HMS AGAMEMNON CREW (1781 - 1809)

[James]

Some months back in 2008 I bought a book by Anthony Deane about the HMS AGAMEMNON hoping it would have some information about the ship's crew complement that would've been helpful for a project I'm working on. The only figure he gives for the crew complement is 491, I had hoped he would list a complete manning scheme for the ship but he didn't, can anyone help me with the information?

James

[PMarione]

There are some tables in Lavery's Nelson's Navy and in Nicholas Blake's Steering to Glory (p 196).
These are only "establishments".
The real complement can only be found in the muster books at TNA.

@+P

[James]

When Agamemnon was commissioned the ship had a crew of 491 this included 100 marines, later on the number of marines was reduced but the ship still had a crew of 491, did the ship recieve more seamen to retain the 491 crew?
During the time Nelson commanded Agamemnon, both as a Captain and Commodore, how many commissioned officers did Agamemnon have?

James

[PMarione]

I don't know from where you are taking your numbers but 491 was the "established" complement for a 64 like the Agamemnon (1790, 1807, 1810) but this was a theoritical number. In real life the exact number continually changed:
- people were moved from ship to ship
- people died not an uncommon event
- sick people were discharged on shore or ship hospitals
- etc

The rating of people changed too. For example it's very difficult to find in a muster book who where the "young gentlemen" on board as you can find them rated as AB, ordinary, schoolmaster, purser's servant or in fact in any rating.

So if you really want to find who was on board at any time the only solution is to check the muster books at TNA (you can order pdf files at a reasonable rate).

For the Marines, for a 64, the "established" complement for 1795 was 57 and 90 in 1810 (possibly increased following the great mutinies) but again you can find any number at any time including soldiers from the Army when Marines were in short supply.

At Trafalgar the exact complement was 417 seamen and 71 marines ie 489

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[James]

Thanks for the information, I get most of the information I find from the internet.
I took the number straight out of the book "Nelson's Favourite" by Anthony Deane.
Is it possible to contact this TNA via internet?

James

[PMarione]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Takes some time to be accustomed with the navigation.

The serie ADM 36 : Royal Navy Ships' Musters (Series I) 1688-1808 (17471 vols)

ADM 37 : (series II) 1757-1842 (10131 vols)

ADM 36/14589 is the muster book of Agamemnon for 1800
ADM 36/14590 1801 to 1802-04
ADM 36/16518 1804
ADM 36/16519 1805
ADM 36/16520 1805 to 1806
etc.
see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/searchresults.asp?fldResultMarker=21&fldSearchNumber=18489&SearchInit=1

Good introductions are Pappalardo's Tracing Your Naval Ancestors
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/bookshop/details.aspx?titleId=97
and Randolph Cock and N A M Rodger's Guide to the Naval Records in The National Archives of the UK
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/bookshop/details.aspx?titleId=361

I never ordered copies there so I hope somebody here will help you for that.

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