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[Ron Rees]

Reading up on a couple of old English Laws etc and came across this interesting Naval info:-


In its heyday, the Admiralty Court's main tasks involved jurisdiction over cases involving Collisions at sea, Salvage and Cargo but had to set up a separate 'Prize Court' which re-registered ships captured by the British, putting them on their active lists and renaming them.
This occurred at an astonishing rate, especially at the height of British sea power during the Napoleonic Wars.


Between 1792 and 1812 (20 years) no less than 48,607 ships were captured as Prizes and renamed by the Admiralty before adding them into our own navy!!! This was over 6 million tons of shipping. In one year alone the Admiralty renamed over 4000 ships!!!

The Admiralty Court still maintains jurisdiction over 'Prizes' although only sitting now in times of War.


The monetary value of each ship was assessed and a sliding scale of Prize Money was paid to the Captain, Officers and crew in excess of their pay, no wonder our Navy liked to get stuck in if there was a fight on the cards...and probably made them so fearsome.


That is a mind boggling number of ships by anyone's imagination, its even more than I've got!!




Ron REES.

[ballastanksian]

That would be a lot of stockings Ron! That is a huge number of vessels isn't it. I wonder if ship's boats were classed separately which made up the large number quoted?

I am surprised the Navy had time to do anything that wasn't related to capturing prizes at that rate.

How interesting, thanks for sharing Ron 

[jarvo]

Hi Ron, is it true that it is still a capital offence of Arson in a royal dockyard??? was told the the law had not been repealed!!!


Mark

[derekwarner]

Nothing Official...but an experience noted when I first joined the Department of Defence at our principal Naval dockyard in Australia....

Charles F Adams Class destroyer - HMAS Perth settles on the blocks
A few weeks of work 7 days a week...but 0700 to 1400 only
Ships propellers removed....work commences with great urgency with high levels of labour and highest priority of dockyard machinery and carries on 24/7 for 9 days naturally including a weekend
My weapons work continues but on 0700 to 1400 only, [Monday to Saturday.....Sunday being my day of rest  ]

Ask the begging question of why ''propeller removal and replacement work is 24/7"

Response from the Naval Project Superintendent was......

When an Australian warship is in dock...[even for a planned extended period of time], she is still in active Commission. When her propeller/s are off she is not in active Commission......sounded acceptable, however it also happened that when the same vessel was in dock, the Commanding Officer was still on Operational Sea Salary Rates, however when the propellers were not on the vessel, the Commanding Officers Stipend reverted to Non Operational Shore Rates.   

Derek 

[RAAArtyGunner]

And there it is, rank has its privileges, being equivalent to an army Colonel, next step 1 star as the yanks call it with whom we are falling into line with.

No truth to rumour that Australian Army will become 4th Marine Expeditionary Battalion, Yank component stationed at Townsville AKA Shoalwater Bay.

[Jerry C]

I've just seen an RAN commander wearing a you can't see me suit and down at heel boots, doing his lunchtime shopping, in Woolies Lanyon Canberra. I'm told they're 10 a penny here.
Jerry.

[Nemo]

The introduction of 'KAI'?

Chocolate to be used in lieu of Cocoa 


Admiralty Orders, &c. &c.
 (Circular, No. 84. )
 By the Commissioners for Executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c.

Whereas we think fit that Chocolate, which we have directed to be prepared, shall be used in His Majesty's Ships and Vessels under your command, in lieu of Cocoa, we do hereby desire and direct, with reference to the Scheme of Victualling established by His Majesty's Regulations for His Service at Sea, that the said Chocolate shall be issued to the several Ships' Companies under your command in the same quantities as Cocoa is at present issued,

Given under our hands the 29th Oct. 1832,
 T. M. Hardy, S. J. Brooke Pechell,
 By Command of their Lordships,
 George Elliot.


To all Captains, Commanders, Commanding Officers and Pursers of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels.

[JimG]

That would be a lot of stockings Ron! That is a huge number of vessels isn't it. I wonder if ship's boats were classed separately which made up the large number quoted?

I am surprised the Navy had time to do anything that wasn't related to capturing prizes at that rate.

How interesting, thanks for sharing Ron 

The majority of these would be commercial vessels not warships. Mostly small coastal traders captured while blockading the French and Spanish ports. Most of them will have been sold for use in the British merchant trade, generally only warships were bought by the Admiralty. The prize regulations were why an independent commission was very sought after by frigate captains. A successful voyage would set up the captain for life, and give even the lowest sailor enough money to retire on after the ship decommissioned. Successful frigate captains were usually able to get enough volunteers to crew the ship without relying on pressed men. An apocryphal story had seamen buying gold watches and frying them as they had so much prize money coming.
Not so good if they were part of a fleet as the admiral and any other ships in sight when they took the prize had to get their share of the money.

Jim

[Nemo]

Apropos Signal Guns!  From Admiralty Orders 1834:

Firing Salutes by Small Vessels Armed with less than 10 Guns.

A memorandum has been issued from the Admiralty, directing that in future none of His Majesty's ships with less than 10 guns are to fire salutes that require the guns to be re-loaded, unless in a case where such as omission could not be explained away without giving offence to a foreign power or flag. This has arisen out of the many accidents that have occurred during the firing of salutes in small vessels, by the haste with which the guns have been re-loaded. July 1834.

[Jonty]

  Hi Jarvo

  That's a hoary old chestnut. Arson in a royal dockyard ceased to be a capital offence in 1971, but "piracy with violence" lingered on until 1998.

[jarvo]

Thanks Jonty.