Nelson's crews included West Indian, Irish, American, Scandinavian, Prussian, Russian, French, Indian, Maltese, and Italian sailors. Enslaved people who escaped to a Royal Navy ship in the West Indies could be entered into the crew and protected from reclamation through naval service. Foreign-born sailors and marines were accepted when they could perform the work required of them. The strongest everyday distinction aboard ship was professional: landsmen ranked below experienced sailors, while topmen represented the highest level of practical seamanship aloft.
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A multinational Royal Navy built around sea skill
Nelson's crews included many national backgrounds, within a professional hierarchy that distinguished landsmen, sailors, and topmen.