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Nautical Quote of The Day...

"Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." Sir Winston Churchill
Short
Feb 17
> Tim
Feb 17
yes Reginald
Feb 18
There were other reasons. Short
Feb 18
"That's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more!" POPEYE Tim
Feb 17
"ARRRRRRRRRRR" Blackbeard Tim
Feb 17
that's telling it like it is

Shaun

Shaun
Feb 17
"Oh, barnacles!" - SpongeBob SquarePants JimH
Feb 17
One of my all-time favourite cartoon characters... passed only by the likes of JohnH! Don
Feb 17
I always wondered why it seems that all the male members of Englands Royal Familily become officers in the Royal Navy...... Tim
Feb 17
The real reason "non-first born" children of royalty became officers in the Royal Navy is it gave them an opportunity to make a fortune when they captured the booty/ships during battle. The majority of the family's fortune went to the first born, so the others kids had to actually work for a living. Naval service was considered an honorable field for Royalty to enter. Reginald
Feb 17
Does that mean that the Rum, sodomy, and the Lash, were perks of the job? Tim
Feb 17
Well, two-thirds of the Neato Hazeltones are here! JLH
Feb 17
The French Navy sucked! JLH
Feb 17
"sucked?"

When did they quit?

Tim
Feb 17
Ah ha! So now you're saying that Tim is a member. Please make up your mind... you're confusing us all...and I would thimk Tim in particular. Don
Feb 17
Personally, Don, I think Tim has more sense than to pay much attention to your confusion. JLH
Feb 17
As long as you are the one handing out the Rum, sodomy and the Lash it is. ;) Reginald
Feb 17
It's called the Rule of Prima Genitor. Basically, the first born son inherits all the property, lands, titles, etc. The second born usually went into either the Navy or Army with a title (no land) and was expected to earn his own way (with political assistance from the first born son). The Royal Navy has an interesting archive of officers and when you look through it, you see a lot of enrollees with titles like Midshipman Sir Rodney Somethingorother.

The Army was a little different in that commissions could be purchased usually with a loan from the first born without any experience and promotion was often a matter of money crossing hands. Naval commissions, once the officer passed the Lieutenant boards, could also be purchased but were usually the result of political pressure up to and past the point of Posting which was a sort of "regular" Navy vs "reserve" Navy.

Third, fourth and fifth born sons were expected to join the Church (England or Roman depending) and expected to make their way there. Usually they were given parish assignments immediately after theology school. Whatever political push they obtained was with assistance of the first born.

First/second born daughters were considered major political alliance tools by marriage, daughters after were sent to convent and either became nuns or were used for minor marriage alliances. Occasionally, only daughters were produced in which the lands were inherited by marriage.

That's how it basically was. There were variations depending on the times and circumstances.

Short
Feb 17
   

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