Author Topic: Royal Navy: Midshipmen  (Read 515 times)

Online Watson

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Royal Navy: Midshipmen
« on: Thursday 15 July 21 11:24 BST (UK) »
I see the National Archives have some service records for Royal Navy officers and ratings, but how are midshipmen classified?  Are there similar records for them?  I'm thinking particularly of the Napoleonic era.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Offline RobertHauteville

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Re: Royal Navy: Midshipmen
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 15 July 21 12:41 BST (UK) »
They appear in the usual Ships Muster & Pay books (so you need to know which ship they were in) but also have other records like Letters, applications for Lieutenants exams, Subsistence etc.

Try searching Discovery for "Midshipmen" with "ADM" in Reference and between dates 1801 & 1815.

Online Watson

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Re: Royal Navy: Midshipmen
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 15 July 21 14:35 BST (UK) »
Your reply is much appreciated, Robert.  It has strengthened my hope that a search of the appropriate muster and pay book will be successful - when I can get to Kew.

What I had in mind chiefly with my query were the sets of records which contain summaries of careers, including the ships on which they served.  For example, Ancestry has a dataset entitled UK, Naval Officer and Rating Service Records, 1802-1919.  I get the impression there is no equivalent coverage of midshipmen, but I don't understand why.  Do they fall into a gap between officers and ratings, or what?

Offline AncestryPete

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Re: Royal Navy: Midshipmen
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 22 July 21 13:06 BST (UK) »
I am certain that "snotties" had to each maintain a Midshipmans Log or Book and have heard that these were preserved amongst Admiralty records.
best of luck Pete


Online Watson

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Re: Royal Navy: Midshipmen
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 22 July 21 15:52 BST (UK) »
Thank you, AncestryPete.  You are right about this.  Using Discovery, I have noticed that in Napoleonic times many such logs are held in repositories other than the National Archives, so I'm not sure whether there is a consistent series of public records.