Sea Adventure: The Press-Gang (colour litho)

The Press-Gang. From very early times trained seamen had been liable to serve in the British Navy whenever required to do so, but it was during the 18th and early 19th centuries that the Press-Gang which went to collect them was so deeply hated. The Navy was terribly short of men in the French Wars, and although the Gang was only entitled to take trained seamen it could lay its hands. Once on board ship the man could not return home until the end of an indefinite commission which might last several years. Illustration for one of a set of 50 cigarette cards on the subject of Sea Adventure, issued by Hignett Brothers in 1939.