Nature of Source
Official account printed quarterly of a naval officers career and biography. The Navy Lists contains details of all Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service and former Women’s Royal Naval Service commissioned officers at the rank of lieutenant or above. The Lists include surgeons and pursers but do not include non-commissioned Officers. Chief engineers were added from 1853 and midshipmen, boatswains and gunners from 1870. Royal Marine officers appear in the Army Lists from 1797.
The Navy List was preceded by the unofficial Steel’s Navy List from 1782 to 1816 and Lean’s Navy List from 1878 to 1916. The unofficial New Navy List covering 1841-1856 is also worth checking. Some editions of the New Navy List are available at Google Books whilst the 1867 edition of the official Navy List and other editions are also available at Google Books.
The officer grade consisted of warrant and commissioned officers. Warrant officers were appointed by the Admiralty for a particular technical skill or knowledge and worked in a number of occupations such as purser’s mate, boatswain, carpenter, gunner, cook, surgeon’s mate, sailmaker, armourer and cooper. Warrant Officers also included masters pre-1808, surgeons, pursers and chaplains pre-1843 and engineers pre-1847. These posts became commissioned officers after these dates. Warrant officers rank below that of a commissioned officer but above a non-commissioned officer.
Commissioned officers are appointed to a position of command directly from the Crown and included admirals, commodores, captains, commanders and lieutenants. A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is appointed to a position of authority by promotion through the ranks. Petty officers or Senior Ratings are non-commissioned but rank below an NCO.
Similar publications providing biographical and service details of officers include:
Syrett & DiNardo’s, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy, 1660-1815 (alphabetical list of serving officers compiled from a variety of sources including the Navy Lists providing dates of seniority, promotion, retirement and death. The reference work is based on the original publication of 1955 by David Bonner Smith with revisions and corrections)
John Marshall’s Royal Navy Biography 1760-1823 (up to 1835 and providing details about all officers extracted from the Admiralty list of sea officers)
O’Byrne’s A Naval Biographical Dictionary (lists of serving commissioned officers for the year 1845 and includes career and biographical information)
John Charnock’s Biographia Navalis (1660-1794 providing a summary of the officer’s career. Volume 1 avaialble to view online at Google Books)
Patrick Marione’s The Complete Navy List of the Napoleonic Wars, 1793-1815
John Campbell’s Lives of the British Admirals (Up to 1816. A number of volumes of Campbell’s work can be found at Google Books and the Internet Archive)
Dictionary of National Biography
Also consult editions of the Naval Chronicle published monthly from 1799 to 1819 which carried news of campaigns, promotions and some announcements of naval births, marriages and deaths. Some editions are available at Google Books and the Internet Archive. Also see Norman Hurst’s Naval Chronicle, 1799-1818: Index to Births, Marriages and Deaths, published in 1989.
Publications such as the Gentleman’s Magazine and the Illustrated London News and possibly local and national newspapers and journals carried stories and news on officers. At an officer’s death it is almost certain that at least the local newspaper would have carried an obituary, giving a career summary of the person.
The records of officers who faced disciplinary proceedings can be found in court martial records held at TNA in series ADM 1/5261-5351. An Alphabetical digest of convictions of officers at court martial, arranged by name covering 1810-1816 can be found in series ADM 12/27A and in ADM 12/27F can be found an index and digest of court martial verdicts covering 1812-1855. The Naval authorities also kept ‘Black Books’ containing the names of officers who had transgressed and who were barred from further employment in the Navy. The three volumes are held in series ADM 12/27B, ADM 12/27C and ADM 12/27D with a name index available in series ADM 12/27E, 1741-1819.
Service records for all ranks who served after 1920 remain with the Ministry of Defence with each military service maintaining its own record office. The Veterans UK web site provides contact details of where to apply for service records for each of the services.
Also see
Casualty Records, Ratings & Officers
Certificates of Service – Ratings & Officers
Half Pay Registers – Officers
Medal Rolls, Ratings & Officers
Muster & Pay Books (Service Records) – Ratings & Officers
Passing Certificates & Examinations – Officers
Service Registers – Officers including WWI
Surveys and Succession Books – Officers
Where Found
The National Archives (Printed Navy Lists, official and unofficial; ADM 118, Officers Seniority Lists, 1717-1850; ADM 8, Admiralty List Books, 1673-1909 showing the disposition of ships and names of officers)
Society of Genealogists (Navy Resources)
British Library
National Maritime Museum/Caird Library
Royal Naval Museum
National Library of Scotland
Local and specialist reference libraries
Period Covered
1814 – Onwards
Genealogical Value
- Name and Rank
- Career and Service
- Biographies
- Decorations
- Lists of ships with serving officers
Further References
- Addis, C.P. The Men Who Fought with Nelson in HMS Victory at Trafalgar: Nelson Society, 1988
- Adkins, Roy & Lesley. Jack Tar: The Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary Seamen in Nelson’s Navy: Abacus, 2009
- Bevan, Amanda. Tracing Your Ancestors in the National Archives: The National Archives, 2006
- Blank, Dr. Stuart. Researching British Military History on the Internet: Alwyn Enterprises, 2007
- Brooks, Richard & Little, Matthew. Tracing Your Royal Marine Ancestors: Pen and Sword Books, 2008
- Burt, R.A. British Battleships of World War One: Seaforth, 2012
- Clarke, John D. Men of HMS Victory at Trafalgar Including the Muster Roll, Casualties, Rewards and Medals: Naval & Military Press 2002
- Cock, Randolph & Rodgers N.A.M. A Guide to the Naval Records in The National Archives of the UK: Institute of Historical Research, 2006
- Coleman, E.C. Rank and Rate: Insignia of Royal Naval Ratings, WRNS, Royal Marines, QARNNS and Auxiliaries: Crowood Press, 2012
- Divall, Ken. My Ancestor was a Royal Marine: Society of Genealogists, 2008
- Fenton, Roy & Briody, Nuala & Macdonald, Mike. Maritime Information : A Guide to Libraries and Sources of Information in the United Kingdom: Maritime Information Association, 2004
- Fowler, Simon. A Guide to Military History on the Internet: Pen & Sword, 2007
- Fowler, Simon. Tracing Your Naval Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2011
- Gregson, Keith. Nelson’s Navy 1793-1815: Federation of Family History Societies, 2006
- Hurst, Norman (comp). Naval Chronicle, 1799-1818: Index to Births, Marriages and Deaths: N. Hurst, 1989
- Ingham, Mary. Tracing Your Service Women Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books 2012
- Lavery, Brian. Life in Nelson’s Navy: The History Press, 2011
- Lavery, Brian. Empire of the Seas: The Remarkable Story of How the Navy Forged the Modern World: Conway, 2012
- Lavery, Brian. Nelson’s Navy: The Ships, Men and Organisation, 1793-1815: Conway, 2013
- Mackenzie, Robert Holden. The Trafalgar Roll: The Ships and the Officers: Chatham, 2004
- Morris, Stuart. Dorset, The Royal Navy: Dovecote Press, 2011
- Pappalardo, Bruno. Tracing Your Naval Ancestors: PRO, 2003
- Pappalardo, Bruno. Royal Navy Lieutenants’ Passing Certificates 1691-1902: List & Index Society, 2001 (Available in The National Archives reading rooms)
- Pope, Dudley.Life In Nelson’s Navy: Chatham Publishing, 1997
- Prysor, Glyn. Citizen Sailors: The Royal Navy In the Second World War: Penguin Books, 2012
- Rodger, N.A.M. Naval Records for Genealogists: PRO, 1998
- Royal Marines Historical Society. A Register of Royal Marine Deaths, 1914-19: 1991
- Spencer, William. Family History in the Wars: The National Archives, 2007
- Storey, Neil. Military Photographs and How to Date Them: Countryside Books, 2009
- Tracing Your Family History. Royal Navy: Imperial War Museum, 2006
- Tracy, Nicholas. The Naval Chronicle: The Contemporary Record of the Royal Navy at War, vols 1-5: various publishers
- Usher, George. Dictionary of British Military History: A&C Black Publishers, 2006
- Waller, Ian. My Ancestor was in the Royal Navy: Society of Genealogists, 2014
- Watts, Christopher T. and Watts, Michael J. Tracing Births, Deaths and Marriages at Sea: Society of Genealogists, 2004
- Willis, Sam. In the Hour of Victory: The Royal Navy At War in the Age Nelson: Atlantic Books, 2014
- Wills, Simon. Tracing Your Seafaring Ancestors: A Guide to Maritime Photographs for Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books, 2016
- Wilson, Alastair. A Biographical Dictionary of The Twentieth Century Royal Navy: Volume 1 Admirals of the Fleet and Admirals: Seaforth, 2013
Websites
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/?research-category=military-and-maritime (The National Archives Research Guides: Military and Maritime. Learn how to trace the voyages made by a merchant seaman, find a Royal Marine’s medal record or track the wartime history of an Army regiment)
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21533369.2001.9668314 (Journal for Maritime Research. Commissioned officers’ careers in the Royal Navy, 1690-1815 by professor N.A.M. Rodger)
www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKNavyList.htm (The Navy List)
www.bl.uk/collection-guides/uk-national-government-publications (British Library Guide: Service lists for the Army, Navy and Air Force)
www.barnettmaritime.co.uk (British Maritime History: Background to researching mariners: Mercantile & Naval)
www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_nav_rankings.htm (Officer Ranks in the Royal Navy: The Naval Hierarchy Explained)
www.ukmfh.org.uk (UK Military Family History Online: Links to web sites with online data and information to aid in military family history research)
www.genuki.org.uk/big/MilitaryRecords (GENUKI Guide: UK and Ireland: Military Records)
www.genuki.org.uk/big/BritMilRecs (GENUKI: British Military Records by Jay Hall)
www.rmg.co.uk/researchers/library/research-guides (National Maritime Museum: The Royal Navy: Guides to tracing people, ship records, administrative records, naval gunnery etc)
www.iwm.org.uk/research/tracing-your-family-history/tracing-your-royal-naval-history (Imperial War Museum Research Guide: Tracing your Royal Navy History)
www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/offpubs/ukofficalpub/servlists/armylist.pdf (Guide to service lists for the Army, Navy and Air Force)
www.naval-history.net (Information on battles, actions, medals, convoys, warships, merchant ships and ship losses, including photos of lost soldiers)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nelson (Online exhibition to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805)
www.navyrecords.org.uk (Navy Records Society: Publisher of original documents on the Royal Navy)
https://navaldockyards.org (Naval Dockyards Society. The society’s primary aim is to stimulate the production and exchange of information and research into naval dockyards and associated organisations)
Online Databases
The National Archives Online Collections (Royal Naval Officers’ Service Records: Service records of officers who joined the Royal Navy, 1756-1917 extracted from series ADM 196; Naval Officers’ Service Record Cards and Files: Service records of officers who joined the Royal Navy, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and Women’s Royal Naval Service, 1880-1960 extracted from series ADM 340. Over 9 million records are available for download. To find out available records for download go the Research Guides section and select ‘Show only guides with all records online’)
www.ancestry.co.uk (UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970. Search or browse multiple volumes of the Navy List, the Royal Navy’s official published list of officers. The list includes both commissioned and warrant officers, and along with names, lists can indicate rank, seniority, decorations and other details)
www.findmypast.co.uk (Britain, Royal Navy, Navy Lists, 1824-1945. Search digital images of the navy lists. Some details you may be able to discover include an individual’s name, rank, seniority, and place of service)
https://digital.nls.uk/97343435 (National Library of Scotland Digital Gallery: British Military Lists: Transcriptions and images of Army Lists, Navy Lists and Air Force Lists covering WWI and WWII)
www.familyrelatives.com (Royal Navy Lists: Details of all Royal Navy and Royal Marine commissioned officers on the Active List of those serving at the time of publication, 1847-1945; Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, by David Bonner Smith containing a listing of officers with his rank and year of commission compiled from a variety of sources including the Navy Lists)
www.thegenealogist.co.uk (Navy Lists, 1689-1944)
www.ancestry.co.uk (Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, by David Bonner Smith containing a listing of officers with his rank and year of commission compiled from a variety of sources including the Navy Lists)
www.navylist.org (Naval Biographical Database: Biographical information on Royal Navy commission, warrant and yard officers extracted from a variety of sources, starting from 1660. The database also identifies volunteers who supported the Navy as well as a complete ship listing including places. Expect to find the person’s name, rank, entry and discharge date, pension award, date of death and family members)
Ancestry
UK, RAF Officer Service Records, 1918-1919. This collection contains service records for officers who served in the Royal Air Force between 1918-1919. The records in this collection were created alongside the RAF in 1918. The records likely document the airman’s previous military history, especially if they served in the Royal Flying Corps or Royal Naval Air Service prior to the establishment of the RAF.
Ancestry
UK, Wills of Royal Navy and Royal Marines Personnel, 1786-1882. This collection includes wills written by sailors and marines before embarking on dangerous missions or during service, drawn from series ADM 48 held by The National Archives. The records includes the wills of warrant officers and some ratings but does not include commissioned officers.
www.findmypast.co.uk (British Royal Naval Reserve 1899-1930. The dataset consists of over 81,000 service cards of officers and ratings who served with the RNR extracted from TNA series ADM 337 and ADM 240)
www.forces-war-records.co.uk (Forces War Records: Search over two million British Armed Forces personnel records from 30 completely exclusive collections covering WWII, WWI, Boer War, Victorian Conflicts, Crimean War, Early 19th Century Wars, Napoleonic. Also search hundreds of other sources such as Medal Rolls, Casualties Lists and Memorials. Name searches are automatically cross referenced to the Historic Documents Library that holds over two thousand publications)
www.1812privateers.org/ADM26/ADM26.html (Transcripts of the TNA series ADM 26 registers which allowed ratings/sailors and not officers to remit part of their pay to a third party, usually a relative, 1795-1851)
www.ageofnelson.org/NavyList/index.html (The Complete Navy List of the Napoleonic Wars, 1793-1815: Transcribed names and details of more than 11,000 commissioned officers who served in the Royal Navy from 1787 onwards, up to those who entered the service before 1817)
www.ageofnelson.org/TrafalgarRoll/index.html (The Ayshford Trafalgar Roll: Names and details of over 21,000 seamen and marines who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/trafalgarancestors (Names and details of those that served in the Battle of Trafalgar)
CD Roms
Your Old Books & Maps (Royal Navy Lists, 1701-1950)
S & N Genealogy Supplies (Navy Lists and the 1871 Royal Navy census returns)
www.ageofnelson.org/NavyList/CD.html (The Complete Navy List of the Napoleonic Wars, 1793-1815: Transcribed names and details of more than 11,000 commissioned officers who served in the Royal Navy from 1787 onwards, up to those who entered the service before 1817)
www.ageofnelson.org/TrafalgarRoll/index.html (The Ayshford Trafalgar Roll: Names and details of over 21,000 seamen and marines who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805)
