Young gentlemen
Encyclopedia
Young gentlemen is an archaic term that was used in the Royal Navy to refer to boys aspiring to become a commissioned officer. Until promotion to lieutenant
, these boys would serve in various rating
s, and the term was used to group all these boys together. A similar term today would be officer candidate
s or cadet
s.
and position on board ship was defined by a mix of two hierarchies, an official hierarchy of ranks and a conventionally-recognized social divide between gentlemen and non-gentlemen. Boys aspiring for a commission were often called 'young gentlemen' instead of their substantive rating to distinguish their higher social standing from the ordinary sailors. Boys would join the navy around the age of 12, and they would serve as a servant for one of the officers, as a volunteer, or as a seaman. After about 3 years, they would be promoted to midshipman
.
'Young gentlemen' was also used as a synonym for midshipmen. Occasionally, a midshipman would be posted aboard a ship in a lower rating such as able seaman
but would eat and sleep with his social equals in the cockpit
. Horatio Nelson
served as an able seaman aboard the Seahorse
. The HMS Bounty
was limited to two midshipman posts, but it carried multiple boys that would had been rated as midshipmen aboard other ships, including Peter Heywood
, and George Stewart, who was mustered as an able seaman but served as acting master's mate
after Fletcher Christian was promoted to acting
lieutenant
.
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, these boys would serve in various rating
Naval rating
A Naval Rating is an enlisted member of a country's Navy, subordinate to Warrant Officers and Officers hence not conferred by commission or warrant...
s, and the term was used to group all these boys together. A similar term today would be officer candidate
Officer Candidate
Officer Candidate is a rank in some militaries of the world that is an appointed position while a person is in training to become an officer. More often than not, an Officer Candidate was a civilian who applied to join the military directly as an officer...
s or cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
s.
History
In the 18th century Royal Navy, rankMilitary rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
and position on board ship was defined by a mix of two hierarchies, an official hierarchy of ranks and a conventionally-recognized social divide between gentlemen and non-gentlemen. Boys aspiring for a commission were often called 'young gentlemen' instead of their substantive rating to distinguish their higher social standing from the ordinary sailors. Boys would join the navy around the age of 12, and they would serve as a servant for one of the officers, as a volunteer, or as a seaman. After about 3 years, they would be promoted to midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
.
'Young gentlemen' was also used as a synonym for midshipmen. Occasionally, a midshipman would be posted aboard a ship in a lower rating such as able seaman
Able seaman
An able seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
but would eat and sleep with his social equals in the cockpit
Cockpit (sailing)
In the Royal Navy, the term cockpit originally referred to the area where the coxswain was stationed. This led to the word being used to refer to the area towards the stern of a small decked vessel that houses the rudder controls...
. Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
served as an able seaman aboard the Seahorse
HMS Seahorse (1748)
HMS Seahorse was a 24-gun sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, famous as the ship on which a young Horatio Nelson served as a midshipman.-Construction and commissioning:...
. The HMS Bounty
HMS Bounty
HMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...
was limited to two midshipman posts, but it carried multiple boys that would had been rated as midshipmen aboard other ships, including Peter Heywood
Peter Heywood
Captain Peter Heywood was a British naval officer who was aboard HMS Bounty during the mutiny of 28 April 1789. He was later captured, tried and condemned to death as a mutineer, but subsequently pardoned...
, and George Stewart, who was mustered as an able seaman but served as acting master's mate
Master's mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master...
after Fletcher Christian was promoted to acting
Acting (rank)
An Acting rank, is a military designation allowing an commissioned- or non-commissioned officer to assume a rank—usually higher and usually temporary—with the pay and allowances appropriate to that grade. As such, an officer may be ordered back to the previous grade...
lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
.