Northfleet History Group - November 2011 Meeting.
NELSON’S NAVY
Lieutenant Colonel Mike Martin
Lieutenant Colonel Mike Martin gave a vey humorous and informative talk at our November meeting about life in Nelson’s Navy.
There were three main ways that men could become members of the navy, volunteers, quota men and those that were “pressed ganged”. Each county had to provide a quota of men, in relation to its population for service in the Navy, men convicted of petty crimes would be given the option of going to sea. As the penalties for minor crimes could be very harsh, including the death penalty, going to sea must have been seen as a better option by many. Then there was the Impress Service, an organised force that covered every port in the country, members of the service were paid for every man that was “press ganged” into the Navy.
Once in the Navy the sailor’s would be prone to diseases such as scurvy, due to lack of knowledge about vitamin C, typhus known as goal fever was often brought on board by men that had been in prison, and if they sailed to the West Indies, Yellow Fever. Sailors feared Yellow Fever the most and for this reason if a ship was setting sail for the West Indies the crew would not be told until they were out at sea for fear that they would abandon ship, as more than 200 crew members from one ship had been known to have died from the disease
Punishment on board was severe, but the death penalty was rare in comparison to dry land when it was possible to be hanged for as little as stealing a handkerchief! The reason corporal punishment was more likely to be used at seas was that the man could continue to serve the navy after the punishment but not if he had been hanged.
So what were the rewards? Well the pay for the lower ratings was less than £50 per annum but if they were part of the crew of ship that captured an enemy vessel they would share in any prize money gained.
There were three main ways that men could become members of the navy, volunteers, quota men and those that were “pressed ganged”. Each county had to provide a quota of men, in relation to its population for service in the Navy, men convicted of petty crimes would be given the option of going to sea. As the penalties for minor crimes could be very harsh, including the death penalty, going to sea must have been seen as a better option by many. Then there was the Impress Service, an organised force that covered every port in the country, members of the service were paid for every man that was “press ganged” into the Navy.
Once in the Navy the sailor’s would be prone to diseases such as scurvy, due to lack of knowledge about vitamin C, typhus known as goal fever was often brought on board by men that had been in prison, and if they sailed to the West Indies, Yellow Fever. Sailors feared Yellow Fever the most and for this reason if a ship was setting sail for the West Indies the crew would not be told until they were out at sea for fear that they would abandon ship, as more than 200 crew members from one ship had been known to have died from the disease
Punishment on board was severe, but the death penalty was rare in comparison to dry land when it was possible to be hanged for as little as stealing a handkerchief! The reason corporal punishment was more likely to be used at seas was that the man could continue to serve the navy after the punishment but not if he had been hanged.
So what were the rewards? Well the pay for the lower ratings was less than £50 per annum but if they were part of the crew of ship that captured an enemy vessel they would share in any prize money gained.