Navy Board: Sea Fencibles Pay Lists

ADM 28

1798-1810

This series contains musters and receipted pay lists, together with the appointments of naval officers to the Sea Fencibles, 1798 to 1810. The musters and pay lists consist of the names of men acknowledging receipt of pay, submitted by the officers as vouchers for money expended.

Catalogue entries and background information for this series were revised following information gratefully received from a member of the Sea Fencible Study Group, May 2006.

Arranged under districts.

Accounts of officers superintending the Sea Fencibles are in: ADM 17/92

For the Irish establishment, monthly consolidated returns made to the Government of Ireland and the Admiralty are in: ADM 1/621

Entry books of orders appointing officers to cutters, tenders, Sea Fencibles, signal stations, Impress Service and other shore appointments are in ADM 11/14-16:

Orders and instructions for appointments to the 1798 districts are in (pp 153 et seq): ADM 2/135

Officers commissioned for hired cutters and tenders, signal stations and Sea Fencibles, are in: ADM 6/55 ADM 11/14 ADM 11/15 ADM 11/16

For an accountant's working notebook listing the districts of all three establishments and the officers who served in them, see: ADM 28/145

Public Record(s)

English

147 bundle(s)

Topics

Navy

The Sea Fencibles were a part-time organisation of coastal militia recruited from fishermen and boatmen, under the command of naval officers, formed for local defence and mobilised in case of invasion or emergency.

In March 1798, five post-captains were appointed to the newly formed Sea Fencible Service, or Corps of Sea Fencibles. These officers were to command and superintend the enrolment of locally raised men in five Districts stretching along the coast from Emsworth on the Hampshire/Sussex border, to Great Yarmouth on the east coast. Five more Districts were created shortly afterwards from the Isle of Wight to Land's End, and an eleventh District, Saltfleet to Flamborough Head, was added some weeks later. The appointment of post captains and their subordinate officers to the 1798 Districts were made by the Admiralty. All were stood down in October 1801.

In July 1803 the corps was reactivated on a much larger establishment with nearly forty Districts, plus over twenty Districts of the Irish establishment authorised later that year. The whole service in Ireland, together with that of signal stations and the Impress Service, was superintended by an admiral. Both 1803 establishments were stood down in October 1810.

Sea Fencible Districts, 1798 to 1801: Emsworth to Beachy Head Beachy Head to Deal Deal to Faversham Leigh to Harwich Harwich to Yarmouth Isle of Wight Coast of Hampshire Coast of Dorset Coast of Devon Plymouth to Land's End Saltfleet to Flamborough Head

Sea Fencible Districts, 1803 to 1810: Emsworth to Beachy Head Beachy Head to Dungeness Dungeness to Sandgate Sandgate to Sandown Sandown to the North Foreland North Foreland to East Swale Along the Medway from Maidstone Lower Hope to Blackwater Blackwater to the Stour The Stour to Southwold Southwold to Cromer Cromer to Fosdyke Wash (up to 6 Feb 1806) Hunstanton to Fosdyke Wash (after 6 Feb 1806) Cromer to Hunstanton (after 6 Feb 1806) Fosdyke Wash to the Mouth of the Humber Mouth of the Humber to the River Ouse River Ouse to Flamborough Head Flamborough Head to the River Tees River Tees to North Shields North Shields to St Abb's Head Firth of Forth Coast of Angus Shetland Islands Isle of Wight Emsworth to Calshot Castle Calshot Castle to St Alban's Head St Alban's Head to Puncknowle Puncknowle to Teignmouth Teignmouth to the Rame Head The Rame Head to the Dodman The Dodman to Land's End Scilly Islands Chepstow to the Mouth of the Bristol Channel Kidwelly to Cardigan Hartland Point to Kingroad Upper part of the River Severn Holyhead and Anglesey Liverpool and its neighbourhood Workington to Whitehaven Land's End to Hartland Point

Irish Sea Fencible Districts, 1803 to 1810: Malin Head to Horn Head Horn Head to Teeling Head Teeling Head to Donegal Ballyshannon to Killala Killala to Blacksod Bay Blacksod bay to Killery Harbour Killery Harbour to Greatman's Bay Greatman's Bay to Black Head Loop Head to Kerry Head Kerry Head to Blasket Island Blasket Island to Valencia Valencia to Dursey Island Dursey Island to Mizen Head Mizen Head to Galley Head Galley Head to Cork Island Cork Island to Youghal Youghal to Waterford Hook Tower to Arklow Arklow to Killney Donaghadee to Larne Howth to Ballriggan Dublin - Gun boats