Redfish
Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 59 Location: Arnhem
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 6:43 am Post subject: Midshipman: gentleman petty officer or warrant officer? |
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Hi,
I always presumed that a midshipman was a petty officer, since he was a non-commissioned officer and I never saw him mentioned in any book I have read so far as a warrant officer. To my surprise, I read in the Naval Chronicles (NC) nr. 33, p. 68 the following:
Quote: | scale of pensions NC33, p. 66 e.v.; p 68:
VII. Of Pensions to Petty and Non-Commissioned Officers.
That the petty and non-commissioned officers (rope maker, ship's corporal,
captain of tops, captain of after-guard, captain of rnasts, corporal
of marines) shall receive, in addition to the rates of pension to which
their service, as seamen, landmen, or marines, would entitle them, one
farthing per diem for each year of their service as such petty or noncommissioned
officer.
That the petty and non-commissioned officers (clerk, schoolmaster,
armourer, master at arms, carpenter's-mate, caulker, quarter-master,
boatswain's-mate, sail-maker, gunner's-mate, yeoman of powder-room,
ditto of sheets, coxswain, quarter-master's-mate, captain of forecastle,
Serjeant of marines) shall be entitled to one halfpenny per diem, in addition
to the rate of pension to which their services as seamen, landmen, or
marines, would entitle them.
VIII. Of Pensions to Warrant Officers.
If it shall at any time please the King in Council, to grant to any of the
warrant officers (boatswain, gunner, carpenter, purser, master, surgeon,
surgeon's assistant, masterVmate, midshipman), on account of wounds or
hurts received in his Majesty's service, a pension on the ordinary estimate
of the navy, such officer or person shall not be entitled to any pension
from Greenwich Hospital. |
YET in other parts of the NC I read the following:
NC33, 165
Quote: | Names of Petty Officers Wounded.
Tonnant Mr. Charles Ogle, midshipman, severely. |
NC34, 67:
Quote: | To the first class of petty officers,
tiamely, the midshipmen, surgeons' assistants, secretaries' clerks, captains*
clerks, schoolmasters, masters at arms, captains' coxswains, gunners*
mates, yeomen of the powder-room, boatswains' mates, yeomen of the
sheets, carpenters' mates, quarter-masters' mates, ships' corporals, captains
of the forecastle, master sail-makers, master caulkers, master ropemakers,
armourers, Serjeants of marines and land forces, four and a half
shares each. |
Does anyone know how do these two differences relate to each other? Was a midshipman a gentleman petty officer, or a warrant officer, or both?
Danni
Last edited by Redfish on Sun May 24, 2009 5:43 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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