136-540: The Sea Fencibles were naval fencible (a shortening of defencible ) units established to provide a close-in line of defence and obstruct the operation of enemy shipping, principally during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . The earliest recorded use of the term was in 1793, when Royal Navy captain Sir Home Popham organised groups of fishermen to guard against French vessels off
272-597: A Royal Proclamation or Order in Council issued when appropriate. This act made no provision for privateers as the United Kingdom had signed the Declaration of Paris , which outlawed privateering by the ships of signatory nations. The Royal Proclamation on the division of prize money dated 19 May 1866 provided for a single admiral to receive, or several admiral to share, one-thirtieth of the prize money pool;
408-622: A Vice-Admiralty to that of an independent court. In France, prize jurisdiction lay with the Admiral of France until that office was suppressed in 1627. A commission of jurists, the prize council ( Conseil des Prises ), was established in 1659 to deal with the adjudication of all prizes and the distribution of prize money, although many French privateers tried to evade its scrutiny. Cormack (2002), p. 76. The Prize Council only functioned in times of war until 1861: it then became permanent until its dissolution in 1965. Although officers and men of
544-401: A basis similar to Britain, they abolished the practice in 1899 and 1901 respectively. The Third Geneva Convention now only allows the arms, military equipment and military documents of prisoners of war to be seized and prohibits the award of booty. The Crown of England had, from medieval times, legal rights over certain property found or captured at sea or found on the shore. These included
680-517: A fund for naval widows and wounded. During the Dutch Revolt , William the Silent as sovereign Prince of Orange , was able to issue letters of marque to privateers and, before the end of the 16th century five partly autonomous admiralties had emerged, under the oversight of the states general . During the 17th and 18th centuries, the each of these was responsible for providing warships to
816-463: A group of older captains whose Navy careers were near their natural end. The oldest captain, Sir Edmund Nagle , had served at sea for more than three decades before taking command of the Sea Fencibles at Shoreham-by-Sea in 1803. Home Popham himself was appointed to head up the district between Beachy Head and Deal, the area considered at greatest risk of French invasion. Another Sea Fencible
952-584: A half share each (referred to as an eighth-class share). A notable prize award related to a capture in January 1807, when the frigate Caroline took the Spanish ship San Rafael as a prize, netting Captain Peter Rainier £52,000. For much of the 18th century and until 1815, the main complaints about prize money concerned delays in its payment and practices that deprived ordinary seamen of much of what
1088-719: A large discount. Other seamen authorised another individual to collect their prize money, who did not always pass it on, or lost out when they transferred to a new ship, if their prize money were not forwarded. A final issue of contention was that the value of prizes assessed in overseas Vice-Admiralty courts could be reassessed in the Admiralty Court in Britain if the Admiralty appealed the initial valuation. Excessive valuations in Vice-Admiralty courts, particularly in
1224-418: A payment on account of their expected prize money, although it was in clear breach of the instructions issued in 1665 at the outbreak of the war that required ships and goods to be declared as lawful prizes by an Admiralty court before any goods in its hold could be removed. Three of those officers offered 2,000 pounds of goods refused to take them, and the untitled captains complained against the arrangement. In
1360-580: A privateer was to be surveyed by representatives of the prize council, who would recover their costs out of the sale proceeds, and retain a tenth of the net proceeds as the Admiralty portion. Officers and men of the French Royal Navy were entitled to share four-fifths of the value of a merchant ship captured, with one tenth of the proceeds retained by the Admiralty and a further tenth for sick and injured seamen. Gun money for an enemy warship or armed privateer captured or destroyed. The Admiralty tenth
1496-491: A prize court. When the British army and navy acted together, it was normal for instructions to say how any prizes and booty should be shared, and the shares allocated. In this case, combined naval and military force to be dealt with under naval prize law rules. Although prize law still exists, the payment of prize money to privateers ceased in practice during the second half of the 19th century and prize money for naval personnel
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#17327717372511632-836: A section of the coastline. Company command was vested in three Royal Navy captains and up to six Lieutenants per district. The district captains reported in turn to the Director of Sea Fencibles, an admiral. In 1803 this was Sir Edmund Nagle . A senior Sea Fencibles captain received £ 1 15s a day (equivalent to £178 today), junior captains received £1 10s (equivalent to £153 today), and Lieutenants 8s 6d (equivalent to £44 today). Petty Officers received 2s 6d (equivalent to £13 today) for each day they assembled, while Ordinary Seamen received 1 shilling and provisions (food and drink), or 2 shillings if no provisions were available (equivalent to £5 and £10 today). Sea Fencibles were also eligible to receive prize and salvage money. For example, on 13 June 1805
1768-613: A share of prize money. Admirals of Ireland were appointed in the late Middle Ages to what was a mainly honorific position involving few official tasks. However, from the late 16th century, these admirals became the Irish representatives of the Lord Admiral of England. They were sometimes referred to as the Vice-Admiral of Ireland, but had no control over the royal fleet in Irish waters. Ireland also had its own Admiralty Court from
1904-437: A single captain or commanding officer to receive, or several share, one-tenth of the pool, and the residue to be allocated to officers and ratings in 10 classes in specified shares. The Prize Courts Acts of 1894 provided that regulations for setting up of prize courts and on prize money should in future be initiated at the start of any war only by an Order in Council and not by Royal Proclamation. The Naval Prize Act 1918 changed
2040-900: A smack and thereby prevent it being taken also. The same month when it became clear that the threat of invasion by Bonaparte had passed, the Sea-Fencibles were disbanded. In 1798, watermen and other groups of river tradesmen on the River Thames voluntarily formed associations of River Fencibles. Officially established in 1803 as "Corps of River Fencibles of the City of London", to be Captain-Commander Mathias Lucas (1761-1848), Esq. Captains - John Drinkeid, Esq. jun., Henry Grey, Esq, Jeffery Smith, Esq., James Betts, Esq, John Clarkson, Gent., William Chapman, Esq., William Burgess, Esq., Henry Dudin, Esq and lieutenants and ensigns, by 1804 they had uniformed commissioned officers in command. Members of
2176-462: A small number of armed vessels for use in districts where there were insufficient private craft to meet a Sea Fencible company's needs. A member of the Sea Fencibles would spend one day a week training. They were also allowed to choose their own Petty Officers at the rate of one per 25 men. All Sea Fencibles received a certificate that exempted them from impressment into the Navy. The Treasury argued that
2312-453: A state of war to exist. Similar monetary awards include military salvage , the recapture of ships captured by an enemy before an enemy prize court has declared them to be valid prizes (after such ships have been condemned, they are treated as enemy ships), and payments termed gun money , head money or bounty , distributed to men serving in a state warship that captured or destroyed an armed enemy ship. The amount payable depended at first on
2448-460: A strategic basis, only guerre de course was viable when financial problems prevented the maintenance of a battle fleet. Even when it was possible to equip a battle fleet, the French naval doctrine that a fleet must avoid any action that might prevent it carrying out its designated mission, prioritised defensive tactics which made captures and prize money unlikely. When a policy of commerce raiding
2584-452: A very heavy expense to the public". In January 1810, Sea Fencibles from Happisburgh and Winterton used newly issued Manby mortars to effect successful rescues of those on board two vessels driven ashore in a gale. On 3 February 1810, off Newhaven a French privateer lugger took a brig, in response five small boats of Sea Fencibles set off to attempt to recover the brig, outgunned they were unable to do so, however, some were able to board
2720-452: Is detailed in the next section. However, a proclamation of 1812 soon after the start of the War of 1812 made a further revision to the rules on allocation, such that the admiral and captain jointly received one-quarter of the prize money with one-third of this going to the admiral, a reduction from their previous entitlement. The master and lieutenants received one-eighth of the prize money, as did
2856-510: Is the movable property of an enemy state or its subjects which can be used for warlike purposes, in particular its soldiers' arms and equipment, captured on land, as opposed to prize which is hostile property captured at sea. It is legally the property of the victorious state, but all or part of it (or its value) may be granted to the troops that capture it. In British practice, although the Crown may grant booty and to specify its distribution, this
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#17327717372512992-700: The Firth of Forth . On 1 February, Popham went to Hastings with the proposals from the Lords of the Admiralty, for raising a Corps of Sea Fencibles, to Man the batteries erected near Hastings and Pevensey Bay , for the defence of the Coast. Over 200 persons chiefly sailors, enrolled themselves for the Service. Britain's Sea Fencibles were duly formed on 14 May 1798 "for the protection of the coast, either on shore or afloat; comprising all fishermen and other persons occupied in
3128-519: The Princess Augusta took several shot near the water line and sustained extensive damage to her rigging. Still, she suffered only three men wounded, though one desperately. The French vessel sheered off on the approach of two schooners manned with Sea Fencibles from Redcar . The French privateer reportedly was under the command of a notorious pirate with the name "Blackman". The French privateer brig Intrepide , of 16 guns, from Cherbourg ,
3264-761: The Rebellion of 1798 where they fought in some pitched battles. The 3rd Argyllshire Regiment , who like some other fencible regiments had terms of service that extended to any part of Europe, garrisoned Gibraltar (as did Banffshire Fencibles , 2nd Argyllshire Fencibles , and the Prince of Wales Own Fencibles ) The Dumbarton Fencibles Regiment was raised in Scotland, garrisoned Guernsey , fought in Ireland, and detachment escorted prisoners to Prussia. The Ancient Irish Fencibles were sent to Egypt where they took part in
3400-905: The Royal 22nd Regiment ), the Royal Newfoundland Fencibles (perpetuated by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment ), and the New Brunswick Regiment of Fencible Infantry (perpetuated by the Royal New Brunswick Regiment ). The Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles (perpetuated by the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders ) was formed in February 1812, several months prior to the war. In addition to these Canadian units,
3536-642: The Royal Malta Fencible Artillery until 1881. The term 'Fencible' was dropped in 1889 and it became the Royal Malta Artillery . In 1847 the Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps were raised and sent to New Zealand for the defence of the early settlers there. They were settled in four new outlying villages around Auckland, (then the capital), at Onehunga , Otahuhu , Panmure , and Howick ,
3672-689: The Royal Manx Fencibles (third corps, 1803–1811) no more fencible regiments were raised for home defence. In the early years of the 19th Century, regiments of Fencibles were raised in the Canadas , New Brunswick , Newfoundland , and Nova Scotia. The regiments were liable for service in North America only (although the New Brunswick Fencibles volunteered for general service and became the 104th Regiment of Foot in
3808-719: The Sea Fencibles (raised in 1798 and disbanded in 1810). By the Peace of Amiens in 1802, all Fencible Regiments had been disbanded and those members willing to continue serving had been transferred to regular army regiments. When the Napoleonic Wars resumed the British used alternative methods to defend the Home Nations (see for example the Additional Forces Acts 1803 ) and with the exception of
3944-536: The Susannah and her prize crew. Lieutenant Nicholas, with the assistance of Revenue Collector Brooking, who provided small arms and a boat, took another detachment of Sea Fencibles and, accompanied by a boat from the cutter HMS Nimble , set off, unsuccessfully, to capture the privateer. On 11 March of the same year, the Margate Sea Fencibles were somewhat more successful. When a small cutter
4080-455: The Thames and other southern English towns and cities, as well as Sea Fencibles , who, among their other duties, crewed small commercial vessels converted to coastal defence. The first regiments were raised in Scotland in 1759. In England county militia regiments were raised for internal defence in the absence of the regular army; but it was not deemed prudent to extend the system to Scotland,
4216-541: The sixth-rate frigate Vestal and the Sea Fencibles recaptured the Industry , off Hastings, and shared the subsequent salvage money. Sea Fencible volunteers were trained in the use of arms and were required to man watch and signal towers, and fixed and floating batteries along the coasts and ports. Those who operated commercial vessels, for example local fishermen, received up to four cannons per craft and training in their maintenance and use. The Admiralty commissioned
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4352-579: The "zeal and readiness" of the Hastings men. A second case occurred on 9 January 1799. The next day Captain Edward Buller , commander of the Sea Fencibles along the coast of Devon, reported that on the previous day, the brig Susannah had left Dartmouth only to fall prey to the French 14-gun privateer Heureux Speculateur . The Brixham Sea Fencibles seeing this take place, took a boat, and armed only with muskets and pikes, succeeded in recapturing
4488-590: The 17th century, and the United States for the 18th and 19th centuries. The smaller navies of maritime states such as Denmark and Sweden, had little chance of gaining prize money because they had few opportunities to capture enemy ships in wartime, both because, after the Great Northern War , they were rarely involved in naval wars and, when they were, their fleets were much weaker than their major opponents. Booty of war, also termed spoils of war
4624-515: The 17th century, the greatest number of privateers operated under the jurisdiction of the Admiralty of Zeeland , and its councillors based in Middelburg spent a great deal of time dealing with the complex business of adjudicating prizes. Prizes were normally sold by auction, and the large numbers captured in the 17th century wars against Spain, England and France depressed prices and restricted
4760-589: The Admiralty Court found that a seizure was unlawful, the ships and cargo was restored to its owner, and the captor would be responsible for any loss or costs arising. After the Act of Union 1707 between England and Scotland, the former English prize money rules applied to Great Britain. The War of the Spanish Succession continued until 1714. An act of 1708, generally known as the Cruisers and Convoys Act
4896-584: The British Army. In October a French army of 12,000 men laid siege to the British-held town of Nieuwpoort, which was defended by a garrison of 1,300. French capture of Neiuwpoort would have cleared the path for an assault on the British headquarters at Ostend. In support of the Nieuwpoort garrison, Popham armed and equipped the town's fishing fleet and led it in action against French vessels along
5032-537: The British frigate Active and sloop Favourite . The two captains, Herbert Sawyer and Philemon Pownoll , received about £65,000 apiece, while each seaman and Marine got £482 to £485. The total pool of prize money for this capture was £519,705 after expenses. However, the capture of the Hermione did not lead to the largest award of prize money to an individual. As a result of the Siege of Havana , which led to
5168-632: The Corps escorted the barge carrying the body of Lord Nelson along the Thames in small boats during his state funeral in 1806. In 1807, River Fencibles sailed to Copenhagen to help bring back some of the Danish vessels captured there after the second Battle of Copenhagen . The Greenwich River Fencibles consisted of a commandant, three captains, six lieutenants, 24 masters, 24 mates, and 157 gunners and privates. The Government provide pikes, but nothing else, so
5304-460: The Crown granted these rights, and legal jurisdiction the property specified in them, to the Lord Admiral. This jurisdiction ceased in 1702, but the name Droits of Admiralty remained in use. Early prize law made little distinction between financial rewards made to officers and men of the Royal Navy and to privateers (civilians authorised to attack enemy shipping by letters of marque issued by
5440-425: The Crown insisted that the validity of prizes and their value had to be determined by royal courts, and that it should retain a portion of their value. In some cases, an English ship failing to bring a prize for adjudication was confiscated. Beyond this, it was left to the discretion of the Crown, guided by custom, as to what should be allocated to those taking prizes, and how that prize money should be allocated between
5576-566: The Crown), as the former did not exist as a permanent force until the 16th century. Mediaeval rulers had no administrative mechanism to adjudicate prizes or collect the royal share. The first Admiralty Court in England with responsibility for prize and prize money issues was created in 1483 and subordinate Vice-Admiralty courts were later set up in British colonies. Appeal from the Court of Admiralty
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5712-497: The Crown, and it was left to them how they sold their prizes and distributed the proceeds. However, in the case of captures by royal ships, one-third of their value went to the officers and men of the captor, and one third to the king, from which he could reward flag officers. The final one-third was to benefit those sick and wounded, as before, and for the first time was also used to pay dependents of crew members killed and to fund Greenwich Hospital . The Prize Act 1692 also abolished
5848-529: The English fleet, the Crown might but bought it. However, until 1708, the purchase price was fixed by the Admiralty, whose agents were suspected of valuing them cheaply or inflating the cost of repairs. The 1643 ordinance also introduced two new measures: that part of the money not allocated to the ship's crew would go to the sick and wounded, and that English ships recaptured from an enemy were to be returned to their owner on payment of one-eighth of their value to
5984-525: The Fencibles were to be raised by the ordinary mode of recruiting, and like the regiments of the line, the officers were to be appointed, and their commissions signed by the king. Most fencible regiments had no liability for overseas service however there were exceptions. Ireland while not united with the Kingdom of Great Britain until 1801 was the destination for several British fencible regiments during
6120-630: The Fencibles with uniforms and weapons; it also protected them from the depredations of navy press gangs . The British Admiralty disbanded its Sea Fencible units in 1810. Royal Navy captain Sir Home Popham developed the Sea Fencibles concept while serving as Britain's Agent for Transport in Flanders during the French Revolutionary Wars. In July 1793, Popham went to Ostend to oversee the fleet of Navy transports supplying
6256-623: The French Navy were, in principle, entitled to prize money, and depriving men of prize money due to them was an established disciplinary measure, awards were relatively rare. During the 17th and 18th centuries, French naval strategy alternated between that of guerre d'escadre , maintaining a fully-equipped battle fleet for control of the sea, and guerre de course , sometimes using naval ships but more often privateers, including smaller naval warships leased to private individuals, to destroy an enemy's maritime commerce. Although these alternatives had
6392-471: The Irish Sea Fencibles had some 28 gun vessels of various sorts - a brig, three galliots , and the rest sloops. Generally these carried two 18-pounder guns and two 18-pounder carronades. The owners usually provided a crew consisting of four men and a boy, with the plan that Sea Fencibles would augment this cadre when the vessels had to put out to sea. There were Sea Fencible units attached to
6528-528: The Michigan Fencibles, a small unit of 45 troops, was raised at Fort Mackinac in 1813. The Bombay Fencibles were raised in 1799 by the following order of the Bombay Army: "A regiment consisting of two battalions of natives to be, under the denomination of the 'Bombay fencibles,' raised from the inhabitants of Bombay, Salsette, and Caranjah, on condition of not being liable to serve out of
6664-439: The Navy for reimbursement. This was allowed, but William Marsden , First Secretary of the Admiralty, wrote: "But although the conduct of the persons who exerted themselves on this occasion, in saving the lives and property of their fellow creatures is highly meritorious, it has no relation to the service for which they were enrolled, and the precedent, if followed in all other parts where Sea Fencibles are established, would occasion
6800-737: The Scottish Admiral issuing regular Letters of marque at the start of the war. At least 80 privateers operating from Scottish ports in these two wars have been identified, and contemporaries estimated as many as 120 may have operated against Dutch and Danish merchant ships, including some English ships operating under Scottish commissions. Apart from ships of the Dutch East India Company, many Dutch merchant ships and of its Danish ally were poorly armed and undermanned. Most of these engaged in Atlantic trade had to sail around
6936-554: The Sea Fencibles attempted a rescue. Similarly, in January 1809, when HMS Pigeon was wrecked at Kingsgate, near Margate, the Sea Fencibles helped rescue the survivors. However, the Navy was not entirely enthusiastic about this role. In late 1804, the Sea Fencibles in Kinsale rescued the crew of a vessel wrecked in the District. Their commander, Commander Terence O'Neill, reimbursed them out of his own pocket, and then applied to
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#17327717372517072-585: The United Kingdom. The Treaty of Amiens of March 1802 ended the hostilities of the French Revolutionary Wars and those of the Napoleonic Wars commenced in May 1803, when the United Kingdom declared war in France. Prize acts at the start of war with France and Spain repeated the provisions of the 1793 Act, which in turn largely repeated those of 1708. The basis of distribution under these acts
7208-578: The West Indies, arose because the courts charged fees based on the prizes' values. This led to delays and possible reduced payments. To some extent, delays arose from the time taken by Vice-Admiralty courts adjudicating whether captured ships were legitimate prizes and, if they were, their value. In the War of 1812, the Vice-Admiralty courts at Halifax, Nova Scotia , and, to a lesser extent, Bermuda had to deal with many, often small, American ships captured both by privateers and naval vessels, leading to lengthy legal delays in adjudication. Once an adjudication
7344-404: The above principles that allowed for monetary rewards for captures. However, details of prize money law and practice are known for relatively few of these. They include English rules from the 17th century, which formed the basis for the rules for Great Britain and the United Kingdom in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, those of France from the 17th to 20th centuries, the Dutch Republic , mainly for
7480-431: The ancient right of pillage, standardised gun money at 10 pounds a gun and provided for salvage to be paid by the owners of English ships recaptured from the enemy. Until 1692, the allocation of the one-third of the value of prize money due to the officers and men had been a matter of custom, but it was then fixed as one-third (or one-ninth of the total prize money) to the captain, one-third to other officers and one-third to
7616-423: The award of prize money were usually heard in a prize court , which had to adjudicate the claim and condemn the prize before any distribution of cash or goods could be made to the captors. Other cases in which prize money has been awarded include prize money for the capture of pirate ships, slave ships after the abolition of the slave trade and ships trading in breach of the Navigation Acts , none of which required
7752-458: The battalions of St. John, Charlotte and Northumberland counties in New Brunswick during the War of 1812 to protect port facilities in the colony. They were raised among seafaring men in coastal communities and seem to have all disbanded after the war. From 1833 to 1867, there was a unit of Saint John Sea Fencibles that functioned primarily as an artillery unit. Its officers and men wore naval uniforms. Fencible The Fencibles (from
7888-419: The bounty for all slaves was reduced to a flat rate of 10 pounds, and it was further reduced to 5 pounds for each live slave in 1830. The decline in captures prompted an increase in prize money in 1839 to 5 pounds for each slave landed alive, half that sum for slaves that had died and one pound and ten shillings for each ton of the captured vessel's tonnage. The following scheme for distribution of prize money
8024-526: The captain). One eighth was divided among the lieutenants , sailing master , and captain of marines , if any. One eighth was divided among the wardroom warrant officers ( surgeon , purser , and chaplain), standing warrant officers (carpenter, boatswain , and gunner ), lieutenant of marines, and the master's mates . One eighth was divided among the junior warrant and petty officers, their mates, sergeants of marines, captain's clerk , surgeon's mates , and midshipmen . The final two eighths were divided among
8160-426: The capture of English or foreign vessels trading in breach of that act as prizes, and allowed Vice-Admiralty courts in the English colonies to adjudicate their value, and to award one-third of this value to the captor, one third to the colonial governor and one third to the Crown. These overseas Vice-Admiralty courts were, from 1692, also able to deal with wartime prizes. Secondly, an Order in Council of 1644 increased
8296-462: The capture of enemy ships. The Prize Act 1948 abolished the Crown prerogative of granting prize money or any money arising from Droits of the Crown in wartime. For more on the prize court during World War I , see Maxwell Hendry Maxwell-Anderson . After the British abolition of the slave trade in 1807, an additional source of prize money arose when Royal Navy ships of the West Africa Squadron captured slave ships. Under an Order in Council of 1808,
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#17327717372518432-405: The capture of the Spanish frigates Thetis and Santa Brigada in October 1799, £652,000, was split up among the crews of four British frigates, with each captain being awarded £40,730 and the seamen each receiving £182 4s 9 3 ⁄ 4 d or the equivalent of 10 years' pay. After the Acts of Union 1800 between Great Britain and Ireland, the former prize money rules of Great Britain applied to
8568-434: The captured ship but were out of sight when another captured it, or where a squadron commander claimed a share in a prize captured by his subordinate in disobedience to that commander's orders. In order to minimise disputes, some captains and crews of ships on the same mission made time-limited agreements to share prize money. In the case of privateers, for one to claim a share of prize money, it had to give actual assistance to
8704-444: The coast against an Enemy, are to apply to Capt. Edge, at Southwold, who commands from Yarmouth to Harwich; Capt. Baker at Aldborough, or Capt. Rillwick at Lowestoft. They are only required to attend one day in the week, to exercise at the pike and guns a few hours, and will be allowed a shilling each on those days, and if called up on actual service, the pay of an able seaman, and Eight-pence a day subsistence. Sea Fencibles recruitment
8840-495: The coast of Nieuwpoort, Belgium . At Popham's suggestion the British Admiralty subsequently authorised the formation of co-ordinated Sea Fencible units along the English and Irish coasts. From 1804 on they were supported by a network of Martello towers . Popham's Sea Fencible companies consisted of merchant seamen using their own private or commercial vessels, but operating under letters of marque that authorised them to capture enemy ships should opportunity arise. The Navy provided
8976-431: The coast. In correspondence with the Admiralty Popham named his impromptu fleet the "Sea Fencibles," drawing an analogy with the land-based Scottish Highland Fencible Corps . After three days the French abandoned the siege of Nieuwpoort and withdrew towards Toulon . Both the Army's Commander-in-Chief the Duke of York and field commander General Sir Charles Grey subsequently acknowledged that Popham's actions in "arming
9112-439: The corps were assembled in the Corn-market, for the purpose of delivering up their arms. The members thereof not having had any previous intimation from the Government with respect to its intentions, were much surprised as well as dissatisfied.— A warm press afterwards took place on the River, and several of them were picked up. The consequence of losing their protected status as Fencibles meant these men were liable to be pressed for
9248-415: The course of the removal of goods from the Dutch ships' holds, many English sailors joined in the plundering, and a large quantity of spices and other valuable goods were stolen or spoilt. The Earl of Sandwich lost his command, and the government lost goods and money that could have been used to send the fleet back to sea. English privateers were very prominent at sea during the Anglo-Dutch Wars , attacking
9384-408: The crew, with able and specialist seamen receiving larger shares than ordinary seamen, landsmen, and boys. The pool for the seamen was divided into shares, with each able seaman getting two shares in the pool (referred to as a fifth-class share), an ordinary seaman received a share and a half (referred to as a sixth-class share), landsmen received a share each (a seventh-class share), and boys received
9520-433: The crew. During this war, in 1701, the Admiralty had established a board of prize commissioners, who appointed local prize agents at British and some colonial ports, and were responsible for the custody of ships captured both by privateers and royal ships until these captures were either condemned or released. Although privateers were free to dispose of prize ships and goods after they were condemned and any duties were paid,
9656-482: The crews of privateers operating from the British colonies in America and the Caribbean were often paid wages as well as a share of prize money, but the crews of those operating from British ports usually received no wages and the cost of the provisions they consumed was deducted from their prize money. The owners of privateers generally took half the value of any prize and also charged a further 10% to cover prize agents' fees and other commissions. The captain received 8% of
9792-608: The crews. The right of disposing of captured prizes and pre-emption in acquiring their goods was also retained by the Lord Admiral. Even before the Second Anglo-Dutch War formally began, two steps were taken by the English government that were liable to promote hostility between England and the Netherlands. Firstly, in 1663, the Navigation Act , which aimed to restrict Dutch maritime trade, authorised
9928-472: The custody of Admiralty prize agents before adjudication by the Admiralty Court, and of paying customs duties on captured cargoes. However, once they had paid these duties, Royal Navy captors were free to sell these cargoes at the best prices rather than having to sell them through Admiralty prize agents, as privateers had always been able to do so. The act also allowed Royal Navy captains, officers and crews to appoint their own experts and prize agents to dispute
10064-482: The exemption from impressment was the principal reason smugglers joined as impressment was a common punishment for smuggling. The Sea Fencibles operated in accordance with letters of marque authorising the capture of French or Spanish merchant shipping and a share of the proceeds should the seized vessel then be sold. Their fleet consisted of small vessels such as colliers and coasting vessels such as hoys adapted to serve as gunboats. The owners were expected to pay for
10200-414: The fishermen of Flanders in defence of their own towns" had played a significant role in preserving British control of Nieuwpoort. Popham himself was also impressed with the success of the Sea Fencibles in keeping the coast clear of enemy landing craft. When a French invasion of Britain appeared imminent in 1798, Popham recommended that Admiralty create a similar body to defend the coast between Cornwall and
10336-478: The fitting of slides, ring and eye bolts for the installation of guns, usually two forward and two aft, and in smaller craft to fit sweeps for use in calms. The Admiralty provided guns, ammunition and powder, and it required the ship owners to keep close and regular accounts of their use. The owners were under orders to co-operate with the Royal Navy , and they were entitled to payment of compensation, according to
10472-793: The government paid 60 pounds for each male slave freed, 30 pounds for each woman and 10 pounds for each child aged under 14. This was paid in lieu of any prize money for the captured slave ship, which became the property of the British government, and it was allocated in the same proportions as other prize money. Between 1807 and 1811, 1,991 slaves were freed through the Vice-Admiralty Court of Sierra Leone , and between 1807 and mid-1815, HM Treasury paid Royal Navy personnel 191,100 pounds in prize money for slaves freed in West Africa. Condemned slave ships were usually auctioned at Freetown and re-registered as British ships. However, in 1825,
10608-436: The great value of the cargoes captured, Sandwich, urged on by one of his flag officers, Sir William Penn , agreed that he and Penn should take goods to the value of 4,000 pounds, and that each other flag officer and the three captains that held knighthoods should take goods worth 2,000 pounds, from the captured cargoes: nothing was provided for the untitled captains. This seizure of goods was represented by Sandwich and Penn as
10744-675: The impress ( press gang ). On 13 November 1798, a French privateer appeared off Hastings. Captain E.H. Columbine of the Sea Fencibles put a number of his men on the cutter Lion , offered by a Mr. Wexham, and set out after the French vessel. They caught up with their quarry after a chase and captured her after "a little firing" that resulted in the death of one Frenchman. The privateer was the Success , of Cherbourg , Nicholas Dubois, master, with four guns and 24 men. She had been out four days without making any captures. Captain Columbine remarked on
10880-558: The inhabitants of which, it was supposed, could not yet be safely entrusted with arms because of The 'Fifteen' and The 'Forty-Five' rebellions . Groundless as the reasons for this caution undoubtedly were in regard to the Lowlands, it would certainly have been hazardous at a time when the Stuarts and their adherents were still plotting a restoration to have armed the clans . Unlike the militia regiments which were raised by ballot,
11016-403: The largest of the four. About 75 fencibles and their sons took part as militia in the 1860s New Zealand Wars . Attribution: Prize money Prize money refers in particular to naval prize money, usually arising in naval warfare , but also in other circumstances. It was a monetary reward paid in accordance with the prize law of a belligerent state to the crew of a ship belonging to
11152-471: The late 16th century, mainly staffed by English admiralty officials and with a jurisdiction was broadly similar to that of its English counterpart. Much of its activities concerned the many pirates operating off the coast of Ireland during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The Irish Admiralty had no ships of its own and no authority to issue Letters marque to privateers, but could seize and condemn pirate and enemy ships in Irish ports. The Irish Admiralty
11288-533: The maritime trade and fisheries on which the United Provinces depended, capturing many Dutch merchant ships. The situation of ships' captains was remedied by the Prize Act 1692 ( 4 Will. & Mar. c. 25). This act distinguished between captures made by privateers and by royal ships. Privateers were entitled to retain any ships captured and four-fifths of the goods, surrendering one-fifth of those to
11424-550: The men defrayed their own expenses. The Greenwich River Fencibles sent two officers and 126 men to Copenhagen. The City of London, Loyal Greenwich, and Royal Harbour River Fencibles also contributed men to the Walcheren expedition in 1809. The Greenwich River Fencibles alone sent two officers and 130 men on the Walcheren expedition, two of whom were killed. In all, about 300 Fencibles volunteered to serve at Copenhagen and about
11560-460: The naval second-in-command who was Albemarle's younger brother. Each of the 42 naval captains present received £1,600 as prize money. The military second-in-command, Lieutenant-General Eliott , received the same amount as Commodore Keppel, as the two shared a fifteenth part of the prize pool, as against the third shared by their commanders. Privates in the army received just over £4 and ordinary seamen rather less than £4 each. The prize money from
11696-573: The navy of the Dutch Republic and acting as prize courts for captures by both for their own warships and for privateers to whom they had given commissions, although these were formally issued in the name of the states general. From the 1620s, the states general also delegated authority to the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company to issue Letters of marque valid within each company's area of operation. In
11832-481: The navy, unsurprisingly most did their utmost to prevent being seized. The Corps was disbanded in 1813. By Admiralty Order, 20 Sea Fencible units were established and a network of Martello towers constructed to protect the Irish coastline. The number of men and boats per district varied widely and the British had concerns about their reliability, especially given Robert Emmet 's insurrection in Dublin in 1803. In 1804,
11968-614: The north of Scotland to avoid the English Channel in wartime, and the Dutch whaling and herring fleets operated in waters north and east of Scotland, so they were vulnerable Scottish privateers, who were particularly successful in the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The owners of privateering vessels, were entitled to the greater part of the value of their prizes, as their ordinary seamen usually served for wages rather than
12104-432: The number of guns the enemy carried, but later on the complement of the defeated ship. Certain captures made by armies, called booty of war , were distinct from naval prize because, unlike awards under naval prize legislation, the award of booty was only made for a specific capture, often the storming of a city; the award did not set a precedent for other military captures in the same war, and did not require adjudication by
12240-443: The operations against the French in 1801. Fencible regiments tended to be less effective than regular troops for military duties; with problems of lack of education and vulnerability to disease. In Ireland, fencibles would take part in inter-regimental brawls and attacks on regular army soldiers. Some regiments of fencibles, however, were noted for exceptional service. The Scottish Highlands supplied fencible regiments for most of
12376-435: The outbreaks of conflicts or to include new belligerents. Occasionally, if an enemy merchant ship were captured where it was difficult to take it to an Admiralty Court or prize agent, the captor might offer to ransom it for 10% to 15% of its estimated value. In 1815, ransoming was prohibited except in case of necessity, for example where an enemy warship were nearby. The 1708 act still required captured ships to be placed in
12512-412: The owners, the officers and the crew. Generally, the Crown retained one-tenth of the value of prizes captured by privateers. By ancient custom, the common seamen, but not the officers, of navy vessels had the right of free pillage , the seizure of the enemy crew's personal possessions and any goods not stored in the hold. The Commonwealth attempted to forbid the custom of pillage in 1652, but this rule
12648-517: The ports, and on the coast, who, from their occupations are to be unpressed." Their tasks were to defend the Martello towers along the British coastline, patrol and survey the beaches where a French invasion force might land, and to maintain a fleet of armed commercial vessels in order to capture enemy shipping and defend against invasion barges. The Sea Fencibles were divided into 36 companies, with each company responsible for patrolling and defending
12784-432: The privateers operated as their owners and lessees wished, outside if government control. Privateering denied the French Navy of recruits who were experienced seamen, already in short supply in France. Under an ordinance of 1681, privateers, both those using their own ships and those leasing royal ships were required to register with an officer of the Admiralty and make a substantial cautionary deposit. Any prize obtained by
12920-547: The prize and customs duties on any goods. A further ordinance of 1649 relating to naval ships, which applied during the First Anglo-Dutch War , entitled seamen and subordinate officers to half the value of a captured enemy warship and gun money of between 10 and 20 pounds for every gun on an enemy warship that was sunk, and one third of the value of a captured enemy merchant ship. If a captured enemy warship were repairable at reasonable cost and suitable to add to
13056-655: The prize commissioners were responsible for the sale of ships and cargoes captured by royal ships, the valuation of ships or goods acquired for Royal Navy use, and the calculation and payment of prize money. As many naval actions in this war took place in the Mediterranean or Caribbean, some captains disposed of captured ships without bringing them before an Admiralty prize agent, often defrauding their own crews of all or part of their prize money entitlement. A Royal Proclamation of 1702 made captains that failed to act through prize agents liable to court martial and dismissal. If
13192-415: The prize money due to the seamen of English ships that took prizes to 10 shillings for each ton comprised in their tonnage , and gun money of at least 10 pounds a gun for any warship sunk or burned. Although neither Charles II nor his brother James, Lord High Admiral since 1660, had been ungenerous to those Royal Navy captains and flag officers that captured enemy ships, giving them a fair allocation of
13328-582: The proceeds. In various 17th century states, the crown retained from one-tenth to one-fifth of the value of ships and cargoes taken by privateers but up to half of the value of those captured by the state's navy. Grotius also recorded the practices that, for a prize to be effective, the ship must either be brought to port or retained for 24 hours, and that no distribution of prize money or goods could made without due court authorisation. Most European maritime states, and other maritime states that adopted laws based on European models, had codes of prize law based on
13464-713: The regular army). All but one of these regiments saw action in the War of 1812 . The regiments were disbanded in 1816 and 1817, after the War of 1812. Although the units were disbanded, several regiments in Canada continue to perpetuate their historic lineage. Most of the Fencible regiments were formed in 1803, including the Nova Scotia Fencibles , the Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry (perpetuated by
13600-566: The rights to shipwrecks , ships found abandoned at the sea, flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict , enemy ships and goods found in English ports or captured at sea in wartime and goods taken from pirates. At first, these were collectively known as Droits of the Crown, but after the creation the office of the High Admiral, later the Lord High Admiral, of England in the early 15th century, they were known as Droits of Admiralty, as
13736-617: The said bounds; at the * pay to each private of 5 rupees 2 quarters per month, besides clothing: which last they will receive from the honorable company ". The 5th battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry was raised in December 1800 from the Bombay Fencibles as the 1st Battalion, the 9th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. The Royal Malta Fencible Regiment was in existence from 1815 to 1861 when it became
13872-677: The same number served on the Walcheren Expedition. In February 1812, the River Fencibles were called out to assist the Impress. About 200 men were pressed. On Saturday 2 May 1812, the Government came to the resolution of dispensing with the services of the River Fencibles; and accordingly ordered them to be disbanded. The Lord Mayor received an official letter on the subject, which he sent to Commodore Lucas.— On Sunday
14008-470: The same year, its provisions were re-enacted in 1854 at the start of the Crimean War . The multiplicity of prize money grades survived until 1918, with some refinements to include new ratings required for steamships. The Naval Agency and Distribution Act of 1864 was a permanent act, rather than one enacted at the start of a particular conflict, stating that prize money was to be distributed according to
14144-507: The seamen. The percentages of prize money granted to senior officers were generally higher in the 18th century than in most of the 19th century. Although shares varied over time, and captains within a fleet or squadron could agree on alternative sharing arrangements, in the 18th century, an admiral could generally receive one-eighth of the value of all prizes taken by his fleet or squadron, and if there were more than one admiral, they would share that eighth. A captain usually received one-quarter of
14280-725: The second half of the 18th century. The first regiment raised was the Argyle Fencibles in 1759 and the last was the MacLeod Fencibles in 1779. In all over 20 regiments were created, although they were not all in existence at the same time. Some Highland fencibles regiments saw action in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 , while other performed garrison and policing duties in Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar. The Royal Fencible Americans
14416-469: The ship making the capture unless there were a prior agreement between privateers to share prizes. The Kingdom of Scotland had its own Lord High Admiral from mediaeval times until 1707, except for the period 1652 to 1661. His jurisdiction over Scottish ships, waters and coasts, exercised through a High Court of Admiralty, was similar to that of his English equivalent. In 1652, the Scottish fleet that
14552-529: The ship recapturing them. A further ordinance of 1650 applied these prize money rules to the capture of pirate ships. The provisions of 1643, 1649 and 1650 on the distribution of prize money were repeated after the Restoration in the Navy Act 1661 ( 13 Cha. 2. St. 1 . c. 9), which also expressly allowed the custom of pillage, and allowed the Lord Admiral discretion over any money or goods not allocated to
14688-413: The shore for the rulers of maritime states, and the 16th and 17th century formulation of international law by jurists such as Hugo Grotius . These jurists considered that only the state could authorise war, and that goods captured from an enemy in war belong as of right to its monarch. However, it was customary for the state to reward those who that assisted in making such captures by granting them part of
14824-439: The size of their ships and the amount of time they were required. For instance, on 28 September 1804 the Navy held a meeting with the owners of 16 hoys at Margate . The Navy then hired the vessels for the defence of the coast. The Navy manned each vessel with a regular Navy man as master and nine men from the Sea Fencibles. A newspaper recruiting advert in 1798. ANY Men willing to enroll themselves as SEA FENCIBLES, to defend
14960-639: The state, either a warship of its navy or a privateer vessel commissioned by the state. Prize money was most frequently awarded for the capture of enemy ships or of cargoes belonging to an enemy in time of war, either arrested in port at the outbreak of war or captured during the war in international waters or other waters not the territorial waters of a neutral state. Goods carried in neutral ships that are classed as contraband , being shipped to enemy-controlled territory and liable to be useful to it for making war, were also liable to be taken as prizes, but non-contraband goods belonging to neutrals were not. Claims for
15096-482: The surrender of that city in August 1762, 10 Spanish ships-of-the-line , three frigates and a number of smaller vessels were captured, together with large quantities of military equipment, cash and merchandise. Prize money payments of £122,697 each were made to the naval commander, Vice-Admiral Sir George Pocock , and the military commander, George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle , with £24,539 paid to Commodore Keppel ,
15232-474: The system to one where the prize money was no longer paid to the crews of individual ships, but into a common fund from which a payment was made to all naval personnel. The act also stated that no distribution would occur until after the end of the war. The award of prize money in the two world wars were governed by this legislation, which was further modified in 1945 to allow for the distribution to be made to Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel who had been involved in
15368-460: The value by custom, leaving 32% to be shared by the other officers and crew. It was common practice to divide this into shares, with the officers receiving several times as much as seamen, their relative shares being agreed at the start of the voyage. Perhaps the greatest amount of prize money awarded for the capture of a single ship was for that of the Spanish frigate Hermione on 31 May 1762 by
15504-481: The value of his prize, or three-eighths if not under the command of an admiral. The distribution for other officers and men was less detailed than it later became: other officers shared another quarter and the crew shared the remainder. Any ships within sight of a battle also participated in the sharing of prize money, and any unclaimed prize money was allocated to Greenwich Hospital. During the Seven Years' War ,
15640-494: The value of merchant ships and their cargoes captured by naval vessels, and of goods captured by privateers, and the payment of head money of five pounds for each crew member of a captured or sunk enemy warship, as far as these could be established, replacing gun money. As with other prize acts, this ceased to have effect at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, although its provisions were largely repeated in subsequent prize acts of 1756, 1776, 1780 and 1793, issued at
15776-590: The value of ships or goods acquired for naval use and collect prize money on their behalf. Admiralty appointed prize agents were, however, now entitled to a fee of 2% in Britain and 5% abroad. The various changes brought in by this act are regarded as the basis for the fortunes made from prize money in the 18th and early 19th centuries. In the Georgian navy, shares of prize money were based on rank. As there were few senior officers, their individual shares were larger than junior officers and very much larger than those of
15912-543: The value of their prizes, the failure to set out a fixed scale of prize money for senior officers led to a scandal in 1665. The Earl of Sandwich commanded an English fleet that, between 3 September and 9 September, had captured thirteen Dutch East India Company merchant ships of the East Indies spice fleet, and had also captured or sunk several of their escorts. Concerned that Charles's difficult financial position might make him less generous that before, and considering
16048-435: The warrant officers. The crew below warrant officer rank now shared one-half of the prize money. However, this group was subdivided into several grades, from senior petty officers down to boys, with the higher grades gaining at the expense of the lower ones. The Prize Act of 1815, issued after Napoleon 's return from Elba, largely repeated the allocation below the flag officers' share into eight grades and, although it lapsed in
16184-827: The word defencible ) were British regiments raised in the United Kingdom , Isle of Man and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the Seven Years' War , the American War of Independence , the French Revolutionary Wars , the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Usually temporary units, composed of local recruits and commanded by Regular Army officers, they were most often confined to garrison and patrol duties, freeing Regular Army units to perform offensive operations. Most fencible regiments had no liability for overseas service. They included naval forces known as "River Fencibles", made up of sailors on
16320-538: Was Francis Austen , a naval captain and future admiral who was the brother of the novelist Jane Austen . He was appointed to raise and organise a corps of Sea Fencibles to defend a strip of the Kentish coast. His base was the Royal Harbour of Ramsgate . In September 1803, it was reported that all the seafaring men of the city of Gloucester were to enlist in the Sea Fencibles in order to obtain protection from
16456-515: Was a Loyalist unit raised by the British in Nova Scotia in 1775, that successfully withstood an attack by Patriot forces under Jonathan Eddy at the Battle of Fort Cumberland . Fencibles were raised for the entirety of the Irish Rebellion . Fencible units were raised in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man during the early years of the war. This included not only land regiments but also
16592-500: Was abolished by those maritime states that had provided it at various times in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The two roots of prize law and the consequent distribution of prize money are the medieval maritime codes, such as the Consolato Del Mare and Rolls of Oleron , which codified the customary laws that reserved legal rights over certain property found or captured at sea, in harbour or on
16728-786: Was absorbed into the Commonwealth fleet and, although a separate Scottish Admiralty was re-established in 1661, it had no warships designed as such until three relatively small ones were commissioned in 1696. However, as Scotland was involved in the Second (1665–67) and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars (1672–74) against the Dutch and their allies, the Scottish Admiralty commissioned a significant number of privateers in both conflicts by issuing Letters of marque . Although Scottish privateers were generally successful in 1666 and later, their activities in 1665 were limited, because of delays in
16864-516: Was adopted, the major warships were laid up, but many of the smaller warships manned by the officers and men of the French Navy, were leased by the French Crown to contractors, who paid the fitting-out and running costs of these ships, and agreed to pay the Crown one-fifth of the value of all captures. Jenkins (1973), These ships were, however, regarded as privateers, and other privateers were entirely financed by private individuals: in both cases,
17000-426: Was brisk with 23,500 volunteers in the first four years. Officer recruitment also proceeded swiftly, particularly among younger captains who lacked the seniority for an ocean-going command. By 1803, one third of Sea Fencibles captains were men promoted to that rank within the preceding twelve months. Sea Fencibles command also offered the prospect of relatively easy service on full pay. For this reason it also appealed to
17136-403: Was cruising in sight of Scilly on 13 April 1806 and had taken three vessels on that coast. One of her prizes was the transport Mary , Macarthy, master, from Cork to Portsmouth . The Scilly Sea Fencibles, together with the revenue cutter Providence , Capt. Worsell, recaptured Mary . The Sea Fencibles also acted as a coastguard or lifeboat service. When HMS Brazen wrecked in 1800,
17272-417: Was designed to protect British maritime trade by allocating Royal Navy ships to protect convoys , by encouraging privateers to assist in protecting convoys and amending the prize rules to encourage naval ships to attack enemy warships, and both Royal Navy ships and privateers to attack enemy privateers and merchant ships. The two main changes to the made under this act were the abolition of the Crown's shares in
17408-417: Was done by a special proclamation relating to a specific capture which did not set a precedent, not a general measure dealing with all captures made during a war, as were naval prize acts. Instances of it being granted include the Siege of Seringapatam , 1799, the capture of Bordeaux , 1814 and the Siege of Delhi , 1857. Although the United States and France had allowed their soldiers to profit from booty on
17544-541: Was due to them. Although the incidence of captains selling captured ships abroad and defrauding crews of prize money reduced greatly in the course of the century, payment was often by way of a promissory note, or ticket to be paid when the relevant naval department had funds. Although officers could generally afford to wait for payment, which was often made only in London and sometimes in instalments that might stretch over several years, most seamen sold their promissory notes at
17680-548: Was granted permission to establish a prize court at the time of the Second Anglo-Dutch War, which was considered to be the equivalent of the Vice-Admiralty courts in British colonies. At the outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession in 1744, the Irish Admiralty Court managed to extend its powers and jurisdiction by obtaining independent prize jurisdiction and enhancing its status from that of
17816-400: Was impossible to enforce, and the right to pillage was given statutory force after the Restoration . Some rewards that were previously customary or discretionary for privateers became entitlements in 1643, when an ordinance passed by the Commonwealth parliament allowed them to retain any ships and goods captured after adjudication in an Admiralty Court and payment of one-tenth of the value of
17952-502: Was made, providing there was no appeal, the funds from the sale of a captured ship or its goods should have been available for payment within two years, but the whole process from capture to payment might take three years or more. Under the so-called joint capture rules, which did not apply to privateers, any Royal Navy ship present when a capture took place was entitled to share in the prize money. However, this rule led to disputes where, for example, three claimant ships had been pursuing
18088-494: Was observed boarding two brigs eight or nine miles from the North Foreland, 40 or 50 Sea Fencibles pushed off in three boats and recaptured the two brigs, the privateer having made off. Another case occurred on 13 June 1804. HM hired armed cutter Princess Augusta , under the command of Lieutenant John Tracey, encountered a 14-gun French privateer off Huntcliff . During the engagement, which lasted nearly four hours,
18224-497: Was sometimes waived when the government wished to encourage commerce raiding, and the distribution of prize money to the officers and crews, and to owners of private ships, was governed by custom, not by any ordinance. The prize council was notorious for the lengthy delays in dealing with cases, during which the prizes and their cargoes deteriorated. Prize money was awarded to French naval personnel up to 1916, after which amounts that would have been paid as prize money were allocated to
18360-470: Was to the Privy Council . As the rights over enemy ships or goods are legally prerogatives of the Crown, there are few English or British statues that deal with naval prize money, other than the prize acts issued at the start of each war, authorising the Crown to issue orders or proclamations dealing with prize money, and these acts affirm rather than limit the Crown's rights. From Elizabethan times,
18496-511: Was used for much of the Napoleonic wars until 1812, the heyday of prize warfare. Allocation was by eighths. Two eighths of the prize money went to the captain or commander, generally propelling him upwards in political and financial circles. One eighth of the money went to the admiral or commander-in-chief who signed the ship's written orders (unless the orders came directly from the Admiralty in London, in which case this eighth also went to
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