Pressganged

Our dramatic film, Pressganged, tells the story of two brothers, George and Harry, who find themselves unwilling sailor's in the Royal Navy.

See how they coped with their new lives on the open seas - and their eventual fate.

Like many thousands of unfortunate men, they were victims of the notorious pressgang.

One of the Navy's biggest problems was to find enough men to crew its ships. A bounty of about £5 attracted a few volunteers but there were never enough. Life on board was rough, discipline was harsh and food and pay poor. One answer was the pressgang.

A lieutenant, the bosun and group of tough seamen would go ashore and tour the narrow streets and taverns of a coastal town, seizing fishermen or merchant seamen; or a homeward bound merchant ship might be intercepted and almost its entire crew forced into service.

The pressgang were armed with cudgels but not swords or pistols, because wounded recruits were of no value. Those with sea-going experience were obviously the most valuable recruits, and no landsmen or foreigners were supposed to be taken, but as the demand for men increased, this rule was overlooked.