Nelson & His World

I apologize on forehand if this topic has been posted before on this forum, due to circumstances I cannot read that well and long at the moment to check the forum for that.

This is part of a letter of Collingwood, he wrote on June 27, 1797 to J. Blecket. The Memoires of Collingwood, page 89.

QUOTE

“……. I am very much out of spirits. The conduct and behaviour of Mr. …. has added very much to my vexation. A few days since, upon the most trivial occasion, he broke out in such a fit of frenzy and rage, and behaved to me in such a contemptuous and extraordinary a manner, that I desired the First Lieutenant to order him off the deck. The day following, he wrote a letter, not excusing his conduct, but rather justifying it, and requesting to be discharged into any other ship. But when, after taking a day to cool a little, I gave him to understand, that having calmly considered the nature of his offence, and the necessity, under the present circumstances of the fleet, of giving a prompt check to the first instance of disobedience that tended to mutiny, I felt that the justice I owed to the public service outweighed the regard I had ever had for his interests and his family, and that I only hesitated about bringing him to trial by a Court Martial from the apprehension of the fatal consequences that might follow, he began to think very differently of the affair, was exceedingly dejected, hoped something might be done short of a Court Martial, as he knew what would be probable event of that, and, if I would allow him, would quite the service for ever. I told him that I would consider further; and very much distressed and mortified I am at his conduct. He was not, I believe, sober at the time: but that will not do to plead in excuse for such violence. I know how sorry you will be on this occasion -not more then I am- but he shall never do duty in my ship again.”

UNQUOTE

Could members of the crew leave the service whenever they wished to do so? Or could that only be done, after they misbehaved themselves so very badly, that it became impossible to remain on board the ship they were serving on.

If they were placed into another ship, was the captain of that ship forced to take them as a crew member or could they decide not to want that sailor on board as a part of their crew. Could captains be forced to have them on board as a member of the crew.

What happened if no captain wanted to have them on board their ship. Reading this letter of Collingwood, I just wondered about that.

Sylvia

Sylvia,

I think there are several things to consider here.

At the time Collingwood was captain of the Excellent and, although not knowing the circumstances, it would appear that Blecket was one of his 'young gentlemen', or midshipmen, and that he perhaps wrote the letter to his father, or his admiral. Can you confirm which? I have this impression both from Collingwood's having referred to him as 'Mr', and mentioning the man's 'interests' and regard for his family. Very likely he had taken him on board as one of his protogeés, and was thus understandably 'very much distressed and mortified' by his conduct. I doubt that Collingwood would talk in such terms if Blecket were just an ordinary member of the lower deck. If he were, I suggest he would have been treated very differently.

The date of the letter would seem to be of some significance here, since the June of 1797 was at the tale end of the Fleet Mutinies at Spithead and the Nore. At the time ship's captains, with good reason, were very wary of 'unbecoming conduct' and loose talk of any kind and Collingwood's reference to 'the present circumstances of the fleet' are an indication of this, as are his words that Blecket's outburst 'tended to mutiny'. Even with the two mutinies settled, the fleet was still on tenterhooks for any repetition and the infamous incident of the Hermione mutiny was still several months away. In these circumstances it is understandable that Collingwood was reluctant to keep him on his ship and it would also seem that, once Blecket's indiscretion was known, few other captain's would accept him either.

With the above in mind, this would seem to place rather different considerations on your questions. Under normal circumstances the conditions of service for, and the expectations of a midshipmen, an aspiring officer, were certainly rather different from from those of an ordinary, perhaps pressed, man. A midshipman's family and connections were of some importance thus, as here, the ship's captain would both take great pains to keep them informed, and to settle any such matter amicably. Having said that, and although I believe there was a certain amount of leeway, I doubt that a midshipman could do just as he pleased – he had after all been placed under the captain's charge and was 'learning his trade'. I believe most captain's would do their utmost to treat their midshipmen fairly, certainly with the young man's family to consider. In those circumstances it seems very unlikely that a captain could, or even would, transfer a midshipman to another ship and captain, just like that, or that another captain would accept him. After all the other captain had his own midshipmen to consider and he might not have a vacancy.

Your latter question seems unlikely but, if it did happen, then it would seem perhaps that the best solution was that the young man chose some other profession.

With regard to misbehaving officers/sailors: I think the following letter is interesting on this subject. Lt Harding Shaw had clearly informed Nelson of some troublesome behaviour aboard his ship which he had dealt with rigorously. Nelson makes it clear that he disapproves of Harding Shaw's handling of the situation. His tone is firm and reproving; but in addition to his censure, he also suggests an alternative, more acceptable course that he might have followed.


TO LIEUTENANT HARDING SHAW, COMMANDING HIS MAJESTY'S
BRIG SPIDER.

[Letter-Book.]

Victory, at Sea, 4th October, 1804.

Sir,

I have received your letter of the 6th ultimo, acquainting
me with the circumstance of your having flogged John Carter,
Seaman, belonging to the Spider, on the 5th of that month;
that soon after, a shot was flung from forward by some of the
people, which fell close by you, and Mr. Langdon, the Master ;
and, in order to discover the offender, you judged it necessary
to threaten them with individual punishment, which, as they
would not confess, you had inflicted upon each of your com-
pany, by calling them over by the watch-bill, and giving them
a dozen each. In answer to which, I cannot approve of a
measure so foreign to the rules of good discipline and the ac-
customed practice of his Majesty's Navy, and therefore caution
you against a similar line of conduct. Had you fixed upon
one or more guilty individuals, and punished them severely,
it might have had the desired effect, or put them into confine-
ment, and brought them to a Court- Martial. I trust your
watchful conduct will prevent any such confusion, or disposi-
tion to riot, from happening again. I am, &c.

NELSON AND BRONTE.