Navy Impressment

Question 1

Voluntary

Answer 1

Received 2 months salary in advance.
Expected to buy their own essentials.
Protected from creditors if debt <£20.

Question 2

“Choice” Impressment

Answer 2

Once a man was seized, he could volunteer and receive benefits, or remained pressed and receive nothing.
Gov offered employment protection against being pressed, ignored in times of crisis.

Question 3

Press Gangs

Answer 3

Government offered protection against being pressed, ignored in times of crisis.
Hot press meant no one was exempt.
Targeted experienced seamen.

Question 4

Criminals

Answer 4

Petty offenders could join navy (get pension) or receive normal harsh prison sentence.
Convicts spread disease to crew.

Question 5

Lord Chatman

Answer 5

Increased number of seamen from 70k –> 86k in 2 yrs.
63k volunteers, 1/2 of which were capable seamen.

Question 6

History of Impressment

Answer 6

Seized men from ports.
Vagrancy Act drafted homeless into service.
No foreigners could be impressed.

Question 7

Quotas

Answer 7

1795, William Pitt introduced Quota Acts.
Quota dependent on county’s population and number of seaports contained - London provided 5.7k.

Question 8

Reforms

Answer 8

Quota Act 1795 & 1796, quotas not met = fines. Combined quota raised 40k volunteers for the Navy
Port Quota Act, 1795 recruited 20k volunteers - able seamen = 2.
Navy Act allowed seamen to send money home.