Landsman (rank)
Landsman or landman was a military rank given to naval recruits.
United Kingdom
In the Royal Navy in the middle of the 18th century, the term "landsman" referred to a seaman with less than a year's experience at sea. After a year, a landsman was usually rated as an ordinary seaman.Most were acquired by impressment. Landsmen were usually between the ages of 16 and 35, while seasoned sailors could be impressed up to the ages of 50 to 55 depending on need. In 1853, with the abolition of impressment after the passing of the Continuous Service Act, the rank's title was changed to "apprentice seaman". The term "landsman" evolved into a more formal rating for a seaman assigned to unskilled manual labour.
Landsmen's unfamiliarity with shipboard life routinely made them unpopular with the more experienced members of their vessel's crew. Throughout the eighteenth century, problems with unsanitary conduct, brawling and poor self-discipline among landsmen sometimes necessitated the stationing of Royal Marine guards below decks in order to prevent attacks by their shipmates.