Paul Burke's remarks re Betton Wood's shost and LTC Rolt are a salutary lesson. "What a chap told me in a pub in Sidmouth" can so quickly turn into hard eveidence of practise two centuries ago, especially nowadays via the internet. It is always worth asking "Where is your evidence?".
Bring on your 1805 naval log entries saying "Amos Scroggs 200 lashes for singing John Kanakanaka". If the practise was "strictly forbidden" there has got to be evidence of punishment, considering some captains flogged for anything.