Eligibility focused on seafaring men between 18 and 55, with non-sailors a poor choice except in dire need. A warship could pay less base wage than merchant employment, yet offer a larger crew to divide the work, a broader food supply, and the possibility of prize money. Local pubs mattered because an officer supervising the press could use them as a standing base for reports, recruiting, and personal relationships with sailors. When that officer received a ship appointment, men who knew him might choose to follow. Such recruits could still appear in contemporary totals associated with impressment because the recruiting officer belonged to the press service. The distinction helps explain why a label in the figures does not always describe a violent seizure.
Chapter · 17:18-20:58
Pubs, pay, and the press service
Local pubs linked press-service officers with potential recruits, while warships offered shared workloads, food and prize-money prospects.