Napoleonic War shore leave for officers?

[rose_in_shadow]

I've been researching the British Navy for a Napolenonic War-era novel and I've found a lot of resources for the various details I'll need to know, but there's one thing I've had trouble finding. Is there a legitimate reason for the officers of a ship to be ashore for any significant length of time? "Shore leave" apparently wasn't a thing during

Comments

[jayb111]

Basically, what I need to know is how likely it is that during wartime an officer aboard a British ship would be at home long enough to fall in love and get married?
Well, Frederick Wentworth managed the falling in love part. While he was waiting to be posted to new ship, IIRC. (New to him, that is, not entirely new.)

Desertion wouldn't be an issue with officers, as they were career officers, not pressed men.

It was also the case that many ships were stationed in the Channel and the North Sea and their officers could come on shore fairly frequently.

[rose_in_shadow]

Captain Wentworth is partially what prompted my post because I thought Persuaion takes place in the post-war years. There are several mentions of "the peace" and I needed a time period set during the war. But your point about ships stationed in the Channel is a good one.

[jayb111]

I meant when he and Anne first met and became engaged. Anne was nineteen at the time. Since her birthdate is given as 9 August 1787, they must have met in 1806/07. They met again eight years later, which would be 1814/15.

Or you could set the story during the Peace of Amiens, 1802-03.

[rose_in_shadow]

*checks copy of Persuasion*

You're right! I thought I remembered that Cpt. Wentworth was a curate before making his mark in the navy, but on a closer re-read the curate was his brother. Cpt. Wentworth did meet Anne while "unemployed" the book says... I take that to mean that he didn't immediately have a ship and was rather the poorer as a result.

Excellent then. This gives me all kinds of ideas.

Thank you!

[chilperic]

But officers could be on shore for some time, on half-pay, while waiting for a new ship to be commissioned, or simply waiting for a posting.

[janewilliams20]

Fictional, I know, but this seems to have happened to Hornblower. And yes, he did end up getting married as a result.

[dorsetgirl]

It may be fictional, but I would imagine most things in all those books were based on stuff that had happened to someone in real life. Hornblower and his like just had rather more things happen to them!

[laughinggas13]

You'd be surprised actually - I was reading a biography of Lord Cochrane a few months ago and basically checking off the events in his life that had been borrowed by Forrester and O'Brian - and kind of marvelling that there were enough for two fictional naval heroes.

[linpixiedragon]

The Aubrey-Maturin series is a good reference as well for things like this. As mentioned above, leave while waiting for a new commission and peacetime are pretty good reasons for staying on shore. It depends on how long you'd want him to stay. It's also possible he could be on shore, fall in love, go back to the ship and return a few months later and marry. Especially when the ship he is commissioned to stay near England this should be doable. What's also an option (it happened in one of the Aubrey-Maturin books) was that someone was too late when the ship went to sea and he was left behind, he had to wait until the ship returned (or get another captain to bring him to the destination port) to get on again. It's not good for your character's name though, if you do that. :)

[rose_in_shadow]

I've read a couple of the Aubrey-Maturin books, but it's been a few years back.

Thanks for the info!

[corvideye]

The series also has a number of times when the crew is stuck ashore for weeks or months because their ship is badly damaged and has to go to drydock for repairs. It seems there was a lot of runaround from the head of the shipyard based on toadying and influence and graft, and often shortages of supplies, especially with important captains snatching the best timbers, copper sheathing, cordage, etc. There's also times when there's just no ship available for the crew, due to having more officers than working ships.

[dorsetgirl]

I should first state that I’m not a historian - most of my knowledge of the Royal Navy of the period has been gleaned from reading Hornblower, Bolitho and Delancey, whose authors have presumably done their homework, but for the period in general this has been augmented by looking at newspapers and parish records of the time.

"Shore leave" apparently wasn't a thing during this era because of the fear of desertion. This isn’t an issue; an officer wouldn’t desert, even if he didn’t have much choice in entering the Navy in the first place. He was effectively a salaried professional, whose pay, status and family honour would be enhanced by doing his job well, and he could leave at any time he chose, subject to practical considerations, of course

[marycatelli]

The newspapers reported what was interesting to the literate of the time, Alas for our historical record.

[dorsetgirl]

I agree, it's a great pity. Probably 75% of my ancestors were the "man named Brown" variety, and it can be impossible to work out who the story is about, even with my relatively uncommon surname.

However, I think it's more a question of what was interesting to the people the newspaper editor considered worth pleasing. Or who could afford to buy his paper, which is probably the same thing. Of course, I realise that being able to produce a signature isn't necessarily the same as being literate, but I have been surprised to find how many of my "men - and even women - named Brown" were able to produce a confident, flowing signature.

[jayb111]

I think it's more a question of what was interesting to the people the newspaper editor considered worth pleasing.

I've found that the type of news reported in local papers can change over time, as the character of the town changes. For example less about a particular local industry and the people involved in it, as that industry declines, more about middle class/minor gentry society and interests (e.g reports of weddings) as there are more people of that type in the neighbourhood.

[sartorias]

There is tons of material in the three volume version of THE WYNNE DIARIES, which includes letters and battle reports from Captain Fremont (sailed with Nelson) through that period that makes it clear that officers often were entertained on shore. Sometimes, especially after a battle, the men would be permitted liberty as well, but that was at the discretion of the captain.

[rose_in_shadow]

Ooh, thanks! I'll mark that down.

[syntinen_laulu]

I think you meant Captain Fremantle, not Fremont?

[sartorias]

Sigh, yes. I have bad name dyslexia--and I was just rereading the books a week ago! Thank you.