Claude Hartman contributed: > >Here is a question for those familiar with 18th century English life. >Another thing that bothered me was the almost constant wearing of >powdered wigs. Is it true that a naval officer would wear such things >AT SEA? Was not the uniform sufficient to establish one's station?
Headlice were a universal problem in the 18th century and one solution was to shave the head and wear a wig which had no attraction for the parasites. Naval officers would probably be expected to conform with the fashion ashore but head and body lice would have free range amongst the crew while at sea so the safe alternative would be a shaven head and wig. All this is pure conjecture on my part. I'll be interested to learn the true reasons from naval historians. Tony Moss
