Schoolies: Teachers of the Royal Navy and Royal
Marines 1700-1914
From 1729 to 1816, he was rated a college volunteer (a graduate of the Royal Naval Academy/ College, dealt with further in these writings). To fit the volunteer per order and college volunteer into the system, the rate of ordinary midshipman existed. The latter was a supernumerary, paid as an able seaman and occupying the position of the same within a ships hierarchy, however, his time counted toward the qualifying time for lieutenant. Examinations were the tools used to weed unqualified individuals from the promotional garden of lieutenants. Over time, as educational institutions of the Royal Navy were founded and evolved, ones birth and influence were tempered with the requirement to pass an examination in order to gain promotion and thus point the way to higher command. Admittedly, however, the latter was attained through a combination of practical skill and patronage, rather than knowledge gleaned from the page. Still, book learning formed a base upon which to build a future. Though the first reference to a naval educator (dubbed an ingenious person) appeared in the Order-in-Council of Queen Anne (14 March 1702), the official title of schoolmaster was not present in this order. A decade later, Admiralty warrants included the term schoolmaster for the first time, but alas, applied no official designation. In fact, the schoolmaster was an inferior warrant officer without an official title, who received the pay of an ordinary midshipman. Since he was appointed by the captain, his professional and social status on board amounted to that of a petty officer without a uniform. Indeed, ships captains would influence the overall provision of education for decades to come. In terms of crossing palms with silver, Queen Annes Order-in-Council did sweeten the pockets of would-be seagoing teachers by eventually offering a bounty of £20 per annum for service in ships of the first through sixth rates, in addition to an ordinary midshipmans pay. However, before any British captain could consider taking on a schoolmaster, that individual must have shown proof of qualification from the Corporation of Trinity House at Deptford, in addition to producing a certificate under the hands of Good Substantial People that he is of Sober Life and Conversation. The Trinity House certificate spoke of competency in navigation but did nothing to address the holders ability to teach. Actual teacher training did not begin in the Royal Navy until well into the 19th century The schoolmaster cometh! An unusual instance of a disguised schoolmaster is provided by Kilgour Davison. His Naval General Service Medal with clasps MARTINIQUE (Midshipman/ Neptune) and GUADALOUPE (Acting Lieutenant/Vimiera), is known, named KILGOUR DAVISON, ACTG. LIEUT. RN. Davison was educated at Aberdeen University and entered the Navy in April 1803 as a schoolmaster in Ethalion, aged about 26 years. He participated in the capture of the Dutch West Indies islands of St Thomas and St Croix in December 1807 and served in Ethalion until December 1808. Message and Douglas-Morris both show Davison as a midshipman in Neptune for the MARTINIQUE clasp. Although Douglas-Morris also has him as a midshipman in that ship on the GUADALOUPE clasp roll, he incorrectly lists the ship as Intrepid. Another example of a schoolmaster attaining his lieutenancy is illustrated by John McKerlies NGS. He was a quarter gunner (petty officer) for the INDEFATIGABLE 20 APRIL 1796 clasp, then schoolmaster for INDEFATIGABLE 13 JAN. 1797 and, finally, Lieutenant in Spartiate at Trafalgar. The picture shows midshipmen under instruction from the Master
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