New Regulations for Continuous Service - June 14th 1853

Index
 
New Regulations for Continuous Service Resulting in Improved Pay &c.


Circular, No. 121
Admiralty, June 14th 1853

N.B. Initially this new engagement structure was only available to Seamen, who were difficult to recruit. Stokers, Cooks, Stewards and other Naval Ratings remained on Non-Continuous Service engagements and lower rates of pay, although, over the next 60-70 years nearly all R.N. personnel recruited in the U.K. became eligible for the C.S. Engagements, with Stokers and signalmen probably being the first branches who became eligible to join the seamen on higher rates of pay.
Clauses in , dated 14th June 1853   Previous Service in the Navy Time a man will be required to enter for continuous service After so serving, time he will have completed Term of Service on a second entry if he wishes to remain in the service. Time he will then have completed Terms of service on a third entry if he wishes to remain in the service Total Service
1. To all men who volunteer for ten years' continuous and general service. } None 10 10 5 15 5 20
2. To men who may hereafter enter the Navy for the first time for the usual period for which a ship is commissioned, and who afterwards volunteer, at any time before the ship in which they are serving is paid off, for such further periods as my be necessary to complete 10 years' continuous and general service from the date of their first entry. The increased rates of pay to commence from the date of their so volunteering. } None Period required to complete 10 years 10 5 15 5 20
3. To men who have already served in the Navy, or who are now serving, and who volunteer for not less than seven years' further continuous and general service. } 1 7 8 7 15 5 20
} 2 7 9 6 15 5 20
} 3 7 10 5 15 5 20
} 4 7 11 5 16 4 20
} 5 7 12 5 17 3 20
} 6 7 13 5 18 2 20
} 7 7 14 5 19 1 20
} 8 7 15 5 20 � �
} 9 7 16 4 20 � �
4. To men who have already served 10 years and upwards, from the age of 18, provided they volunteer either for seven years' further service, or for such periods as may be necessary to make up 20 years' service from the age of 18; provided, in the latter case, such period of continuous and general service to be completed be not less than five years. (Cancelled by Circular 366) } 10 7 17 3 20 � �
} 11 7 18 2 20 � �
} 12 7 19 1 20 � �
} 13 7 20 � � � �
} 14 6 20 � � � �
} 15 5 20 � � � �
5. To men who have already served 16 years and upwards in the Navy, from the age of 20, and who volunteer to complete by general service such periods as may be necessary to make up 21 years from the age of 20. (Cancelled by Circular No 366) } 16 5 21 � � � �
} 17 4 21 � � � �
} 18 3 21 � � � �
} 19 2 21 � � � �
} 20 1 21 � � � �

NOTE: Although a fixed limit for the entry of men is given in the respective columns, they may volunteer for longer periods of time, so as at once to complete their servitude for pensions

Pensions after 10 or 15 years' service may be granted to any of the above men whenever their Lordships think proper to grant pensions after those terms of service.

Continuous Service Volunteers, under clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4, will be granted pensions after 20 years service from the age of 18, and the increase of pay to Petty Officer, Leasing Seaman, and AB's is 3d per day; Ordinary 2d; Second Class Ordinary 1d, and their allotments will be continuous

Men who do not enter for continuous service may still enter under the existing regulations, but cannot be granted either the increase of pay or the pensions after 20 years' service.

Men who volunteer for 10 years' continuous service will be entitled to double the present allowance for time served as Petty Officer.

Circular No. 389.

Admiralty, 24th Sep 1858

Irregular Ratings Allotted to Continuous Service (C.S.) Men
(or C.S. personnel being incorrectly allocated to N.C.S. Positions.)

Numerous instances having occurred in which men and boys who have been entered for Continuous Service have been rated as Cooks, Stewards, Ships' Steward's Boys, &c., for which their engagements for Continuous Service disqualify them, - such practice being in violation of the Regulations laid down in Circular No. 121, dated 14th June 1853, - my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty desire that whenever it may be absolutely necessary on Foreign Stations to place Continuous Service men in Ratings which by the Regulations they are prohibited from holding, such men shall be allowed only temporarily to do the duty so assigned to them : and Commanding Officers are hereby required to use their best endeavours to procure Non-Continuous Service (N.C.S.) Men for the Ratings in question.

At the end of each Quarter a special Return is to be forwarded of all Continuous Service Men who may be Serving in Irregular Ratings with a statement of the date of their entry to such Ratings and the reasons in each case for the Ratings having been given.

Continuous Service Men who may be thus temporarily rated will be allowed to count the time so served as part of their Continuous Service.

By command of their Lordships.

H. Corry

To all Flag-Officers, Commanders-in-Chief, Captains, and Commanding Officers of Her Majesty's Ships and Vessels.

Circular No. 366.
Admiralty, 10th May, 1859.

Continuous Service Pay and Engagements.

Pay.

Doubts having arisen as to the Pay to which Continuous Service Seamen may be entitled after the completion of the periods of service for which they respectively entered ; My

Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to direct as follows:-

1. Continuous service men sent home from Foreign Stations are to be allowed continuous service pay till the date of their arrival in England.

2. If discharged abroad to the shore, at their own request, they are likewise to be allowed continuous service pay to the date of their discharge.

3. Continuous service men who complete their engagements whilst serving abroad, and who claim their discharge, are, if the necessities of the Service admit of it, to be sent home by

the first opportunity which may occur of a Vessel of War proceeding to England ; but if detained, through the exigency of the Service, after the said opportunity has occurred of sending them home, they are to be paid two pence a day from the termination of their engagements, in addition to their continuous service pay.

4. Men who have completed their terms of continuous service, are to be required to state forthwith, whether they are desirous of re-entering for non-continuous or continuous service ; and, in the latter case, to specify the particular periods for which they wish to re-enter, under Clause, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, page 5, of Circular No. 121.

Engagements

My Lords have had under their consideration the regulations embodied in the Clauses 4 and 5, page 5, of Circular No. 121, which grant continuous service pay under the following conditions, viz. :-

"To men who have already served 10 years and upwards, from the age of 18, provided they volunteer either for seven years' further service, or for such periods as may be necessary to make up 20 years' service from the age of 18 ; provided, in the latter case, such period of continuous and general service to be completed, be not less than five years.

"To men who have already served 16 years and upwards in the Navy. from the age of 20, and who volunteer to complete by general service, such periods as may be necessary to make up 21 years from the age of 20."

The regulations in question were established is the year 1853, with the view of affording the seaman of the fleet, coming under the conditions specified, the opportunity of volunteering for continuous service, and thus of receiving continuous service pay ; but these rules having now been in force for a period of upwards of five years, and the specific object for which they were framed having been fully accomplished, My Lords are pleased to direct that they be considered as cancelled.

The remaining Clauses in the said Circular, relating to the entry or re-entry of men for continuous service, remain in force.

The present order is to take effect from the 1st June next, on the Home and Mediterranean Stations ; and from the 1st August next, on the other Foreign Stations.

By Command d their Lordships,
H. Corry.
To all Commanders-in-Chief, Captains, Commanders and Commanding Officers of Her Majesty's Ships and Vessels.

Circular No. 386.
Admiralty, 23rd September, 1859.

Continuous Service Engagements - Returns of Forms from Ships.

My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to direct that, in future, all Continuous service Engagements, after they have been completely signed as required by Circular No. 121, are to be sent into Office at stated periods, instead of irregularly as at present, and accompanied by Lists thereof, as per form annexed.

In Ships commencing the new system established by Circular No. 321, these lists are to be made up every month, and sent into Office, with the engagements ; and, after the Office Record Book has left the Ship, they are to be forwarded along with the Monthly Returns for the Record Book. In Ships already on the new system, and where Record Books are already in Office, the Continuous Service numbers, dates, and periods of all the existing Continuous Service Engagements are to be inserted in the first Victualling List rendered after the receipt of this Circular on board Ship, and thereafter the Continuous Service Engagements executed each Month, with the Lists thereof, are to be forwarded with the Monthly Returns that the Continuous Service Engagements completed in the Month are sent as above directed ; or, if no Engagements have been completed during the Month, a notification to that effect is to be made on the Monthly Returns.

In all Ships where the Books and Accounts continue to be kept on the old system, a similar list of Continuous Service Engagements is to be made up Quarterly, and forwarded along with the Quarterly Muster Books, accompanied by the Engagements, or if no Engagements have been executed during the Quarter, a notation to that effect is to be made on the outside sheet of the Muster Book.

By Command of their Lordships,

C. Paget.
To all Commanders-is-Chief, &c.

Lists of Continuous Service Engagements executed in Her Majesty�s Ship ________ , between _________18__, and _________18__.

No. on Ship�s Books Name Rating Commencement of Engagements No. of Years Office Column � for C.S. Nos. Remarks (if discharged, dates, ship, &c.)
             

Circular No. 16 N.
Admiralty, 17th June, 1862.

Engagements for Continuous Service.

My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to direct that the following Regulations, relating to engagements for continuous service, be promulgated for the information and guidance of the Officers in command of Her Majesty's ships, and the seamen of the Fleet :-

1. Men who enter the Royal Navy for the first time as continuous service men are to engage for 10 years' service. Having served that period, they may have the option of completing their time for pension either by two separate periods of 5 years each, or by one entry for 10 years.

2. Non-continuous service men who volunteer for continuous service, are likewise to be entered for 10 years. Those who so volunteer, when serving afloat, may be permitted to count towards such 10 years any period of non-continuous service time, not exceeding 3 years, served on board the particular ships from which they volunteer.

3. Men who have completed 10 years� service under the terms laid down in the preceding paragraph, and those who have served 7 years' continuous service under the regulations in force prior to the 1st of January last, are to have the option of re-entering for 5 years, and a subsequent entry for the period necessary to complete their time for pension ; or they may engage for the whole period requisite for that purpose.

4. No man who has served 10 years upon the non-continuous service system is to be permitted to enter for continuous service, unless, within 12 months after having completed the said period, he engages for one term of 10 years' further service.

By Command of their Lordships,
C. Paget,
To all Commanders-in-Chief, Captains, Commanders, and Commanding Officers of Her Majesty's Ships and Vessels.

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