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The Sailing and Fighting Instructions or Signals as they are Observed in the Royal Navy

Author Jonathan Greenwood (1656-?)

Date1714

Object number00003604

NameBook

MediumInk on paper, leather

DimensionsOverall: 149 x 85 mm, 0.1 kg

ClassificationsBooks and journals

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionThis book, titled 'The Sailing and Fighting Instructions or Signals as they are Observed in the Royal Navy of Great Britain', was written by Jonathon Greenwood in 1714. It consists of a range of engraved illustrations, some of which are hand-coloured, detailing signals on ships.HistoryJonathan Greenwood was born around 1656 and apprenticed in 1670. He became a member of the Stationers' Company of London in 1679 and is likely to have also been a printer and publisher with naval connections. He produced 'The Sailing and Fighting Instructions or Signals as they are Observed in the Royal Navy of Great Britain' in 1714, which he sold to naval officers. It was not officially commissioned by the Board of Admiralty, but it was dedicated to the institution. In it, Greenwood states: 'May it please your Lordships. My publishing this performance is not with any design of derogating from the value and usefulness of the 'Printed Instructions'; this being an exact copy of them. But what I have endeavour'd at, is the putting of them in such a method, as may make them more easily and more readily found out and likewise to supply the Inferior Officers who cannot have recourse to the printed ones.... For the more immediate finding any signall that shall be made, note that in the first pages are all the signals about the mainmast taking it from the masthead downwards. In the next pages are those about the foremast and after them the signals about the mizenmast and ensign staff. In the latter part are the signals in a fog and by night.'SignificanceThis book was the first naval signal book to be published in the English language.