Research Note

Waste clothes and top armings

Captain John Smith in his 1627 A Sea Grammer says:

"Captaine, out goes his flag and pendants, also his waste clothes and top armings, which is a long red cloth about three quarters of a yard broad, edged on each side with Calico or white linnen cloth, that goeth round about the ship on the out sides of all her upper workes fore and aft, and before the cubbridge heads, also about the fore and maine tops, as well for the countenance and grace of the ship, as to cover the men for being scene, hee furies and slings his maine yard, in goes his spret-saile."

So, over what period were "waste clothes and top armings" in use? (I'd never heard of the latter). Has anyone ever shown these on a model?
{John O. Kopf}

There are - or were - many museum models on display at Greenwich which showed waist cloths (modern spelling) and top armings. the top armings were mounted on the rails on the aft sides of the tops. They are red, with white strips top and bottom, which matches your description. The models that show this, I seem to recall, are from circa 1700 to about 1760. There is a good example in the Science Museum, Kensington, of a 50 gun ship of about 1700 showing top armings. (It is well shown in the Science Museum booklet Ship Models, 2: Sailing Ships from 1700 AD, Plate 7.)
{David A Antscherl}

Further to the answer by David Antscherl:

Mainwaring's The Seaman's Dictionary(c. 1644) offers:

"Top armours are the cloths which are tied about the top of the masts for show, and also for to hide men in fight which lie there to fling firepots, use small shot, or the like.
"Waist-cloths: By a general term all cloths which are round the cage-work and are the same which are called the 'Fights' of a ship.
"Fights. The waist cloths which hang about the ship to hide men from being seen in fight are called Fights. Also any bulkhead or small shot (compartment), or generally any place wherin men may cover themselves and yet use their arms are called 'Close Fights'."

{John Harland}

While Sir Henry Mainwaring's The Sea-mans Dictionary indeed was published in 1644, it was written already in c1623. Other editions were published in:

1666 - This edition was probably entirely destroyed by the Great Fire.
1667 - Without the allegorical introduction and index of the original 1644 edition. A postscript of uncertain origin has been added. 1670 - This edition is a reissue of the 1667 edition with a new titlepage.
c1675-82 - No copy located, only known from an advertisment at the end of "The Seaman's Practice", R. Norwood, 1678 & 1682.

A facsimile reprint of the 1644 edition was published by Scolar Press, Menston, in 1972.

I originally though that John Harland was quoting from the critical edition published by the NRG in 1921 which is based on the manuscripts and not the printed edition published in 1644. The following are the corresponding passages from one of the manuscripts:

"Top Armors. Are the Clothes wch are tyed about the Tops of the Masts for Shew; and also for to Hide Men in Fight, which Lye there, to fling Fire Pots, Vse small Shott, or the like.
"Fightes. The Wast Clothes wch hang round about the Ship, to hinder Men from being seene in Fight, are called the Fightes: Also any Bulk head (afore, or abaft) out of wch they may vse Murderers, or Small Shot; or generally any Place, wherein Men may Cover themselues, and yet vse their Armes, are called Close Fightes.
"Wast Clothes. By a generall terme, all the Clothes that are round about the Cags work of the Hull of the Ship, are called Wast Clothes; and are the same that wee call the Fightes of the Ship."

{Lars Bruzelius}

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