Feeding Nelson's Navy
Page 25
14
Instructions and Regulations for the Guidance of the Officers of the Several Victualling Establishments at Home [hereafter ‘I&R Home’] (London 1808), p136.
15
I&R Home, p 67.
16
Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas, The Dispatches and Letters of Lord Nelson, 7 vols (London 1844–6, reprinted 1997–8) [hereafter Nicolas], Vol V, p470; Vol VI, pp280, 313; NMM ADM DP/24 (separately bound packet of papers); DP/26, 8 August 1806; DP/30a, 26 April 1810; WAR/73, various.
17
PRO ADM 52/3616: Master’s log, Gibraltar.
18
Sir William Henry Dillon, A Narrative of My Professional Adventures 1790–1839, 2 vols (London 1953), pp110–1.
19
Peter Padfield, Maritime Power and the Struggle for Freedom: Naval campaigns that shaped the modern world 1788–1851 (London 2003), p213.
20
Baker, Government and Contractors, p3.
21
Although often referred to as a blockade, this was not a true blockade, for which there are rules and conventions to be observed. Nelsons intention was to tempt the French fleet to come out so he could engage it in a decisive battle rather than to keep it bottled up in port.
22
PRO ADM 106/2350, folio 72, 14 May 1799, letter book, Navy Board to Victualling Board.
23
PRO ADM 110/14, 28 June 1745; ADM 111/33, 10 November 1746.
24
2 Geo 1, C.16 (Ir) s i.
25
Sir R Vesey Hamilton & John Knox Laughton (eds), Above and Under Hatches: Recollections of James Anthony Gardner (London 1906, reprint 2000), p167, referring to 1794.
26
PRO ADM 7/890, Admiralty circular no 21, 3 May 1856.
27
NMM ADM D/47, 29 November 1804.
28
Jeffrey de Raigersfeld, Life of a Sea Officer (London 1830), p161.
29
C Northcote Parkinson, War in the Eastern Seas (London 1954), and Trade in the Eastern Seas (London 1937).
30
R&I, 13th edition, pp202–3.
31
Nicolas, V, p438
32
Janet Macdonald, Pumpkins and Squashes (London 1998), p1.
33
R&I, 14th edition, p272.
34
The trawl is mentioned in letter 20 of a sequence of letters from Captain Duff, which can be found at www.kittybrewster.com/ancestry/George_Duff_letter_[number].htm.
35
William Mark, At Sea with Nelson, being the life of William Mark – a purser who served with Admiral Lord Nelson (London 1929), p81.
36
Hall, Fragments, p375.
37
Raigersfeld, Life of a Sea Officer, pp163–4.
38
M D Hay (ed), Landsman Hay: The Memoirs of Robert Hay 1789–1847 (London 1953), pp88–9.
39
Ibid, p170. Since this refers to an incident in 1809, and since he says ‘water tank’ in the singular, this is more likely to have been the scuttle tank than the larger water tanks in the hold, which were not introduced until later (see page 85).
40
NMM WAR/18, 6 August 1813.
41
R&I, 14th edition, p302.
42
Wellcome Western MSS 3677, 4 September 1803, 20 September 1803.
43
R&I, 13th edition, p205.
44
PRO ADM 1/232, 21 August 1740.
45
NMM ADM G/794, 22 October 1806.
46
Dudley Pope, Life in Nelson’s Navy (London 1981, reprint 1997), p 154.
47
NMM GRE/15, folio 117, 21 June 1797.
48
Pasley, Private Sea Journals, p229.
49
ADM 1/4833, 12 January 1810.
50
R&I, 14th edition, p288.
51
NMM ADM DP/45, 13 October 1803.
52
William Robinson, Jack Nastyface: memoirs of an English seaman, (London 1836 as Nautical Economy, reprint 2002).
53
Pope, Life in Nelson’s Navy, p158.
Chapter 2: HOW IT GOT THERE – THE WORK OF THE VICTUALLING BOARD
1
Strictly speaking this organisation was called the Board of Commissioners for Sick and Wounded Seamen, but it was commonly known as the Sick and Hurt Board.
2
Figures taken from Victualling Board pay books, PRO ADM 7/869.
3
NMM ADM DP/17, 17 October 1797; ADM G/793, 5 September 1803; PRO ADM 110/48, 20 November 1802.
4
Sometimes this was a lump sum and sometimes, when the post-holder wanted to retire and was not entitled to a pension, an agreed annual payment until death. Roger Morriss, Naval Power and British Culture, 1710–1850 (London 2004), pp71–7.
5
Mark, At Sea With Nelson, pp125–8.
6
The Eighth [and Ninth] Report of the Commissioners appointed by an Act of Parliament to enquire into the fees, gratuities, perquisites and emoluments which are or have been lately received in the several public offices therein mentioned, to examine into any abuses which may exist in the same: and to report such observations as shall occur to them, for the better conducting and managing the business transacted in the Victualling Office (London 1788).
7
NMM ADM DP/24, 6 June, 12 July, 24 August, 10 October and 19 October 1804 DP/31a, DP/3lb.
8
NMM ADM DP/31a, 26 April 1811.
9
Matthew Sheldon, ‘From “Fraudulent Brewers” to “Scandalous Abuses”; a century of progress at the Portsmouth Victualling Office’, paper presented to the Society of Nautical Research (South), 12 October 2002; David Syrett, ‘Christopher Atkinson and the Victualling Board, 1775–1782’, in Historical Research (1996), pp129–42; Baker, Government and Contractors…, pp173, 216–20.
10
PRO ADM 114/26 (most of this ‘piece’ is a bundle of documents relating to this fraud).
11
Parkinson, War in the Eastern Seas, pp338–9.
12
Alexander Cochrane, The Fighting Cochranes (London 1983), pp174–5; Donald Thomas, Cochrane, Britannia’s Sea-King (London 1978), pp20–l; PRO ADM 112/118; Basil Cochrane, A narrative of the transactions of the Hon. Basil Cochrane (London 1818); The Hon Basil Cochrane, A statement of the conduct of the Victualling Board to the Hon. Basil Cochrane during his transactions with them in India (London 1820).
13
PRO ADM 112/160, Tenders for Contracts; ADM 111/166, 30 March 1803.
14
NMM ADM D/46, 30 April 1804; PRO ADM 111/169, 21 November 1803.
15
NMM ADM D/45, 13 October 1803; ADM C/700, 25 November 1803; ADM D/46, 2 August 1804.
16
NMM ADM D/45, 13 October 1803.
17
NMM ADM G/792, 4 and 31 August 1801, 8 September 1801.
18
Even if each man is only eating his two pounds of beef once a week (and suet pudding on the other beef day, as explained on page 18) this works out to a grand total of 11,451,544 pounds, which at an average of 500 pounds per beast gives 23,000 bullocks; the same amount of pork, when a good-sized pig might produce 100 pounds of meat gives us 115,000 pigs.
19
These instructions were dated 22 December 1807 and issued, in printed form, in 1808.
20
Bowler, Logistics…
21
Wellcome Trust Library, Western MS 3679; NMM ADM G/793, 24 October 1803, Admiralty to Victualling Board, instructing them to send out coal and buy wine and lemon juice to freight the vessels home.
22
Master’s log of Belleisle, PRO ADM 52/3573; Wellcome MSS 3678, Richard Bromley’s account of purchases, 2 November to 9 December 1803.
23
NMM ADM DP/21, 20 October 180
1.
24
NMM ADM DP/25, 3 May 1805.
25
Brown’s accounts, PRO ADM 112/41; Wills’ accounts, ADM 112/42.
26
Nicolas, Vol II, p202.
27
NMM ADM DP/16, 20 December 1796 (covering letter) and 14 November 1796.
28
NMM ADM DP/21, 7 May 1801.
29
Ford was not strictly correct here: two of the nine were frigates.
30
Ford appears in many parts of the Victualling Board records, the most important of which are his accounts at PRO ADM 112/46 and his letter book at ADM 114/55. His appointment letter and many letters from him to Nelson are in the Nelson papers at the Wellcome Trust Library, Western MSS 3677–8; see also Nicolas, Volumes V & VI.
Chapter 3: ADMINISTRATION ON BOARD SHIP
1
Nelson’s General Order book for 1803–1805 is at the British Library, Add MSS 34970.
2
NMM ADM/DP 27, 29 November 1807.
3
Nicolas, VI, pl26.
4
For example, ‘Additional Orders and Regulations for the Government of His Majesty’s Ship Superb, K.G. Keats Esq., Captain’, manuscript book kept by John L Coppin, midshipman, NMM RUSI/110.
5
Excerpts from Prince William Henry’s order book can be seen in Brian Lavery’s Shipboard Life and Organisation 1731–1815 (London 1998), pp93–101.
6
Master’s log, Triumph, PRO ADM 52/3507.
7
BL Add MSS 34970, folio 15, 23 December 1803.
8
Pope, Life in Nelson’s Navy, p154.
9
R&I, 13th edition, p203–5
10
See Brian Lavery’s The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600–1815 (London 1987), pp209–10 for some drawings of how boats were stowed.
11
It is difficult to give exact weights for any given set of provisions, as they could be in varied sizes of cask. However, a list of provisions for the Thetis frigate’s lading in 1777 shows, amongst other items, 903 lbs of butter in 14 firkins as weighing 9 cwt (1008 lbs), 3560 lbs of flour in a hogshead and 9 barrels as 1 ton 15 cwt (3920 lbs), and 1207 lbs of cheese in 8 half-hogsheads as 12 cwt (1344 lbs). Figures taken from PRO ADM 95/64.
12
Brian Vale, A Frigate of King George: Life and Duty on a British Man of War (London 2001), p412.
13
Captain’s log, Victory, PRO ADM 51/1467, 10 to 14 September 1803.
14
NMM WAR/12, 1 May 1808.
15
Using the muster books in PRO ADM 36 and pay books in PRO ADM 35, the survey involved 60 different ships (10 line-of-battle ships and 10 frigates) at each of three periods: 1794, 1803 and 1812.
16
R&I, 14th edition, p186.
17
Anne Petrides (ed), Sea Soldier: The letters and journals of Major T Marmaduke Wybourn RM, 1797–1813 (Tunbridge Wells 2000), p73.
18
NMM ADM DP/29, 9 March 1809. (This is the Trevithick of steam engine fame.)
19
Robert Gardiner, Frigates of the Napoleonic Wars (London 2002), pp 104–5.
20
Nicolas, VI, p57.
21
Brian Lavery, Arming and Fitting…, p192; Anselm John Griffiths, Observations on some points of Seamanship; with practical hints on naval oeconomy, etc (London 1824), pp261–2.
22
A-M E Hills, ‘Health in the Royal Navy During the age of Nelson’, in Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 86, No 2 (2000), p72.
23
BL Add MSS 34790, 21 December 1803; Nicolas, V, pp110–11.
24
R& 13th edition, pp202–3.
25
NMM POR/A/51, 24 October 1808.
26
PRO ADM 106/3574, ‘Revision of Sea Stores, Regulations for the Officers of the Dockyards no 53’, dated 1815 (no other date). The same order required sheep pens to be fitted in the waist.
27
Francis Liardet, Professional Recollections on Seamanship (London 1849), p306.
28
The fire on the Boyne is cited as an illustration of this by Peter Goodwin, but he must have confused her with another ship: Boyne was destroyed by fire, but it was started when a burning wad from marine practice firing fell onto the stern gallery, from where the fire spread through the quarter gallery and admiral’s cabin. There was no hay involved. Peter Goodwin, Men O’War: The Illustrated Story of Life in Nelson’s Navy (London 2003), pl08; Court Martial on the loss of the Boyne, PRO ADM 1/5332, 1 May 1795.
29
Court Martial on the loss of the Queen Charlotte, PRO ADM 1/5352, 11 April 1800. Augustus Phillimore (ed), Life of Sir Wm. Parker, Vol I (London 1876), p256; Master’s log, Amazon, PRO ADM 52/3560; W N Glascock, Naval Sketch Book (London 1826), Vol I, p22.
30
Robinson, Jack Nastyface, pl32; NMM GRE/15, 16 June 1797.
31
NAM Rodger, The Insatiable Earl: A Life of John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich (London 1993), pp190–1.
32
Additional Instructions relating to Books and Accounts, 1813, p7.
33
R&I, 13th edition, pl48; 14th edition, p442.
34
NMM GRT/10–23.
35
Master’s log, Bittern, 24 June 1803, PRO ADM 52/3575; Captain’s log, William, 25 January 1804, ADM 51/1457.
36
I am indebted to Mr E J Revell for bringing this story to my attention.
37
Figures taken from the Nelson papers at the Wellcome Trust Library. It should not be assumed that these documents are a complete set, but they do indicate the comparatively minor problem.
38
NMM G/738, 17 June 1813; NMM ADM DP/33a, 24 June and 8 July 1813.
39
Lavery, in Shipboard Life… gives two versions of this figure (pp546 and 589): 165 messes is the correct figure, taken from RNM 83/1051 & 53/4.
40
Dillon, Narrative, p373.
Chapter 4: HOW THE MEN ATE
1
NMM JOD/45 Amazon; RUSI/110 Superb.
2
R&I, 13th edition, pp63–4. One ell = 1¼yards, or 45 inches. Canvas, as supplied for sailmaking, was 24 inches wide.
3
R&I, 14th edition, p290.
4
NMM WAR/18, 31 October 1813.
5
R&I, 14th edition, p378.
6
Pope, Life in Nelson’s Navy, p89.
7
Robinson, Jack Nastyface, p132.
8
J Watt, E J Freeman & W F Bynum (eds), Starving Sailors: the Influence of Nutrition upon Naval and Maritime History (London 1984), p201.
9
PRO ADM 95/17, 1 May 1757.
10
Patent No 1271 of 1780.
11
Lavery, Arming and Fitting p293; PRO ADM 106/2508, 7 September 1779.
12
NMMJOD/45.
13
NMM GRE 15, folio 42, 6 July 1796.
14
PRO ADM 1/1457, 11 December 1809; ADM 1/4833, 12 January 1810; C/66/4055, 6.
15
Lavery, Shipboard Life…, pp356–7.
16
NMM RUSI/110, order no 55.
17
Parkinson, War in the Eastern Seas, p439; BL Add Mss 34970.
18
Nicolas, V, p4l9.
19
NMM GRE 15, folio 42, 6 July 1796.
20
David Cordingly, Billy Ruffian: The Bellerophon and the Downfall of Napoleon (London 2003), p213.
21
Ibid, pl89.
22
Lavery, Shipboard Life…, pp528–9.
23
Wybourn, Sea Soldier, p73; Piers Mackesy, Victory in Egypt 1801 (London 1995), p149.
24
NMMJOD/45.
25
BL Add Mss 34970.
26
Dening, Mr Bligh’s Bad Language, pp73–4.
Chapter 5: HOW THE OFFICERS ATE
1
Una A Robertson, Mariners’ Mealtimes and other Daily Details of Life on Board a Sailing Warship (Edinburgh 1981), p110.
2
Watt, Freeman & Bynum (eds), Starving Sailors, p4l; In the 13th edition of the R&I this was set at 20 shillings a day and restricted to commanders-in-chief; in the 14th edition it was increased to 30 shillings a day and extended to all flag officers, including commodores having captains under them.
3
Five Naval Journals, Navy Records Society (London 1951) pp7, 13.
4
In 1793 the highest-paid lieutenant received £7.0.0. per lunar month, the lowest £5.12.0; by 1815 this had risen to £9.2.0 and £8.8.0 respectively. Details from Michael Lewis, Social History of the Navy (London 1960), pp294–8.
5
RNM Portsmouth, Admiralty Library Manuscript Collection, MSS 1997/65, 17 July 1812.
6
Lieutenant Alexander Dingwall Fordyce, Outlines of Naval Routine (London 1837), p26.
7
Sotheby’s sale catalogue Nelson: the Alexander Davison Collection (London 2002), pp62, 79–81.
8
Some of these items can be seen at the Royal Naval Museum at Portsmouth. I am indebted to Richard Noyce, Curator of Artefacts at that museum, for this information.
9
Christian Murray, Dolores Elkin and Damián Vainstub, ‘The sloop of war HMS Swift, an archaeological approach’, in The Age of Sail, Vol I (London 2002), pp109–11.
10
Michael Duffy (ed), The Naval Miscellany VI, Navy Records Society (London 2003), p199.
11
Dillon, Narrative… pp21–2.
12
Raigersfeld, Life of a Sea Officer, pp11–12.
13
Dillon, Narrative…, pp21–2.
14
Ibid, pl8.
15
Frederic Charnier, Life of A Sailor (London 1832), pp27, 278.
16
Captain A Crawford, RN, Reminiscences of a Naval Officer (London 1851, reprint 1999), p38.
17
Nicolas, VI, p320.
18
Pope, Life in Nelsons Navy, p93.
19
R&I 13th edition, p151; quite why the tradesmen warrant officers had two servants when the commissioned officers only had one is not explained in the Regulations; this might be explained by one of these being more of a trade assistant than a personal servant, or it might have been a way of allowing for the wives whom some of these warrant officers took to sea with them.