Nelson & His World

When was the practice of distributing prize money introduced into the navy? Captured treasure was a lure even in the days of Drake, of course, but was there a proper system in place then for evaluating claims and distributing prize money? And when did the practice cease?

The practice of prize money can be traced back to the early 15th century at least, but this was essentially based on the sale of captured goods and vessels. Under this, the Crown took a portion (Q. Elizabeth apparently insisted on half), the remainder to the captors.

In 1692 the Crown waived its rights to take a portion, "with a view to make service in the Navy more popular", but it was in 1708 that it really changed, which was with the Convoys and Cruisers Act of 1708.

Under the Act, it was confimed in law that the captor, whether a naval or private vessel, was entitled to ALL the net proceeds of a legally condemned prize.

But in addition to this, a bounty would be paid, based on the number of men in the enemy crew at the start of an action; this became known as 'head money'.

The Prize Act lapsed at the end of each war, and had to be re-enacted at the start of the next.

It remained in force until 1945, when it was announced that prize money for making captures would no longer be paid, and the act would not be re-enacted in the future.

The last distribution of Prize Money for the capture of enemy vessels was made in November 1948, when £5 million was distributed to the Royal Navy (and Commonwealth navies) . The Prize Bill of that year also confirmed the statement made in 1945, that the Prize Act would now lapse.

Many thanks for those informative posts, P-N.

I have come across this interesting link to the highest sums ever awarded in prize money.


http://www.hillsdalesites.org/personal/ ... rmione.htm

There is a very good book called The Prizes of War: The Naval Prize System in the Napoleonic Wars 1793-1815 by Rear Admiral Richard Hill (Sutton, 1998). I have it in hardback - don't know if there was a paperback.

Lesley Adkins
http://www.adkinshistory.com

If you're looking in, Lesley, I wonder if you can tell us whether your book lists Nelson's prize money? He complained that all he got was 'honour and salt beef' and compared with the likes of Lord Keith and Sir Hyde Parker, his pickings were fairly lean. But he didn't do that badly, it seems: in addition to prize money, he got various cash handouts - £10,000 I believe, from the City of London, on one occasion, as well as pensions for wounds on top of his salary.

Has anybody done the sums?

No, the book doesn't list the prize money, and I've had a desultory look at other books, with no results as yet. I'll check a few more later. It's probably a bit like politicians saying they live on rations...

Lesley

http://www.adkinshistory.com

Here is a link to a cartoon in the NMM collection by an unknown artist dating from the time of Trafalgar. It is entitled 'Equity, or a sailor's prayer' and makes a wry comment on the grossly unequal distribution of prize money. The 'bubbles' read as follows:

Officer to sailor in praying position: Why, Starboard! how is this, at prayer when the enemy is bearing down upon us!

Sailor: Afraid, no! I was only praying that the enemy's shot may be distributed in the same proportion as the prize money - the greater part among the officers.

Second sailor: Amen to that,Tom.'

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... battle.jpg

Just for the record, does anyone have to hand the details of the proportions in which prize money was distributed?

As a sideline, note that the officer is wearing trousers (dangerously long!), his hat is worn fore-and-aft and his hair is short and unpowdered, all in contrast to the custom of older officers.

Anna,

This might help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prize_money

The officer depicted looks as though he's a lieutenant (presumably their divisional lieutenant) from his uniform and post 1812, judging by the one epaulette (although according to the new regulations of that date it should be on the right shoulder!) I believe lieutenants at this time wore their bicorns fore and aft, which fashion was later followed by senior officers.

The fact that his hair is unpowdered may be due to the fact that he's a junior officer, although I'm guessing here as I'm not certain of the regulation on this. Lastly the trousers. It's difficult to find information about this but have an idea that at times officers, certainly the more junior ones, wore trousers on occasion when there was any heavy work to be done and on long voyages, as being more practical. I do agree however, that these here look as though they might trip him up! I am also reminded of the film 'Captain Hornblower', the one with Gregory Peck from 1951 and which in many respects is better than the more recent offering, where he does indeed don trousers when out of sight of land. I would have thought they may have had some information on this to show Hornblower so clad. Ha-hrrm!

Here are Captain Lord Cochrane's trousers (and short and unpowdered hair), originally painted in 1807: http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/search/Ob ... _key=18072