FALCONER'S NEW UNIVERSAL DICTIONARY OF THE MARINE 1815

William Falconer first published his "Marine Dictionary" in 1769, and it obviously filled a need because it was reprinted on numerous occasions in the last decades of the 18th Century. Its alphabetical format provided not just succinct definitions of maritime terminology but detailed and sometimes tabular data of many technical aspects of shipbuilding, fitting and armament, and the Royal Navy's administrative and operational practices. Historians and modern enthusiasts for the age of sail have always been aware of the reference value of the work and by far the most desirable edition is the fourth, of 1815, as revised and greatly expanded by the naval historian William Burney. Because of the time it took for information to trickle down, earlier editions tend to be out of date when published, but Burney contrived to get dimensions, tables and establishments actually used by the Navy of his day. This makes it a prime source for technical details during the classic age of Nelson.