Nore Mutiny of 1797 was a protest by seamen of the British North Sea Fleet over pay and working conditions. Seamen’s pay had not increased since the late 1600’s and was often years overdue. The men were badly fed and lived in crowded, unhealthy conditions. Harsh discipline resulted in men being flogged to death for minor offenses.
Richard Parker, a seaman aboard the Sandwich, led the mutiny. The revolt broke out near Sheerness, England, in May 1797. It is named for the Nore, a sandbank at the mouth of the River Thames. The mutiny followed a similar, but less radical, mutiny at Spithead, England. At the time, Britain (now called the United Kingdom) was at war with France. In response to the mutiny, the British Admiralty—the government department in charge of naval affairs—cut off supplies to the fleet. The fleet then set up a blockade of the Thames and threatened to sail to France. The lack of supplies and a failure to win popular support led the mutineers to surrender in June. The Admiralty hanged about 30 seamen, including Parker.
See also Spithead Mutiny.
