ABSTRACT
In 1815, seaman Thomas Randall of HMS Tremendous faced trial for “repeated scandalous actions,” same-sex acts and attempts over a seven-month period. Although Randall was convicted and punished for these activities, his trial revealed a level of tolerance toward same-sex solicitation and acts very different from traditional stereotypes about naval culture in this period. Testimony in his trial revealed that he was repeatedly caught and punished summarily. His captain admitted in court that he had hoped to avoid bringing Randall to trial and had cautioned him to be more circumspect in future. Only repeated complaints from different shipmates finally pushed his captain to request a trial. Even then, he spoke in Randall’s defense in court, insisting that even after repeated misbehavior, Randall was the “last person” he would have suspected of such acts. This support helped the sailor. The court specifically cited the captain’s testimony about Randall’s character when explaining its relatively light sentence.
