Circular No 352

Admiralty, 23 December 1858

1. My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having had under consideration the present position of men borne on the books of Her Majesty's ships as Supernumeraries for Victuals only, disposable for General Service, and frequently for lengthened periods, to be discharged into other ships with original entry and charges, instead of being paid in the ships in which they have served as Supernumeraries; and their Lordships being desirous of affording to such men every facility for making Allotments, and thus providing for the support for their families, are pleased to direct that in future all such men shall be borne as Supernumeraries for Wages and Victuals, and that they be permitted to allot, and to receive their Wages, in the same manner as if they formed part of the ship's complement.

2. My Lords further direct, that whenever such men shall be discharged, they shall be paid their Wages by Ticket or Pay List, as the case may require, for the time they have been borne as Supernumeraries, and that their Allotments be transferred with them; or the men may re-allot immediately, if necessary, so that there shall be no break in the Allotment payable.

3. By these means the practice of discharging men with original entry and charges will cease, and the date of every man's entry on board the ship bbe?? is discharged into will be that of his appearance on board.

4. In flag-ships where the books and accounts are kept under the new system, and in other ships where there are many Supernumeraries, an additional Record Book is to be opened in lieu of List 14, to contain the names of all Supernumeraries (except those born permanently for special duties, or as crews of tenders, whose names must be entered on the ordinary Record Book for the ship's complement); and a separate Pay Book and Charge List, and the necessary documents connected therewith, to correspond with the additional Record Book, is to be prepared and transmitted at the same time with the ship's Pay Book. In those ships where an additional Record Book is not required such Supernumeraries are to be entered on List no 14.

5. In ships whose books and accounts are still kept on the old system, all such men are to be borne as Supernumeraries for Wages and Victuals, and their names must be inserted in the ship's Complete Book and in the Pay Book.

6. These regulations are not to apply to men who are merely lent from one ship to another, and consequently only checked on their own Ship's Books.

7. My Lords are pleased to order that these Regulations shall take effect from the 1st January, 1859, or from the earliest date possible after the receipt of this circular.

By Command of their Lordships,

H. CORRY

To all Commanders-in-Chief, &c.

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