Contents -- List of illustrations -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1. Young gentlemen defined -- 2. A social survey: the social backgrounds of young gentlemen -- 3. Eighteenth-century selection, 1771-1800 -- 4. Eighteenth-century crime and punishment, 1760-1800 -- 5. Nineteenth-century selection, 1801-1815 -- 6. Nineteenth-century selection, 1815-1831 -- 7. Nineteenth-century crime and punishment, 1801-1831 -- 8. Beyond reform: the future of naval command -- Conclusion -- Appendices. A. Sampling results: quarterdeck boys and junior officers with traceable social backgrounds ; B. Ages and passing times ; C. Wages and allocations ; D. Estimates of available positions ; E. Sample numbers for final databases -- Bibliography -- Index
Summary
The book engages with debates about whether midshipmen and other "young gentlemen" were increasingly aristocratic - and increasingly ill-disciplined; and shows how their aspirations for advancement and glory were often frustrated
