“Getting Our Butts In”: Sailors’ Graffiti on the Tank Bay Water Catchment in English Harbour, Antigua

Abstract

Graffiti carved by 18th century British Royal Navy sailors reside on a stone rainwater catchment just outside the walls of Nelson’s Dockyard National Park in English Harbour, Antigua. 191 engravings of names, dates, and ships are investigated using the remaining archaeological material and primary sources housed in The National Archives of the UK. The graffiti is recorded, interpreted, and cataloged. Quantitative analysis reveals trends in the graffiti’s contents, and how their creation correlated with the levels of activity in Nelson’s Dockyard over the 18th century. Qualitative analysis discusses motifs frequently observed in the collection, and evidence of social conventions among those carving graffiti. Combining ships’ logbooks, muster roles, and paybooks reveals some graffitists’ identities, their experiences sailing the 18th century Caribbean, and the circumstances under which they made their carvings. The graffitists’ motivations are examined via comparison to current-day guestbooks at weddings, funerals, and travelers’ lodges. Recommendations are offered for future research on the catchment graffiti and hypothetical related sites.