Up until the Reforms of\n1871, officers in the British Army \u201cpurchased\u201d their Commissions. That is, they\npaid a set price for the rank which they held. This was intended to attract the\nmen of fortune and character who would know how to look after the nation\u2019s\ninterest. As \u201cowners\u201d they would supposedly be more responsible of their\n\u201cproperty\u201d (even though legally it was held by the Crown). As the Crown had not\ngiven them their position, it also made them appear less likely to be used\nagainst the \u201cPeople.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the start of the\nFrench Revolutionary Wars, the British Army was weak in numbers, disorganized,\nand lax in discipline. Commissions had been sold to the most unsuitable of\ncandidates, including infants and women, and officers often lacked even basic\ntraining. In 1796, the new Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of York, instituted a\nseries of reforms, which marked a turn around which would lead to the victory\nat Waterloo. Better training, new manuals, and other reforms greatly improved\nthe Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officers in the Cavalry\nor Infantry had to purchase their first \u201cCommission,” the lowest rank in\ntheir branch of the service. (Artillery and Engineer officers did not buy their\ncommission, they received specialized training and all promotion was by seniority.)\nCandidates had to be \u201cgentlemen,” able to read or write, be at least 16\nyears of age (although a few younger did slip through), and be vouched for by a\nsuperior officer. Usually, the candidate would have an \u201cAgent” who\nspecialized in such transactions handle the negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the Napoleonic\nWars, most advancements were made by promotions based on seniority within the\nregiment to fill vacancies; secondly promotions by merit. Third came promotion\nby purchase, by paying the difference between his and the next highest rank.\n(See Table below.) Above Colonel, advancement was by seniority only. There were\nmany regulations stating that no other moneys, or other incentives could be\noffered. The Duke\u2019s reform also insisted that an officer serve a minimum number\nof years at each step along the way. A Subaltern (Lieutenant and below) had to\nserve at least three years before becoming a Captain; at least seven years in\nservice (two as Captain) to become a Major; and nine years in service for\nLieut.-Colonel. However, lack of vacancies, or of the money to pay the\ndifference, could mean that an officer, especially in the junior ranks, could\nspend several years without advancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When an officer retired\nor was killed, the disposition of the commission was also through the Crown.\nOnly money actually paid for a commission could be recovered by the individual\n(not the unpaid advancement portion). The officer could not sell out to whom he\nchose, as it reverted to the Crown. This could only be done after 20 years of\nservice, or the ill-health of the officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n RANK<\/strong>\n <\/td>| \n Horse Guards<\/strong>\n <\/td> | \n Dragoons<\/strong>\n <\/td> | \n Foot Guards<\/strong>\n <\/td> | \n Infantry<\/strong>\n <\/td><\/tr> | \n Lieut.-Colonel\n <\/td> | \n \u00a34950\n <\/td> | \n 4982\/10\/-\n <\/td> | \n \u00a36700\n <\/td> | \n \u00a33500\n <\/td><\/tr> | \n Major\n <\/td> | \n \u00a34050\n <\/td> | \n \u00a33882\/10\/-\n <\/td> | \n \u00a36300\n <\/td> | \n \u00a32600\n <\/td><\/tr> | \n Captain\n <\/td> | \n \u00a32950\n <\/td> | \n \u00a32782\/10\/-\n <\/td> | \n \u00a33500\n <\/td> | \n \u00a31500\n <\/td><\/tr> | \n Lieutenant\n <\/td> | \n \u00a31350\n <\/td> | \n \u00a3 997\/10\/-\n <\/td> | \n \u00a31500\n <\/td> | \n \u00a3 550\n <\/td><\/tr> | \n Ensign\n <\/td> | \n \u00a31050\n <\/td> | \n \u00a3 735\n <\/td> | \n \u00a3 400\n <\/td> | <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n | <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Up until the Reforms of 1871, officers in the British Army \u201cpurchased\u201d their Commissions. That is, they paid a set price for the rank which they held. This was intended to attract the men of fortune and character who would … Continue reading |