O
OAKHAM or OAKUM to OPEN with a place
OPENING to OUT-FIT
OPENING
ORDINARY
ORLOP
OVER-BOARD
OVER-CAST-STAFF
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OVER-SETTING
OUT
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ORDINARY
ORDINARY, (gardiens, Fr.) the establishment of the persons employed by the government to take charge of the ships of war, which are laid-up in the several harbours adjacent to the royal dock-yards. These are principally composed of the warrant-officers of the said ships, as the gunner, boatswain, carpenter, deputy-purser and cook, and their servants. There is besides a crew of labourers enrolled in the list of the ordinary, who pass from ship to ship occasionally to pump, moor, remove, or clean them, whenever it is necessary.The term ordinary is also applied, sometimes, to the ships themselves; it is likewise used to distinguish the inferior sailors from the most expert and diligent. Thus the latter are rated able on the navy-books, and have 1l. 4s. per month; whereas those who are rated ordinary, have only 19s per month.
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© Derived from Thomas Cadell's new corrected edition, London: 1780, page 208, 2003
Prepared by Paul Turnbull
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/refs/falc/0911.html