Pepys and the Stuart Navy
At the centre of the history of the Stuart Navy is Samuel Pepys, author of the famous diary. To a large extent, it was due to his hard work and genius for organisation that the navy began to change from a corrupt and inefficient service into a powerful fighting force. As a result of his work, Pepys is often described as 'the father of the modern Royal Navy'.
What was the English Navy like at the start of the Stuart era?
James I (James VI of Scotland) inherited a naval system from his cousin Queen Elizabeth I. There was no full-time 'standing' force as we know it today. Instead, in times of national emergency, such as when the Spanish Armada threatened England, a few royal ships and many more privately owned merchant vessels combined together to form a loosely knit fighting force. The commanders would be mainly military leaders rather than professional sailors.
Were the early Stuart monarchs involved with the Navy?
Neither James I nor Charles I was willing or able to invest in the building up of a stronger navy. Charles was a great admirer of ships and collected many maritime paintings but was not prepared to put money into paying sailors or building ships. His struggles with Parliament, culminating in the Civil War, further weakened Britain's ability to combat the maritime challenges of other nations. In fact, the navy became so weak that it could not even protect the Channel coast from raiding Barbary pirates.
Why did Britain need a strong navy?
Overseas trade was vital for wealth and prosperity. Britain had two powerful rivals competing for the limited markets. One was an old enemy, Spain, but a more recent threat came from the Dutch. Their skills as shipbuilders, navigators and traders posed a serious challenge to England's economic security. Consequently, several naval wars were fought against the Dutch in the Stuart era.
What happened to the navy during the Commonwealth?
After the execution of Charles I, the government, led by Oliver Cromwell, realised the urgent need to stop the decline in Britain's navy. Cromwell therefore took strong measures to build up and improve it. He succeeded to some extent, with the help of experienced sea commanders such as the brilliant Admiral Blake who led the English fleet to victory in the First Dutch War.
Did naval reform continue after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660?
Yes. Charles II took a personal interest in navy reforms. The king, said Pepys, ' Best understands the business of the sea of any prince the world ever had.' The king's brother, James, Duke of York (later King James II) was himself a good seaman and for many years Lord High Admiral.
How did Samuel Pepys become involved with the navy?
Samuel Pepys was born a tailor's son. His cousin, Edward Viscount Montagu helped him get his first post with the Navy Board (a Government office responsible for the provisioning and maintenance of ships). When Pepys started his job as Clerk of the Acts to the Kings' Ships, he knew nothing of ships or seamanship, but in time, his enquiring mind, hard work and concern for detail made him the most influential man in the administration of the Navy. He was determined to succeed in establishing the navy as a permanent and professional fighting force.
During part of his career, until his eyesight failed him, Pepys kept his famous diary which recorded daily life and contemporary gossip as well as his work for the navy.
What problems did Pepys face in his work?
Pepys discovered that cheating and theft had ruined standards of supplies and shipbuilding. After the Third Dutch War, sailors complained their food was so bad that it included mouldy bread and diseased meat. Pepys met with suppliers and agreed rules about the standard of food purchased from them to make up crews' rations. Every day, sailors were to get one gallon of beer, 500g of biscuit, 100g of salt beef or fish, butter and cheese. The absence of fresh fruit and vegetables ensured that the terrible disease of scurvy would continue.
What other changes did Pepys introduce?
Pepys was also determined that naval commanders should have more experience of the sea. In 1677, he created the first exams, including some for mathematics and navigation, for would-be lieutenants. At the same time, he set standards for ships' surgeons, pursers and even parsons! Pepys also tried to tackle the perennial problem of sailors' pay, a most difficult task. At Charles II's Restoration, for example, government money was so short that sailors were owed three years' back-pay! Unsurprisingly, in times of war, it was difficult to find volunteers, so men were press-ganged to make up crew numbers.
What advances were made in shipbuilding in this period?
The 17th century was a great age of scientific and technological enquiry. One result of this was an improvement in ship design. The great naval dockyards such as Deptford and Woolwich produced warships which sailed more efficiently and which were better planned for carrying both provisions and guns.
Did navigation also improve at this time?
Yes. The same spirit of the age that made Pepys stress the need for a 'scientific and mathematick approach to navigation' fostered the royal foundation of an observatory at Greenwich. Study of the stars helped develop new sea routes and greater accuracy in navigating the seas. Despite these various improvements, the English Navy could never afford to forget the power of the Dutch or their great commander Admiral de Ruyter. On one humiliating occasion, de Ruyter managed to slip through all defences and attack the English fleet in its anchorage on the River Medway. The Dutch destroyed six warships and even captured the flagship Royal Charles.
Why was Greenwich Hospital founded?
Towards the end of the Stuart era, James II was exiled to France, and his daughter Mary was invited to rule with her husband, William of Orange. Mary was responsible for one of the greatest monuments to Stuart naval initiative. Horrified at the sufferings of English seamen in battle, she suggested the creation of a hospital for disabled sailors. She described the founding of such a hospital at Greenwich as the 'darling object of my life.' The fine buildings that held the hospital, designed by famous architects Wren, Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor, can be seen at Greenwich to this day.
Extracts from Pepys' Diary
Comments about the feeding of ships' crews........
Englishmen, and more especially seamen, love their bellies above anything else, and therefore it must always be remembered in the management of the victualling of the Navy that to make any abatement from them in the quantity or agreeableness of the victuals is to discourage and provoke them in the tenderest point and will sooner render them disgusted with the King's service than any one other hardship that can be put upon them.
Dismay on hearing the news of the Dutch raid on the Medway fleet.....
Powell doth tell me that ill news is come to Court of the Dutch breaking the chaine at Chatham, which struck me to the heart, on to Whitehall to hear the truth of it; and there, going up the park stairs, I did hear some lackeys speaking of sad news come to Court, saying that hardly anybody in the court but doth look as if they cried. For the news is true, that the Dutch have broke the chain and burned our ships, and perticularly the Royall Charles; other perticulars I know not, but most sad to be sure.