Royal Marines in the 19th Century
Background
The Royal Marines were formed in 1664, during the early stages of the Second Dutch
War. An Order in Council of Friday 28 October 1664 raised a regiment of 1200 land
soldiers, to be distributed into His Majesty's Fleets prepared for sea service. The
regiment was known as the 'Admirals Regiment', and also as "The Duke of York and
Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot". In the early days the existence of the Marine
Regiments depended on the exigencies of war. They were disbanded altogether in 1713, at
the end of the war with Spain, not being reformed until 1739. They disbanded again in
1745, not reforming until 1755, when Britain was preparing for war with France. In April
1755 an Order in Council approved the recruitment of a total of 5000 regulars, formed into
three Grand Divisions based at the Portsmouth, Chatham and Plymouth. The Marines totalled
50 companies and were under the control of the Board of the Admiralty. Prior to that
Marines had been under the control of the Admiralty whilst at sea and the Army whilst on
shore.
The Marines were never again disbanded and their numbers steadily grew. In 1802 they totalled 30,000 men, and the same year they were granted the title "Royal" by George III.
2,600 Royal Marines took part in the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, with 17 of their officers and 332 men killed or wounded.
Peace with France meant that Britain entered a period where the Royal Marines were
deployed throughout the world, to protect and enlarge both the Empire and Britain's trade.
This period lasted for the remainder of the nineteenth century.
Recruitment and Training
Marines were primarily ship based infantry, and seafaring skills were not
therefore of prime importance. Recruiting sergeants roamed Britain, displaying posters in
towns and villages throughout England. Tales were told of adventure and excitement in far
off lands, and that, together with the promise of free accommodation and food whilst on
board ship, and a regular wage persuaded many young men to join. Others, mindful of the
fact that the Marines, like soldiers were recruited for life, were persuaded perhaps by
the bounty. In 1801, at the height of the war with France, the bounty was £26, but by
1842 this had reduced to less than £4. Foreigners were sometimes recruited to make up
numbers, especially during times of war.
Once the candidate had enlisted he was given a medical examination by a surgeon. The
examination was a superficial one to ensure that the recruit had no obvious physical
disabilities and was in a fit state to cope with the rigours of service life, and the
surgeon also noted the recruit's height and appearance. The final stage was for the
recruit to appear in front of a local magistrate to be attested. The recruit answered a
series of questions which the Magistrate read from a standard form, swore the oath of
allegiance, signed the attestation form, on which the questions and his responses were
recorded, then received the bounty. The young man had signed on for unlimited service. A
link to a completed Attestation form can be found at the end of this page.
The recruits mustered at one of the Divisions for training and to receive their uniforms.
Barracks were near the dockyards at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth, and between 1805 and
1869 there was a further division at Woolwich. The training was mostly land based and
using similar weapons and tactics to that of an infantryman.
Duties
In the early part of the 17th century there was much debate as to what were the duties of Marines. By the eighteenth century the debate had been resolved. They were totally under the control of the Admiralty, and their main roles were:-
- Guard and sentry duties, the maintenance of discipline and enforcement of regulations aboard ship. Marines quarters aboard ship were kept separate from those of seamen. They stood guard when punishment was being carried out.
- At friendly ports they performed guard duties, maintained order and ensured that sailors did not desert the ship.
- Garrison captured fortresses until relieved by the infantry.
- Act as sharpshooters and gunners on board ship.
- Act as boarding parties to seize ships and assist in sailing captured ships to friendly ports.
- On occasion to fight on land, as at the battles Balaclava and Inkermann.
To carry out these duties a First rate 100 gun warship required a complement of 170 Marines.
An ancestor of mine served with the Royal Marines from 1841 to 1862, first as a Private, then latterly as a Corporal. A transcript of his complete service record, including Attestation and Discharge certificates can be found here.
Further Information
If you have an ancestor who was a Royal Marine then start your search by taking a look at "Royal Marines Records in the Public Records Office". This is available online at the Public Records Office site Public Records Office
Literature
Britain's Sea Soldiers. 2 volumes. By C. Field (1924)
The Royal Marines. By JL Moulton (1972)
Nelson's Navy. By Brian Lavery
The Royal Marines Museum Guide. The Story of Britain's Sea Soldiers.
Museums
The Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Southsea, Hampshire. England. PO4 9PX