancestor was an assitant to a ships surgeon.

there were two type of military ships. there were the regular navy ships of country. then there were ships that roamed the oceans under a license of a country to go around and plunder ships of the licensing countries enemies. so if an english privateer came across a french merchante ship, the english privateer could legaly attack, board, and sieze the french merchante mans ship and cargo. and visa versa, and you could throw the fledgling american navy/merchant fleet, the spanish and thier conquests in south america.

so your ancestor was an assitant to a surgeon on an english licensed plundering ship named revenge...or at least thats what my histroy has taught me.

Answer 4

a surgeons mate assisted the doctor on board with removal of splinters large and small and the repair of bones and wounds of battle and in a smaller frigate or a privateer sailing under a letter of marque which means they are allowed by the country they serve to stop and seach neutral countries ships and make war and capture the enemies ships for prfit as a prize of war he may have been the only one to do any medicine or surgury on board as some of the smaller ships didnt have room or funds for a doctor and a mate was a rateing like a rank so his pay was maybe ten shares as a sailor got 2 shares in a prize the captain paid the crown a share and then the first mate and the officers down to the common seamen and the mates ruled their areas of responsibility like the gunners mate was the armorer and the carpenters mate did repairs and had workers under him and so on

Answer 5

a privateer was a private captiain hired by the crown to attack merchant ships, supply cargos and whatnot. They were allowed to keep spoils, and were given papers clearing them from responsibility.
A surgeon Mate was the boat surgeon. Now back then it meant that he primarily fixed the boat, sails and such, But he would also sew up a gash or two from the most recent battle. If the surgeon could not do it, the cook usually took his place.