By the KING,

A PROCLAMATION,

For giving Encouragement to Seamen and Able-bodied Landmen to enter themselves on Board His Majesty’s Ships of War; for granting Rewards for discovering such Seamen as shall conceal themselves; for pardoning such Seamen as have deserted, and shall return into the Service; and also for taking up all straggling Seamen.

GEORGE R.

WHEREAS for the speedy Manning of Our Fleet, We did, by Our Order in Council of the Fourteenth of April last, amongst other Things, direct, that the Bounties of Three Pounds for every Able Seaman, and of Thirty Shillings for every Ordinary Seaman, not above the Age of Fifty, nor under the Age of Twenty Years, and of Thirty Shillings for every Able-Bodied Landman, not above the Age of Thirty-five, nor under the Age of Twenty Years, should be continued to be paid, immediately after the first Muster, to such Seamen and Landmen respectively, who should, on or before the Second Day of June next, enter themselves in the Royal Navy; and that the Rewards of Two Pounds for every Able, and Twenty Shillings for every Ordinary Seaman, should likewise be continued to be paid to such Person or Persons, who should, on or before the said Second Day of June next, discover any concealed Seamen, so that such Seamen should be taken for Our Service.

And whereas Our Service doth at this Time require a more speedy Supply of Seamen, Sea-faring Men, and Able-bodied Landmen, to serve on Board Our Ships of War, and it being Our Royal Intention to give all due Encouragement to all such Seamen, Sea-faring Men, and Able-bodied Landmen, who shall voluntarily enter themselves in Our Service: We have thought fit, by and with the Advice of Our Privy Council, to revoke that Our former Order, and in lieu thereof to publish this Our Royal Proclamation; and We do hereby promise and declare, That the Bounties of FIVE POUNDS for every Able Seaman, and of Thirty Shillings for every Ordinary Seaman, be paid to every such Able and Ordinary Seaman, not above the Age of Fifty, nor under the Age of Twenty Years, who shall, on or before the Third Day of July next, voluntarily enter themselves to serve in Our Royal Navy, either with the Captains or Lieutenants of Our Ships, or the Chief Officers on Board such Tenders as shall be employed for raising Men for the Service of Our Royal Navy: And also that a Bounty of Thirty Shillings be paid to every Able-bodied Landman, not above the Age of Thirty-five, nor under the Age of Twenty Years, who shall, on or before the said Third Day of July next, voluntarily enter themselves to serve in Our Royal Navy, either with the Captains or Lieutenants of Our Ships, or the Chief Officers on Board such Tenders as shall be employed for raising Men for the Service of Our Royal Navy: And that the said respective Sums be paid to all such Seamen and Landmen upon their being brought on Board Our Ships at any of Our Dock Yards in England, by the Clerks of the Cheque, or upon their being put on Board any Ship or Vessel appointed to receive Men at Leith or Greenock in Scotland, or at Dublin or Corke in Ireland, by the Captains or Commanders of the Ships or Vessels whereinto such Seamen or Landmen shall be put, or by the Sea Officer employed in raising Men on Shore.

And for Prevention of any Abuses by any Persons leaving the Ships or Vessels to which they shall belong, and entring themselves on Board any other Our Ships or Vessels, in order to obtain the said Bounty-Money; We do hereby declare and command, That such Seamen or Landmen, belonging to any of Our Ships or Vessels, as shall absent themselves from any of the said Ships or Vessels, to which they shall belong, and enter themselves on Board any other of Our Ships or Vessels, in order to obtain the said Bounty, shall not only lose the Wages due to them in the Ships or Vessels they shall leave, but also be severely punished according to their Demerits.

And We do hereby further promise and declare, That a Reward of Two Pounds for every Able, and Twenty Shillings for every Ordinary Seaman, shall be paid any Person who shall discover any Seaman or Seamen who may secret themselves, so that such Seaman or Seamen shall be taken for Our said Service, on or before the said Third Day of July next, by any of Our Sea Officers employed for raising Men: The said Rewards to be paid for any Seaman or Seamen so discovered and taken, in and about London, by the Principal Officers and Commissioners of Our Navy; and, at the Out Ports, by the Naval Officers, or Sea Officers employed in raising Men on Shore; immediately upon a Certificate being produced to the said Principal Officers and Commissioners of Our Navy, Naval Officers, or Sea Officers employed in raising Men on Shore respectively, by the Person who may make Discovery of any Seaman or Seamen as aforesaid, certifying his Name, and the Name or Names and Number of Seamen procured in Consequence of his Discovery; and the said Certificate to be given by such Officer as may take such Seaman or Seamen for Our Service.

And as an Encouragement to such Seamen who may have deserted from Our Ships to return to the Service, We do promise Our most gracious Pardon to all such as shall repair on Board any of Our Ships or Vessels by or before the Third Day of July next; and also to all such who have deserted, but are now belonging to some one of Our Ships, (in which Ship they are hereby permitted to continue.) And We do hereby further Declare, that such Seamen who have absented themselves from any of Our Ships, and shall render themselves on Board the same, or any Other of Our Ships of War, by or before the Time abovementioned, shall not be prosecuted for such their Desertion; but that all such Deserters who shall not, on or before the said Third Day of July next, render themselves on Board some of Our Ships or Vessels of War, or who shall hereafter absent themselves from the Ships to which they belong, without Leave from the Commanding Officer, shall be tried at a Court Martial, and being found guilty of deserting at this Time, when their Country so much wants their Service, they shall be deemed unfit Objects of Our Royal Mercy, and shall suffer Death according to Law.

And We do hereby Require and Command, all Our Justices of the Peace, Mayors, Bayliffs and Magistrates of the several Shires, Counties, Cities, Towns Corporate, and all other Places within Our Kingdom of Great Britain, to give the strictest Orders and Directions to the Constables, and other inferior Civil Officers, to take up all straggling Seamen, not above the Age of Fifty, nor under the Age of Twenty Years, who shall be of Health and Ability fit for Our Service, and send them by careful Conductors to a Sea Officer employed in raising Men on Shore, or to the nearest Sea Port Town, in order to their being put on Board Our Ships of War: Which Conductors shall be paid by the said Sea Officer on Shore, or the Captains of such Ships to whom such Seamen shall be delivered, Twenty Shillings for each Seaman, and Six-pence a Mile for each Man, for every Mile they may respectively travel.

And We do hereby likewise require and command all Our said Justices of the Peace, Mayors, Bayliffs and Magistrates, to receive all such Seamen and Seafaring Men, who shall appear before them, and offer to enter as Volunteers on or before the said Third Day of July next, in case they are of Health and Ability fit for Our Service, and not above the Age of Fifty, nor under the Age of Twenty Years, and to grant to each Seaman a Certificate of such his Voluntary Offer, and to cause them to be conducted in like Manner and with the same Allowances as above directed with respect to straggling Seamen; and the Sea Officer on Shore, or the Captains of such Ships, to whom such Volunteer Seamen shall be delivered, shall pay to every such Seaman, after his being so put on Board, (upon producing the Certificate aforementioned) the Bounties of FIVE POUNDS to every Able Seaman, and of Thirty Shillings to every Ordinary Seaman.

Given at Our Court at Kensington, the Fifteenth Day of May, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Nine, in the Thirty Second Year of Our Reign.

GOD save the KING.

Source: London Gazette, 9896, May 15 to May 19, 1759.

Related: Privy Council Order 1760: Encouragement of Seamen.