Midshipmen and quarterdeck boys in the British Navy, 1771-1831 / S.A. Cavell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cavell, S. A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain. Royal Navy--Officers--Selection and appointment--History--18th century.

Great Britain.

Great Britain. Royal Navy--Officers--Selection and appointment--History--19th century.

Great Britain. Royal Navy--Promotions--Social aspects.

Great Britain. Royal Navy.

Midshipmen--Great Britain--History--18th century.

Midshipmen.

Midshipmen--Great Britain--History--19th century.

History.

Promotions.

Social aspects.

Physical Description:

x, 245 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK : Boydell Press, 2012.

Summary:

Officer recruits - the midshipmen, captains' servants, volunteers and masters' mates who were called 'young gentlemen' - often entered the Royal Navy with dreams of fame, fortune and glory. Many, though, found promotion difficult, and a large number were unable to progress beyond lieutenant. Recent scholarship has argued that, during the wars of 1793-1815, there was greater social diversity among naval officers, and promotion was increasingly related to professional competence.

This book, based on extensive original research, examines the social background of around 4,000 'young gentlemen'. It concludes that, in fact, high birth became an increasingly important factor in the selection of officer candidates, and that, as the Admiralty grip on the appointment and management of officer aspirants tightened, especially after 1815, aristocratic presence grew significantly. The book also discusses the assertion that the increase in elite sons led to a dramatic rise in cases of indiscipline, concluding that, although there was a greater number of courts martial for insubordination during and after the French Wars, there is no evidence that these dealt with the elites more than young aspirants in general. The story of the boys who entered the navy with ambitions to become officers is told using a combination of new data and extensive anecdotal evidence that brings to life their experiences, hopes and fears. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Young Gentlemen Defined 7

2 A Social Survey: The Social Backgrounds of Young Gentlemen 37

3 Eighteenth-Century Selection, 1771-1800 49

4 Eighteenth-Century Crime and Punishment, 1760-1800 93

5 Nineteenth-Century Selection, 1801-1815 113

6 Nineteenth-Century Selection, 1815-1831 159

7 Nineteenth-Century Crime and Punishment, 1801-1831 194

8 Beyond Reform: the Future of Naval Command 204.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-235) and index.

ISBN:

9781843837190

1843837196

OCLC:

801029912