Edit: British navy not “English navy” my brain skipped out on me
I am a writer, and I’m rather stumped. My current project revolves around a captain, roughly around the 19th century. I don’t have as much knowledge on the navy and naval warfare or ships of the time to write it accurately, nor do I have knowledge of the recourses to get that knowledge. Most of my understanding is more along the lines of calvary or infantry.
So I’m looking for good resources for researching British ships, navy and the naval warfare of the time.
Also general resources on the time would be nice.
Additionally, if you have any fun tidbits of knowledge that would be great too as I strive to make my writing feel as alive and nuanced as I can and small details or quirks are great for that.
Thank you so much!
Hi OP
So your question is kinda tough because it is INCREDIBLY broad.
The British (not English!! an important distinction as it was made up of men and some women from throughout the British Isles and Empire) Royal Navy underwent incredible transformations multiple times between 1800 and 1850 or so.
It began that period in the midst of a global war against the 2nd and 3rd largest navies of the day in Spain and Napoleonic France. Fighting in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Americas and the vast Indian and Pacific. The Wooden Walls and Iron Men of Nelson as it were.
It ended that period as the senior service of a global superpower, chiefly concerned with enforcing the security of that Empire's maritime sealanes of commerce and communication. Along with advancing British dominion through scientific expeditions(like the one that made Darwin famous) and voyages of discovery(such as finding the Northwest Passage). While the major revolutions of steam power and iron ship construction were already shaking the foundation of how navies had thought about ships for centuries.
For 2 intro primers there are a pair of books I will suggest.
Nelson's Navy, Revised and Updated: The Ships, Men, and Organization, 1793-1815 by Lavery is a dive into the Royal Navy of the era.
Broadsides: The Age of Fighting Sail, 1775-1815 by Nathan Miller is a more general overview which shows the context of the Royal Navy in the early 1800's, how it compared to its peers, and specifically how it had arguably underperformed in the years leading up to the French Revolution and how that sparked some key reforms.