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The phrase to walk the plank, and its variants, mean:
– (literally): to walk, often blindfold, along a plank placed over the side of a ship until one falls into the sea [cf., below, note];
– (figuratively): to be forced to resign from one’s office or position.
—Note: An interesting parallel can be made with the following description by the Greek philosopher, historian and biographer Plutarch (c. 45-c. 120) of the mistreatment of Roman captives by the Cilician pirates, who dominated the Mediterranean Sea from the 2nd century BC until their suppression by Rome in 67-66 BC—as published in Plutarch’s Lives. With an English translation by Bernadotte Perrin (Cambridge (Massachusetts): Harvard University Press – London: William Heinemann Ltd – 1917) [Volume 5 – Pompey, 24.7 & 24.8, page 177]:
7 Whenever a captive cried out that he was a Roman and gave his name, they would pretend to be frightened out of their senses, and would smite their thighs, and fall down before him entreating him to pardon them; and he would be convinced of their sincerity, seeing them so humbly suppliant. Then some would put Roman boots on his feet, and others would throw a toga round him, in order, forsooth, that there might be no mistake about him again. 8 And after thus mocking the man for a long time and getting their fill of amusement from him, at last they would let down a ladder in mid ocean and bid him disembark and go on his way rejoicing; and if he did not wish to go, they would push him overboard themselves and drown him.
The practice of compelling somebody to walk on a plank placed over the side of a ship is said to have been the favourite method of execution employed by pirates. The earliest mention of this practice that I have found is from a report on piracy in the Caribbean, published in The South-Carolina Gazette (Charleston, South Carolina, USA) of Saturday 16th April 1763 [page 1, column 3]—unfortunately, the text is truncated:
CHARLES-TOWN, April 16, 1763.
According to our last advices from St. Christophers, by capt. Condon, the 2d instant was fixed for the execution of two Spaniards, a Frenchman and an Englishman, at St. Eustatius, for piratic[…truncated text…] vessels, and among others one belonging to the Grenades, whose crew, being English, they obliged to walk into the sea upon a plank fixed for that purpose; this was related by one who, through good swimming, got ashore at the Grenades; the French they threatened to put to all the tortures imaginable, by cutting off their noses, ears, &c. &c. &c.
The report originally published in The South-Carolina Gazette (Charleston, South Carolina, USA) of Saturday 16th April 1763 was reprinted as follows in The Ipswich Journal (Ipswich, Suffolk, England) of Saturday 25th June 1763 [page 2, column 1]:
Charles-Town, April 13 [sic]. ‘According to our last Advices from St. Christopher’s, by Capt. Condon, the 2d last. was fixed for the Execution of two Spaniards, a Frenchman and an Englishman, at St. Eustatius, for piratically landing on Guadaloupe, most barbarously cutting off the Breasts of two Women, and stealing fourteen Negroes, which they brought down to and sold at St. Eustatius. […] It did not appear that these Pirates had any Consort; but four other small Vessels of the same Sort were cruising around the Grenades and Guadaloupe, manned by Spaniards and Caribbee Indians, who had taken several Vessels; and among others, one belonging to the Grenades, whose Crew, being English, they obliged to walk into the Sea upon a Plank fixed for that Purpose; this was related by one who, through good Swimming, got ashore at the Grenades. The French they threatened to put to all the Tortures imaginable, by cutting off their Noses, Ears, &c.’
These are, in chronological order, the earliest literal uses of the phrase to walk the plank and variants that I have found:
1-: From The Newcastle Courant (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England) of Saturday 10th February 1781 [page 4, column 3]:
A letter from Scarborough, dated Feb. 4, says, “A French cutter in the smuggling trade, mounting 22 guns, with three commissions, as it is said, viz. French, Dutch, and American, though the crew is chiefly English, has been on our coast since last Sunday, and ransomed a number of vessels. The Diligence Packet, from London to this port with groceries, had a narrow escape: On Monday morning last, just before dawn of day, she came close under the stern of the cutter, and it appears, on comparing the time with the Captain of a ship she had just then taken, that her escape was owing to the confusion that prevailed amongst the crew of the cutter in settling the ransom with the above-mentioned Captain. Their demand was 500 guineas, which not being readily complied with, the Captain of the cutter, (who is said to have lived in Folkstone) with imprecations ordered a plank to be launched, and told the captive that, if he did not immediately comply, he should walk down the plank into the sea, and they would send the vessel after him, which obliged him to sign the ransom bill for the above sum.”
2-: From A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (London: Printed for S. Hooper, 1788), by the British antiquary and lexicographer Francis Grose (1731-1791) [page unnumbered]:
Walking the Plank. A mode of destroying devoted persons or officers in a mutiny on ship-board, by blindfolding them, and obliging them to walk on a plank laid over the ship’s side; by this means, as the mutineers suppose, avoiding the penalty of murder.
3-: From the evidence given by “Mr. ——”, published in The Substance of the evidence of sundry persons on the slave-trade. Collected in the course of a tour made in the autumn of the year 1788 (London: Printed by James Phillips, 1789), by the British abolitionist Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846) [No. II., page 14]:
In speaking of water and provisions, and the Middle Passage, Mr. —— cannot help mentioning a circumstance which fell within his own knowledge, as it is always likely to happen, either if the passage should be long, or if the Captains of Guinea-men should either ignorantly or wilfully miss their way.
In the year 1779, being Master of the —— Sloop of War, and coming from the Bay of Honduras to Jamaica, he fell in, off the Isle of Pines, with two Liverpool Guinea-men on the Middle Passage, commanded by Captains Ringmaiden and Jackson, who had very imprudently (but whether wilfully or not he cannot say) missed the Island of Jamaica. Captain —— gave them chace, and came up with them. Mr. ——, upon boarding them, found them in great distress, both in point of provisions and water. He asked the Captains (for both of them were then on board of one ship) why they did not go into the watering-place, at the end of the Isle of Pines, near Cuba. They replied, that, “they had attempted to get in, but got into shoal water.” He then asked them what they had intended to have done with their slaves, if they had not fallen in with the ——. They replied, “to make them walk the plank,” (i.e.) to jump overboard.
4-: From the evidence given by Mr. Claxton, “surgeon to the Young Hero brig, Capt. Molyneux”, published in Abridgement of the minutes of the evidence, taken before a select committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider of the slave-trade, 1790. Number IV. [page 20]—this text seems to have been published in 1791, probably in London, and probably for the Parliament of Great Britain:
A considerable number of slaves died in the early part of the voyage. After eight weeks at sea, they had only got three days sail from the place they had set out from. On examination, they did not find five weeks provision on board. Two nations being at war, they could not procure food from either. A Dutch ship supplied them with a little bread, and sufficient water. The food, notwithstanding the mortality, was so little, that if ten days more at sea, they should, as the captain and others said, have made the slaves walk the plank, that is, throw themselves overboard, or have eaten those slaves that died.
These are, in chronological order, the earliest figurative uses of the phrase to walk the plank and variants that I have found:
1-: From The Morning Post (London, England) of Tuesday 10th August 1819 [page 2, column 2]—however, here, the context is obscure:
Several Cambric Manufacturers have given their Weavers an advance, chiefly on account of their sacrificing neighbours having walked the plank—or in more apt terms, quitted the stage.
2-: From the Harrisburg Chronicle (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA) of Thursday 1st February 1827 [page 3, column 3]:
From the New York (Noah’s) Enquirer.
Removal of the seat of government.—This subject has been already broached in our legislature. Utica and Auburn are both mentioned and the conductors of public journals in both places are loud in praise of the locality and general fitness of their respective villages, and all their conveniences and accommodations for the seat of government. Some of our city editors not to be behind hand in holding forth advantages, recommend New York, and are seriously, if not peremptory, in opinion that this is the very place to hold the grand council of state. […]
[…] A hundred able, meritorious, and influential candidates will spring up for comptroller—secretary of state—treasurer—attorney general, &c. &c. &c. And my patriotic friends, col. King of the American, and col. Stone of the ecommercial [sic], will urge their undoubted claims to be state printer; and in the scramble the little gentleman from Catskill, may be compelled to “walk the plank,” and lose by this change of residence all that his long services, his great sacrifices and general consistency have earned.
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