In the Royal Navy in the middle of the 18th century (c. 1757), the term "landsman" referred to a seaman with less than a year's experience at sea.
In 1853, with the abolition of impressment after the passing of the Continuous Service Act,[citation needed] the rank's title was changed to "apprentice seaman".
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.
[2] "Landsman" was the lowest rate of the United States Navy in the 19th and early 20th centuries; it was given to new recruits with little or no experience at sea.