Navy List May 1805

[Cimqag]

I have just started researching a Royal Marines officer, John Shepherd, in the Navy List . In the May 1805 edition he is listed as becoming a First Lieutenant in 1803. To the left of his name is the number 136.

Earlier Navy Lists state that this number is the man's Company number. However, it appears that RM Companies are numbered from 1-100 with, in 1805, one artillery company attached to each of the three Divisions (Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham). The fourth Division (at Woolwich) was established later in 1805. John Shepherd was later in 146 Company RMA.

His service record in the Royal Marines Museum indicates that he was in 136 Company at this time (which ties in with the Navy List) but there is no 136 Company mentioned in the list of RM Companies. I'm confused!

Also, is there any way of knowing which ship he was serving on when he was wounded on 18 July 1805 near Boulogne?

Can anyone enlighten me, please? I'm a newcomer to all this.
Thanks. Anne

[PMarione]

I think that the problem is simply that they were, as you say, 100 companies in 3 Divisions but that the companies were not numbered from 1 to 100.

For example the companies in Chatham (1st division) in 1832 were: 1st, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th ... 99th (only 26 companies: peace time).

So it's possible that it was a 136th company in 1803.

@+P

[Cimqag]

RM Companies. Many thanks for the suggestion about Company numbers - quite simple really but I never thought of that! Anne

[Cimqag]

Further to my earlier post regarding RM officer, First Lieutenant John Shepherd of 136 Company (Portsmouth Division), who was wounded near Boulogne on 18 July 1805, is there any way of tracing which ship he was serving on when he was wounded?

As I said, I'm a newcomer to this, so apologies for asking what may seem to be easy questions.
Thanks. Anne

[PMarione]

I only have the Steel Naby List for July 1806.

I was completely wrong with the "136".

In 1809, there was 48 companies at Chatham, 49 at Portsmouth, 49 at Plymouth and 31 at Woolwich.
The highest number was 102 except for Woolwich where it was from 144 to 173.
So no 136th company.

John Shepherd is quoted as First-Lieutenant of 1803 and Adjutant (no idea what it was).

Another idea for the 136: every officer has such a number before his name in the list, could be the number of the ship he was on board. That would be a great help for you, alas Steel gives no number for the ships.

James gives the story:
http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Naval_History/Vol_III/Vol_III_P_309.htm

That will give you a start for the ships.
Then the only solution is to go at the TNA and check the muster books of the ships involved (if they still exists). From that you will be able to find more on his career. The logbook of the ship for that date may be helpful: wounded were recorded in it.

@+P

[Cimqag]

I have now confirmed that the numbers beside John Shepherd's name are Company numbers. (The Navy List actually states this after all but I had not seen it!)

So I'm still left with the problem of establishing which ships he served on, the most imortant of which was the one on which he was wounded on 18 July 1805 near Boulogne. As there were lots of ships involved in this action it seems as though I'm in for a long haul at TNA!

As John Shepherd suffered a bad head wound, it appears he was taken off active duties and given a desk job, hence Adjutant and later Quartermaster (Navy List July 1807). He was in the RM Artillery in October 1805 (Navy List) then on half pay, then an annuity in January 1815 because of his head wound. He died in November 1815.
Many thanks for your help and interest. Anne

[PeterL]

[Cimqag]

Dear Peter

Many thanks for your reply to what is an 'old post' - but much appreciated nonetheless. Just a week or two ago I found the reference you mentioned in the book by James using Google Books. The lieutenant who was "dangerously wounded" was indeed John Shepherd! A look in Ariadne's muster roll and captain's log in The National Archives revealed more details, e.g. he was taken to hospital in Deal, Kent, the next day.

A further search using Google Books revealed the surgeon's report on John Shepherd's wound, how it had been caused, what it looked like, how the wound was treated and John Shepherd's recovery. Amazing! The surgeon had written and published his report in a medical journal of 1814 because it was unusual for a man to live after such damage to his head and brain. The surgeon was, in effect, telling other surgeons that if they came across similar cases, do not write them off as hopeless.

I'll take on board that men serve 'in' ships, not 'on' them. I stand corrected - you can tell from that I'm a landlubber! Once again, many thanks for your interest. Anne

[PeterL]

Glad to have been of help, and an interesting development with the Surgeon's report.

Cheers, -Peter

[PMarione]

[Cimqag]

PMarione

I have only just seen your request of 7 Sept 2008 for more information relating to my search on Google Books for details of the wound sustained by Royal Marines Lieutenant John Shepherd in July 1805 - many apologies for the late reply.

The surgeon's description is given here http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MeQEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA485&dq=Ariadne+%22dura+mater%22 (p.485 of Medical and Physical Journal 1814.

Although Lt Shepherd was serving in HMS Ariadne when he was wounded on 18 July 1805, I do not know which ships he served in before that or where he was born. According to Ship’s muster for HMS Ariadne: Marines borne as part of the Complement (TNA ADM 36/16944) he joined the ship on 23 October 1804 from Portsmouth HQ. (This is the column headed 'Place and county were born' and applies to all those RMs listed and hence is a 'blanket' reference.) I had hoped to find that he had been transferred from a named ship and hence be able to work backwards through the musters.

I know from the Navy List and his service record card in the RM Museum library which companies and which RM Divisions he served in (1797-1815) but don't know how to find which ships he served in or how to find where he was born or his parents. He was born in March 1782. There appears to be no service record for him in TNA.

I have just found a reference in Ancestors magazine to your book Complete Navy List of the Napoleonic Wars 1793-1815 but have not seen a copy in order to check. Does it cover RMs?

Do you have any advice as to how I can find his ships and place of birth and parents?

Anne