The title master and commander combined two formerly distinct functions. The sailing master supplied the expertise needed to handle the vessel and, in the earlier practice of hiring merchant ships, had been its merchant captain. The commander was the officer placed in charge, often from a noble family. The combined title illustrates how professional seamanship and social authority had long coexisted within naval rank structures.
Notable Point · 37:20-37:55
The sailing master and the commander
The combined title preserves an older distinction between the person who knew how to sail the ship and the officer appointed to command it.