PSR telling stories again (when "criticizing" the Red Box sailors sets):

On Set 72081:

"...Our only concern with the accuracy of these men is that all seem to be wearing shoes, and possibly stockings, when bare feet was the normal order of dress when on board..."

On Set 72082:

“...Even the simpler sailors are here wearing shoes and stockings when they would be barefoot on board ship,..."


Absolutely wrong, Sir.

Instead of propagating preconceived ideas from I don't know where you'd better study the contemporary evidence beforehand.

Contrary to what PSR says, stockings and shoes were quite common legwear for sailors even when climbing the shrouds and working on the rigging. Check the paintings of Vroom or Van de Velde, for example.

Here just two examples of paintings by Vroom (zoom in):

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Gezicht_op_Hoorn_van_Hendrick_Cornelisz_Vroom_1622_Westfries_Museum_Hoorn.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Hendrick_Cornelis_Vroom_Het_uitzeilen_van_een_aantal_Oost-Indi%C3%ABvaarders_%281600%29.jpg

and here an extremely high-resolution picture of a painting by van de Velde:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Willem_van_de_Velde_II_-_Dutch_men-o%27-war_and_other_shipping_in_a_calm.jpg


(Well, at least our "expert" finally found out - or was told - that the first figure in the second row of Set 72081 is holding a whipstaff - and not some unidentifiable whatever... )

Quite correct, sir.

PSR is once again engaging in creative criticism. English sailors in particular had good reason to wear both shoes and stockings, given the relatively cold waters they sailed.

It is worth remembering that because sailors work on their feet, it was important to keep them protected from splinters, stray nails, and other hazards. During the 16-17th Centuries, a cut on the sole of the foot could turn septic in a matter of days and the only reliable cure would have been amputation. Thus, most sailors would have worn shoes to reduce the odds of ending up on the saw-bones' table.

For the same reason that many sailors never learned how to swim, most would wear shoes and keep their feet dry.

Barefooted sailors were more commonplace in the warmer waters of the New World where there were fewer proper ports, and they would be more likely to find themselves wading in the surf and walking on sandy beaches.

It was probable that they would have known of the antiseptic qualities of pine oil though not knowing about the nature of its curative powers. Most ships had a medicine or herbal chest of sorts and some things were known by different names like Lockjaw for Tetanus. The works of Galen, Avicenna and others were starting to be rediscovered in this period so modern medicine was in its very early stages. Sailors would have probably known of the curative powers of shark liver oil and other things readily available from the sea.
It is a good idea to look at contemporary paintings( and van deVelde is very good) rather than reflecting. Often hose and stockings would have reinforced soles though it is likely that sailors would take their hose, stockings and shoes off in their rest periods to prevent foot root and to apply barriers eg goose fat, whale oil or fish oil etc . The other side of not wearing stockings or shoes is for the feet to get fungal or viral infections(because of the confined nature of the accommodation ) or wear them too much and get foot rot. Funny how soldiers in the trenches in 1914-18 had to relearn this.
How oi los mi leg? Norra Spanyards shart but oi got a splinner in Devoport choppin kindling.

Sorry, the old Plymouth Dome by the Hoe use to have an actor doing an Elizabethan sea dog for the visitors. He did it so often that he was convinced he knew more than the real Elizabethans- and in truth he probably did.

David