97 



NAVY. 



NAVY. 



he also made laws for the planting and preservation of timber. In 

 1412, when a fleet was fitted out against France, under Sir Edward 

 Howard, lord-high-admiral, the following allowances were made : 



s. a. 

 For his own diet, maintenance, wages, and rewards, 



per diem 10 



Each captain for ditto, ditto 10 



Every soldier, mariner, and gunner, for his wages per 



lunar month 50 



And for his victuals 30 



The ships of this period were high, unwieldy, and narrow ; their guns 

 were close to the water, and they had lofty poops and prows, like 

 Chinese junks, insomuch that Sir Walter Raleigh informs us " that the 

 Mary Hose, a goodly ship of the largest size, by a little sway of the ship 

 in casting about, her ports being within 16 inches of the water, was 

 overset and sunk." This took place at Spithead in the presence of the 

 king, and most of her officers and crew were drowned. The Henri 

 Grace de Dieu, the largest ship built in this reign, is said to have 

 measured above 1000 tons. At the death of Henry VIII., the tonnage 

 of the navy was 12,000 tons. Elizabeth increased the navy greatly. 

 The fleet which met the Spanish Armada numbered 176 ships, manned 

 by 14,996 men; but these were not all "shippes royal," for she en- 

 couraged the merchants to build large ships, which on occasion were 

 converted into ships of war, and rated at 50 to 100 tons more than they 

 measured. She raised the wages of seamen to 10s. per month. Signals 

 were first used in this reign as a means of communication between 

 ships. In 1603 the navy had 42 ships, measuring 17,000 tons. In the 

 reign of James I. lived the first able and scientific naval architect, 

 Phineas Pett, and the king had the good sense to encourage him. Pett 

 introduced a better system of building, and relieved the ships of much 

 of their top hamper. Before the civil wars broke out, Charles I. built 

 the Sovereign of the Seas, of 100 guns, and measuring 1637 tons. In 

 this reign the navy was first divided into rates and classes. Cromwell 

 found the navy much reduced, but his energy restored it, and he left 

 154 sail, measuring 57,643 tons, of which one-third were two-deckers. 

 Cromwell first laid before parliament estimates for the support of the 

 navy, and obtained 400,000/. per annum for that purpose. The navy 

 flourished under Charles II., with the Duke of York at its head, assisted 

 by Samuel Bepys, as secretary, until 1673, when the duke's inability to 

 take the test oath caused his retirement, and the king's pecuniary diffi- 

 culties leading him to neglect the navy, it fell into decay. The Duke 

 of York was recalled to his post in 1684, and at his accession in the 

 following year there were 179 vessels, measuring 103,558 tons. James II., 

 on coming to the throne, took active measures for the restoration of 

 the navy ; he suspended the Navy Board, and appointed a new com- 

 mission, with which he joined Sir Anthony Deane, the best naval 

 architect of the time, who essentially improved the ships of the line by 

 copying from a French model. Four hundred thousand pounds per 

 annum were set apart for naval purposes, and so diligent were the 

 commissioners that at the Revolution the fleet was in excellent con- 

 dition, with sea stores complete for eight months for each ship. The 

 force was 154 vessels, carrying 6930 guns, and 42,000 men. Of these 

 vessels nine were first-rates. 



William III. immediately on being placed on the throne went to war 

 with France, whose navy was then very powerful ; in 1681 it consisted 

 of 179 vessels of all sorts, carrying 7080 guns, besides 30 galleys. An 

 Act was passed m his second year, for building SO ships, to carry 60, 

 70, and 80 guns respectively. The dockyard at Hamoaze, out of which 

 has since grown the considerable town of Devonport, which now returns 

 two members to parliament, was then established. Queen Anne found 

 at her accession the navy to consist of 272 vessels, measuring 159,020 

 tons, but this estimate includes hulks, hoys, and other vessels not 

 carrying guns. At the death of Anne in 1714, the number of ships 

 was less, but the tonnage increased, being ships 198, guns 10,600, 

 tons 156,640. The parliamentary vote of that year was 245,700/., and 

 10,000 seamen and marines. During the first four years of George I., 

 large gums were voted for the extraordinary repairs which were required 

 after the long war. A new establishment of guns also was ordered in 

 this reign. The navy remained stationary till 1739, when hostilities 

 commenced against Spain, and the navy was augmented, particularly in 

 the Bmaller classes of vessels, and the dimensions of several classes were 

 enlarged. War broke out with France in 1744, at which period there 

 were 128 sail of the line. At this time all prizes taken by H.M.'s ships 

 were declared to be the property of the captors. In 1747 a naval 

 uniform was first established. The navy increased vastly during this 

 war, in which 35 sail of the line were taken or destroyed by the 

 English. George III. at his accession found the navy to consist of 



Ships of the line . 



,, 50 guns and under 



127 

 198 



> measuring 321,104 tons, 



The vote for the year 1760 was 432,6292., and 70,000 seamen and 

 marines. In the short war of 1762, 20 sail of the line were added to 

 the navy, and at the end of the American revolutionary war it was 

 composed as follows : 



Sail of the line . . .174 



Under 203 



ARTS AND SCI. DIV. VOL. V. 



J ahou 



t 500,000 tons. 



The navy was kept in a high state of preparation, and when, on the 

 1st of February, 1793, the French republic declared war against 

 England, this country was not unprepared. A period now commences 

 in which the gigantic efforts made by England, and the protection 

 necessary for a mercantile marine, which almost monopolised the com- 

 merce of the world, raised the British navy to such a height as to 

 enable it single-handed to maintain the sovereignty of the seas against 

 all other navies combined. Sir Charles Middleton, afterwards Lord 

 Barham, had, when comptroller of the navy in 1783, established the 

 regulation that a great proportion of stores, sails. &c., should be laid 

 by for each ship in ordinary; so that in a few weeks after the declara- 

 tion of war there were 54 sail of the line and 146 smaller vessels at sea. 

 The vote for the service of the navy was 5,525,3312., 85,000 seamen 

 and marines. The navy of France had never been so powerful : it 

 amounted to above 200 vessels, of which 82 were of the line, and 71 

 in addition were immediately ordered to be built. The English had 

 about 115 sail of the line fit for service, but the majority of the French 

 ships were larger and finer, and carried heavier guns on their lower or 

 principal battery. The following abstract will show the losses on both 

 sides up to the peace of Amiens, exclusive of the casual losses : 



British ships of the line . 

 smaller vessels 



Total . 



Captured. 



5 

 . 37 



. 42 



French ships of the line 

 Dutch ,, 

 Spanish 

 Danish 



32 



18 



6 



Total . 



French smaller vessels 

 Dutch 



Spanish 



Total . 



58 



266 

 62 

 57 



443 



Destroyed. 

 

 9 



11 





 5 







10 



44 



6 



10 



76 



This estimate does not include 807 privateers, chiefly French, taken 

 and destroyed. Of the above, 50 sail of the line and 94 under that 

 size, were added to the British navy. 



During the peace of Amiens preparations for war were actively con- 

 tinued on both sides, and the declaration on the part of England was 

 made in the month of May, 1803, at which time the navy was of the 

 following force, as compared with 1793 : 



1793 

 1803 



Shins of line. 



. 153 

 , . 189 



Under. 

 411 

 781 



Tons. 

 402,555 

 050,976 



Notwithstanding the apparent increase, there were not so many line- 

 of-battle ships fit for sea at the latter as at the former period by about 

 ten. The French force in serviceable line-of-battle ships in March, 

 1803, was 66, the British 111. During this war there were employed 

 from 100,000 to 120,000 seamen and marines till 1810, when the 

 number was increased to 145,000. There were about 100 sail of the 

 line, 150 frigates, and above 200 sloops, besides small armed vessels, 

 amounting in the whole to about 500 sail of pendants constantly 

 employed. The following abstract shows the losses on each side during 

 the war : 



British Ships of the line 

 Under . 



Enemies' Ships of the line 

 Under . . 



Captured. 





 . 83 



83 



. 55 

 . 79 



Destroyed. 

 

 7 



14 



23 



134 37 



under were added to the British 



of which 33 sail of the line and 

 navy. 



In George III.'s reign the dockyard of Pembroke was established. 



The parliamentary vote fur the service of the navy, 1839-40, was as 

 follows : 



Officers . 

 Petty officers 

 Seamen 



Marines 



3,400 

 3,998 

 12,846 



20,244 

 9,000 



29,244 



For the effective service . 3,492,132 

 For the non-effective service 1,488,221 

 Other departments, namely, 



convicts and transport of 



troops . . . . 



Total charge 



217,158 

 . 5,197,511 



The following tables will show the force of the British navy at three 

 distinct periods, namely, the breaking out of the French revolutionary 



