Abstract
The poet's estimate held some truth in that life at sea was harsh, and those who chose it and persevered were up to the challenge. They acted as individuals at sea and behaved only as well as forced to under the command of their masters. The tales of keelhauling, drownings and piratical massacres leave the impression of lawless men on a lawless sea. Examples are plentiful in existing records, and several read like the case of a ship of Scarborough.2 Bound from Newcastle to Berwick in 1349 under master Adam de Selby, loaded with salt, timber and coal, she was attacked and boarded by a band of pirates led by Walter atte Park. All the crew were killed, including the master, and the ship taken away. There were many such occurrences and, in fact, piracy was popular
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