There was a toll on ships entering the port of
London to pay for repairs to its walls.
Officer positions were no longer bought, but were subject to
examination for a minimum of knowledge, especially in navigation.
In 1729 the Naval Academy was established. Boys entered at age 13
to 16 and spent two or three years there.
Only about 15% of the crew of navy ships were volunteers. Many
were gaolbirds, having chosen the Navy over more gaol time for
debt. Press gangs seized men in the port towns and from ships
coming into harbor. From 10% to 20% of the crew were foreigners,
many of these pressed men. About 1756, the Marine Society was
founded for training and placing poor boys in work in naval and
merchant ships. This not only supplied men and boys for the Navy,
but saved boys from a life of vagrancy and crime. These boys
usually became reliable and obedient sailors.
The life of a sailor was a hard one, requiring much strength.
Sailors did not know how to swim, so falling overboard usually
meant death. Flogging was the usual punishment in the Navy, even
for small offenses. The amount of flogging due for each offense
rose over time. If flogging were fatal, there would be an inquiry
and occasionally punishment. A sailor's meals were usually hard
bread invested with weevils and maggots, dried or salted meat or
fish, and small quantities of oatmeal, butter, and cheese. Many
sailors had scurvy or other deficiency diseases.
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