Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea, 1734 (approximate): Finding Aid

History of the British Admiralty

Until 1964, the British Admiralty, under the leadership of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (i.e. members of the Board of Admiralty), was the governing authority of Great Britain's Royal Navy. In 1964, the Admiralty was abolished and the Royal Navy was placed under a new Admiralty Board in the Ministry of Defence. During the 1730s, the time period in which the Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea were written, the Royal Navy participated in relatively few enemy engagements.

Description of Contents

The Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea, written circa 1734, comprise a single, manuscript volume of Royal Navy regulations.

The Regulations are divided into six parts. Part I consists of chapters entitled the Flag Officer or Commanding in Chief; Of Courts Martial; Of Rank and Command; Of Marks of Ceremony and Respect; Of Colours; and Rules to be observed in the Appointment of Officers in Foreign Parts. Part II's chapters include The Captain or Commander; Rules of Discipline and good Government to be observed on board his Majesty's Ships of War; Instructions relating to the Execution of Two Acts of Parliament in Favour of Seamen employed in his Majesty's Service; Rules for the Care of Sick or Hurt Seamen on Board their Own Ships; Rules to be observed in sending Sick or Hurt Seamen out of his Majesty's Ships for Cure; Of the Provisions; Of the Payment of short Allowance Money; Of Slop Clothes; Of Pilotage; Of Convoys; Of Salutes; and Of Prizes. Part III includes chapters entitled The Lieutenant; The Master; The Boatswain and Master Sailmaker; The Gunner, Armourer and Gunsmith; The Carpenter; The Purser; The Surgeon; The Master at Arms and the Corporal; The Schoolmaster; and The Cook. Part IV's chapters include Of Hospital Ships; and The Physician. Part V consists of chapters entitled An Establishment of Sea Wages, and of the Number of Officers allowed to his Majesty's Ships; Of the number of Men, or Servants allowed to Officers; Of Table Money; Of Gratuities to the Relations of Officers and others Slain in Fight with the Enemy; Of Gratuities to Officers Wounded in Fight with the Enemy, and to Seamen Hurt in the Service; and Of Pensions to Superannuated Officers. Part VI's chapters include Form of a Journal to be kept by the Captains and other Officers of his Majesty's Ships; The Form of a Pay Book; The Form of a List for Payment of Two Months Wages; The Form of a List for Payment of Conduct Money; The Form of a List for Payment of two Months in Six; The Form of a Short Allowance List; Form of a Slopbook; List of Merchant Ships and Vessels whose Masters have applied to Proceed under the Convoy of A.R.; A Table of Powder for Service & Scaling; An Account of the Expense of Gunner's Stores; A Table of the Number and Sorts of Shot used in the Grapes; A Table showing the Number, Lengths & [caliber] of Breechings, Tackles, Muzzle Lashings, Port Ropes, and Port Tackle Falls for the Several Rates of Ships; An Abstract of the Receipts and Expenses, or Return of Ordnance Stores; Table of Tools to be provided for the Armourer; The Form of a Survey on decayed Provisions; Form of a Report upon a Survey of Leakage of Beer; Form of a Report on a Survey of the Contents of Pieces of Beef or Pork in a Cask; and Form of keeping a List of Supernumeraries.

Arrangement

The Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea comprise a single volume.

Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

The Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea are the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Purchased in July 1891. Accession No. 31545

Related Materials

Related Archival Material

Additional Royal Navy regulations of the time period can be found in Signals for the Royal Navy and ships under convoy : sailing and fighting instructions : articles of warr, regulations &c. for ye duty of every officer in His Majesty's sea-service given by ye Lords of ye Admiralty, to flag & other officers with ye additional signals of Adm. Vernon &c. & ye flags of all nations, 1747, Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library.

Materials Cataloged Separately

No materials have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately.

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Regulations and Instructions Relating to His Majesty's Service at Sea, MS 222

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Processing Information

This collection was processed in June 1986. Finding aid written by David D'Onofrio in June 2014.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Regulations -- Early works to 1800

Genre Terms

• Manuscripts
• Regulations (executive records)