| Son Of a Gun........When the Royal Navy Ships were in port the sailors would often get women on board, now these women being of dubious character would often sell their favours. Quite often a woman would be heavy with child when she on board hoping to earn a few coppers. It was not unknown for these women to go into labour with the all hi jinks that were going on. Now when they gave birth they quite often did this between the cannons so that they could hang on to the ropes while they gave birth. Many of these women did not have the money to look after them selfs let alone a baby so it was often left on board the ship. The baby would be sent of to an orphanage till it was old enough to go to sea which was about eight years of age when they would work as powder monkeys carrying the powder for the guns from the Magazine. Because these children had been born between the the guns, you can see how the name came about. |