Regulations for Granting Out Pensions from Greenwich Hospital, to the Warrant and Petty Officers herein mentioned, and to Seamen and Royal Marines, established by HM�s Order in Council of 24 Aug 1831

Article 1.- Every Second Master, Assistant Surgeon (when not entitled to Half-Pay), Gunner, Boatswain, and Carpenter (when not entitled to superannuation), Mate, Midshipman, Master�s-Assistant, Schoolmaster, Clerk, and Volunteer of the First or Second Class, who shall be discharged from H.M. Service for wounds or hurts received, or permanent sickness or debility contracted in the Service, and who shall be deemed a fit and deserving object for relief, shall be allowed a Pension, either for life or for a limited period, at the discretion of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, of net less than one shilling and not more than two shillings and sixpence, per diem, according to the bodily injury sustained by the party.

Article 2.- Every Petty Officer not mentioned in the preceding article, and every Able Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, Landsman, Boy, and every Non-commissioned Officer, Drummer, and Private of the Royal Marines, who shall be discharged from HM Service, for wounds or hurts received in action, shall be allowed a pension, provided he be deemed a fit and deserving object for relief, either for life, or for a limited period, at the discretion of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, according to the bodily injury sustained, and with reference to the length of service and rating of the party.

An Able Seaman or Marine having lost two limbs, or being otherwise so severely wounded as to require the care and attendance of some other person, shall have from one shilling and sixpence to two shillings per diem ; but for less injury than the foregoing, and not requiring the care of another person, from one shilling to one shilling and sixpence per diem ; if able to contribute in a small degree to his livelihood, from ninepence to one shilling per diem ; and if able to contribute materially to his livelihood, though unfit for the Service, from sixpence to ninepence per diem.

In fixing Pensions under this article, the lowest or highest, or any intermediate rate is to be taken, according to the length of service and character of the claimant, and the circumstances (if any are stated) relating to his conduct at the time he was wounded.

Article 3.- Every Able Seaman or Marine discharged on any account (except misconduct) after 21 years service in the Royal Navy or Marines, or any greater length of service, reckoning only from the age of 20, shall receive (subject to all the foregoing conditions) a pension, varying from 10d. to one shilling and 2d. per diem, having consideration to whether the party be discharged at his own request or otherwise, to the nature of his services, whether chiefly abroad and in bad climates or otherwise, to his actual state of health and apparent strength, and the number of years he may have served beyond 21 years, provided his servitude of 21 years shall have been completed within 30 years from the aforesaid age of 20 years, or that he shall not have been out of the service more than 3 years at any time.

Article 4.- Every Able Seaman or Marine, who, after having served at least 14 years, shall be discharged for sickness or debility contracted in the service, or for wounds or hurts received in it by accident, shall, provided he shall appear a fit and deserving object of relief, be allowed an annual pension, either for life, or for a limited period, at the discretion of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, calculated on a combined view of his length of service and his bodily infirmity ; varying from 6d. to 9d. per diem ; but if the injury be no considered permanent, a conditional pension only shall be granted.

Article 5.- Any Able Seaman or Marine discharged under 14 years service, is not to be deemed entitled to a pension ; but if discharged in consequence of his disability contracted in the service, and not from want of proper care on his part, may be awarded a pension (if, on his examination at the Admiralty, he appears to be really in a state to call for it) either for life or for a limited period, at the discretion of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, of not less than 3d. per diem ; or more than 6d., according to the bodily injury sustained by the party.

And in cases under 14 years service, where a sum, as gratuity, may be considered more advantageous for the claimant�s interests than a temporary pension, a sum varying from one pound to 18 pounds, may be given in full compensation, in lieu of such temporary pension ; and in extreme cases of injury or debility, resulting in serving in bad climates, or from severe accidents, the temporary pension may be increased to 9d. per diem, and renewed from time to time for specified periods, so long as the individual shall continue in a state to demand such special consideration.

Article 6.- In any of the cases in Articles 3, 4, and 5, if any man shall become totally blind, from unavoidable causes clearly attributable to the Service, he shall be allowed a permanent pension of 3d. per diem, in addition to the amount specified in the said articles.

Article 7.- An Ordinary Seaman shall receive three-fourths, a Landsman two-thirds, and a Boy one half of the pensions or allowances hereby assigned to an Able Seaman. Private Marines to be considered as Able Seaman.

Article 8.- The following Petty and Non-commissioned Officers, in addition to the rates of pension to which they may be entitled under articles 2, 3, 4, and 6, as seamen, or marines, shall be allowed for each year�s service as Petty or Non-commissioned Officer, as follows, viz.:-

Quartermaster-Serjeants, and Serjeant-Majors, who have served 3 years and upwards and discharged with those ratings after 21 years� service, 2d. per diem, in addition to whatever pensions they may be entitled to.

Article 9.- Persons discharged with disgrace, or for offences, or by sentence of a court martial, are not entitled to any pension ; and all pensions are granted during good behaviour, and may be forfeited by misconduct on the part of the pensioner, to be judged by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty ; and if any deserter shall be re-taken, or shall re-enter HM Services, he shall commence a new time from such re-entry, and shall not be entitled to reckon any time preceding such desertion or running.

Article 10.- All men invalided from HM Service, whether pensioners or not, who re-enter the Service, must produce their Invaliding Certificates or Pension Tickets, at the time of their re-entry, to the captain and surgeon of the ship, in order that their cases may be fully known ; and if they neglect to do this, or do not assign a sufficient reason for not doing so, they forfeit all claim to an increase of Pension for subsequent service.

Article 11.- All claims to pensions should be brought forward before the expiration of 6 months after the individual is discharged from HM Service.

Article 12.- Pensioners who shall not have been discharged as wholly incapable, or for having served 21 years or upwards, or whose age shall not exceed 50 years, may forfeit their pensions by neglecting or omitting to attend at such port or place, and at such time, as shall, in time of War, or in prospect of a War, be appointed for the assembling of the Pensioners by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, or by neglecting or refusing to serve his Majesty in such manner as to the said Lords Commissioners may seem proper, except when such neglect or omission to appear, or such neglect or refusal to serve, shall be accounted for by reasonable excuse, to be admitted by the said Lords Commissioners.

Memorandum

Admiralty

4 November 1831

With reference to the 3rd Article of the Regulations for granting pensions from Greenwich Hospital, the limitations of 21 years� Service, reckoning from the age of 20, shall be considered applicable only to the case of such Seamen and Marines as shall have entered the Service on or after the 1st Jan 1832.

By Command of Their Lordships,

George Elliot.

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