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Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: MIC-MOL |
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MIDSHIPMAN , the title in the British and American navies of the " young gentlemen " who are serving in order to qualify themselves to hold a commission as lieutenant. The English midshipman was originally a petty officer, one of the crew under the immediate orders of the boatswain. After the restoration of King Charles II., in 166o, the king and his brother, James Duke of York
train officers for the sea service. They therefore decided to send a volunteer to each ship of a squadron in commission, with a " letter of service," which instructed the admirals and captains that the bearer was to be shown " such kindness as you shall judge fit for a gentleman
letter boys." In that year the system was altered. A school, known as the naval academy, was founded at Portsmouth in which forty lads were to be trained for the sea service. In 1773 the school, having proved unsatisfactory, was reorganized and the number of boys to be trained there increased from forty to seventy. In 18o6 it was again reorganized, under the name of the naval college, and was finally suppressed in 1837, when the practice of training the boys under instructors in the ships was introduced. A special
preliminary schools and has been appointed to a ship. The French equivalent Is aspirant, and other European navies use that name, or cadet. End of Article: MIDSHIPMAN If you wish, you can link directly to this article.
<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/MIC_MOL/MIDSHIPMAN.html"> MIDSHIPMAN </a> |
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