Royal Navy ratings' pensions

1. Introduction

Until the late 19th century, there were three principal bodies responsible for the payment of various naval pensions to ratings:

• The Navy Pay Office
• The Chatham Chest (later the Greenwich Chest)
• The Royal Greenwich Hospital

Records of all these bodies are held at The National Archives under the department code ADM. Before pensions became a right, it may also be worth checking for petitions for pensions in the records of the Secretaries of State (in SP) and the Privy Council (PC).

From the late 19th century, various other departments became involved, such as the Paymaster General (PMG), and the Ministry of Pensions (PIN).

2. Superannuation pensions

The Royal Greenwich Hospital paid small out-pensions to large numbers of deserving applicants who had served in either the Navy or Marines, as well as admitting a fixed number to live as in-pensioners of the hospital. Out-pensions were a form of superannuation in that claimants had to show former service in the Navy or Marines, but there was no bar to them holding other employment, as the pensions were scarcely sufficient to live on. Many out-pensioners of the Hospital were still young men in the full employment. It was possible for both in and out-pensioners to re-enter the Navy, at which point their pensions lapsed until their discharge.

2.1 Candidates for Greenwich Hospital pensions or other relief

2.2 Greenwich Hospital in-pensions

2.3 Greenwich Hospital out-pensions

2.4 Pensions, First World War onwards

3. Certificates of service

To qualify for pensions, ratings had to prove their qualifying service, which they did by certificates issued by the Navy Pay Office. The certificate was an abstract of successive postings derived the ships' musters. Before the introduction of continuous service registers for ratings, in the mid nineteenth century, these certificates formed the only official evidence of the careers of ratings. Collections survive of both the original certificates as received by Greenwich, and of the Pay Office's entry books of the certificates as issued. The certificates of service give only the rating, the ships served in and the length of time in each.

Much of the following series are searchable by name

In 1856 continuous service for ratings was introduced with the aim of granting a pension to all who served twenty years. The majority of ratings entered as boys, signing their first engagement at 18 and therefore retired at 38, or 43, for those who signed on for a 'fifth five'. This left a man with much of his working life remaining and naval pensioners often were still working. The Navy employed pensioners in many duties in dockyards and naval establishments. Few records of pensions to ratings survive but from the continuous service engagements and service registers it is possible to tell who received pensions: see MRI 31.

4. Wounds and disability pensions

Pensions for permanent disablement or grants to wounded ratings were paid by the Chatham Chest, on production of a certificate known as a smart ticket. For pensions 1653-1799, see ADM 82; for pensions 1831-1837, see ADM 22/52.

For a sample of disability pension awards from the First World War, see PIN 26/16684-17178.

5. Widows' pensions

5.1 Chatham Chest, 1695-1779

The pay books of the Chatham Chest record payments of pensions to widows of ratings who died in service, 1695-1779: see ADM 82/12-119.

5.2 Royal Bounty, 1675-1822

A lump sum of one year's wages known as the Royal Bounty was payable to widows, dependant children or mothers (aged over 50) of ratings killed in action. Papers submitted to claim the bounty often include marriage and death certificates, with other documents attesting the age, relationship or poverty of the applicants.

Pay lists of the Royal Bounty, 1739-1787, giving name, address and relation of the payee, the name, quality and ship of the dead man, and the sum paid, are in ADM 106/3018, ADM 106/3019 and ADM 106/3020.

5.3 Greenwich pensions

5.4 Other pensions

5.5 Merchant seamen in Admiralty employ