Nelson & His World

Discussion on the life and times of Admiral Lord Nelson
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 Post subject: Quota Act recruits for the Navy
PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:33 pm 
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Another quite detailed question here - but I would welcome any comments or suggestions.

I am interested in men who were recruited into the Navy under the Quota Acts of 1795. Each seaport/county/parish was obliged to provide a certain number of men for the Navy (or pay a penalty for the shortfall).

Birmingham, a relatively small town back then, had to provide 44 men. The authorities took their responsibilities very seriously. They posted adverts in the local paper and held at least one recruitment parade.

A bounty of 15 guineas was awarded to each volunteer. This seems an incredible amount as it was more than a years pay for an ordinary seaman.

The rendezvous for volunteers was an inn called the Golden Eagle. Then official enrolment & paperwork was completed at the Public Office.

I have seen copies of certificates which were produced for each man and detailed:
Name
Place of Birth or Lawful Settlement
Age
Calling (i.e. Occupation)
Bounty awarded
Bounty paid to the volunteer (I believe the balance was paid to his family/dependants)
Date
Signatures of 2 Justices of the Peace

There were also summary schedules which listed all the volunteers, with an extra column for "Description". This gave the height, hair colour, eye colour and complexion of each man. A copy of this summary was sent to the Admiralty.

BUT what I am interested in is what happened next. i.e. Was the volunteer/recruit given some kind of document to say he was now a seaman? Or was he still officially a civilian until he went on board the Receiving ship. (Quite likely this was the case).

ALSO how did the men know which Receiving ship to present themselves at, and when, and how did they get there?? I am wondering if each man just made his own way to the relevant port/ship or whether they went as some sort of supervised group.

Several of the men received £7 of their bounty. If this was in cash - there must surely have been a great temptation to take the money and run.

So many questions, so few answers!!??

If anyone can throw any light on these issues I would love to hear from you.

MB

P.S. I believe the balance of the bounty was only payable after an order was issued from the man's first ship. I have the wording of a poignant letter sent by a recruit to his family explaining the delay in paying the balance of his bounty. It seems that one letter was wrong in the spelling of his name. As soon as time allows I will post the full transcript of the letter.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:51 pm 
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I think (but could be wrong) that the Impress Service handled recruits from the Quota Acts - removing the opportunity to run! Given that the counties often filled their quota with petty criminals offered the option as an alternative to prison, I imagine it would be essential. I don't think there were many volunteers (other than debtors evading creditors) because even allowing for the bounty, enlisting in a merchant ship was still a better option financially, and you could quit at the end of a voyage (as long as you avoided the Navy press gangs).

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Tony


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:39 pm 
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I understand that men raised by the Quota Acts were "to be brought before naval officers at a rendezvous, and accepted or rejected". A public house was often chosen for the 'rondy'.

I agree that the Impress Service was responsible for raising men, and it may be that the rendezvous mentioned, at the Golden Eagle, was manned by a naval Lieutenant - he would have been accompanied by his 'gang'. This would have been a couple of petty officers, perhaps a midshipman, and a party of seamen. When they had gathered together a sufficient number they would escort them to a suitable port. Lavery ('nelsons navy') says that "having found men ashore, the navy preferred to get them afloat as quickly as possible". To do so small hired vessels, known as pressing tenders, would have been available, to take them to the receiving ships.

"...Upon getting on board this vessel, we were ordered down in the hold, and the grating put over us; as well as a guard of marines placed round the hatchway, with muskets loaded and fixed bayonets.."


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 1:07 am 
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Tony/Philo

One thing that causes confusion here is that there were actually 2 Acts of Parliament.

The first required the Ports and the Counties to provide set numbers of "volunteers" and the second allowed magistrates to direct "idle persons, rogues and vagabonds" to the Navy as an alternative to prison.

I am lucky enough to have in front of me a list of 130 or so men recruited under the first Act - and everyone of them is described as a volunteer.

I managed an hour in Birmingham Central Library this evening and double-checked that nothing was reported in the local newspaper about the circumstances of the Navy recruits leaving the town. Maybe there is something hidden away in another local newspaper or a private letter written home by one of the recruits.

BUT I did spot something I had missed before.

Birmingham had met it's quota of volunteers by the end of April - just a few short weeks. But then on 8th June an advertisement appeared which started as follows:

Quote:
REWARDS for apprehending Deserters from the NAVY

NOTICE is hereby given, that whoever will apprehend the under-mentioned Persons, being Deserters from the Quota of the Men, raising in the County of Warwick for his Majesty's Navy, shall receive the several Rewards inserted against their respective Names (being one third of the Bounty for which they were engaged) on their being secured in the Gaol for the same County etc. etc etc.


There then follows 13 names.

In my first cross-check I found 6 of the names on the list of volunteers I have here. Their descriptions were reported in full in the newspaper. Kind of makes sense now why they were recorded in the first place!!

They had been allocated advances on their bounty of amounts between £4 18s. and £6 13s. I wish I knew if they had received it in cash.

And I wish wish wish I knew in what circumstances they had managed to abscond - so soon after they had enlisted.

Sorry so many unanswered/unanswerable questions - but shows how much there still is to learn about this most fascinating era of history.

MB


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:43 am 
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If anyone is interested, here is the transcript of a letter sent by a "Quota Acts recruit" to his parents.

The spelling, grammar etc. is reproduced exactly as written.

Quote:
On board is Majesty ship Le Pompee 80 guns

Father and Mother

These is to inform you that I am ship this day on Board the Le Pompee i am sorry to Leave my own Ship For if i was to Go a board of 20 i would not get a better . . .There is 120 Drafted this day i expect to Receive one Guiney Before we Sail From you to the Sans Pariell and they will Send it on to me i am sorry For you to Delay me So Long now i Com on Board i ad not one Farthing and on Board a strange Ship i got an order From the Sans Paeriel For you to receive my Bounty and i sent it in a Letter yesterday and it is sinde by the Capt of the Sans Paeriel i Hope they will not be against leteing you Have the Money i Think it is time it was Sattled and you may Do Wat you Think is best with it . . . if They will not let you have it With that order i Do Not now Wat to Do about it. i See Wm Marflit Last Sunday and he was Well they are a Goain out with us you will give my Respects to E. Paddison Ann Wright A Ward . . . i Do not now Wat you think about the War but i think it Wount be over this Long time yet I shal Wright agin before We Sail and i let you now how i Like my Fresh situation So i Conculde to be your Dutl Son til Death

Robt Ackrill

the Capt Clark tould me that my name Came on Board the Sans Paeril Name Robt Ackrdill and that been the mistacke were the Stifcate was leift i Never herd Nothing about it

My Respects to all Well Wishers


MB


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 1:27 pm 
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Although not directly relevant to your query, I have discovered that earlier drives to raise recruits also produced 'volunteers' from landmen, and it was evidently expected for them to make their own way to a port.

In the Seven Years War (1755-63) bounties were offered and town corporations encouraged to find men. This resulted in a number of volunteers ... "In addition to bounties, volunteers also received two months' wages in advance and 'conduct money' - or travelling expenses, to cover the cost of the journey from the place of residence to the naval ports". At this time the bounty was not paid until they actually entered their ships.

Whether this was still valid in the 1790s I am uncertain.


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 1:40 pm 
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P

That's very interesting.

There was something niggling away at me that certain recruits to the Navy were paid "travel expenses". But I wasn't sure if I was imagining it.

And if anything it adds to the intrigue as to the circumstances in which these 13 Warwickshire men absconded so soon after enlisting.

i.e. were they expected to make their own way to their Receiving ship and just "disappeared off the radar".

Or were they all travelling together (supervised?) - and it was a mass "break out"!!

How boring life would be without a daily conundrum??!!

MB


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