Resigning/getting discharged from the Royal Navy before 1840

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rosehips

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Hi guys.
  • A gentleman in my Regency novel served on a ship in 1810. I'm thinking he was a lieutenant. He got very sick. I can't seem to find much to tell me what they would do with him. Could he be permanently discharged? One source I read seems to say he'd be put on half-pay and could possibly be called back to active duty. What was this status called ("temporarily discharged"?)? Was this always how they handled medical issues? Could he resign, instead?
  • If he was discharged, would he keep his rank and still be called Lieutenant so-and-so? What if he resigned? Or would he go back to Mr. so-and-so? This is the most pressing question I have. I need to know what to call him.
  • Also, my novel is set in 1817. He's in good health. If he was on the half-pay temporary discharge, would he have to have resigned in order to not get sent back to active duty? How likely is it that he'd still be on the half-pay status after seven years? I did read that there were more captains than ships which seems to imply that a captain put on half-pay might not be so likely to be called back up. Plus from what I can tell, there weren't many naval battles between 1814 and 1823. I don't want to make this character a captain, though, as his financial situation might be too comfortable (idk, though, maybe it would be okay?). Would the same thing be true for a lieutenant? What do you guys think about him being off active duty but still technically an officer of the navy? Would this limit his life in some way(s) or could he do whatever he liked with his time, live wherever he wanted, etc.?
 

benbenberi

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In 1817 Britain was full to bursting of half-pay naval captains and lieutenants who desperately longed for a ship but had no hope of getting one because the navy was downsizing after many years' battering during the Napoleonic wars. Getting an appointment to a ship generally required connections and patronage even when the navy was expanding. So one thing your many definitely doesn't have to worry about is being involuntarily recalled to duty! There are 500 other men eager to step in ahead of him. Also, an officer always had the right to turn down an appointment, though if he did so once he may never get another offer later. (See, 500 other men eager for the job...)

Here is an article that may answer some of your questions. It covers the period 1690-1815. The situation in 1817 would not be significantly changed from that, apart from the post-war downsizing of the active service.
 
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