Petition

To the Right Honourable Richard, Earl Howe, Admiral of the Fleet and General of Marines. The humble petitioners on board His Majesty’s Ship Queen Charlotte on behalf of themselves and their Brethren on Board of the Fleet at Spithead. Most humbly sheweth that your petitioners most humbly intreat that your Lordship would be pleased to take the hardships of which they complain into consideration and lay them before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, not doubting in the least from your Lordship’s interference in their behalf they will obtain a speedy redress. It is now upwards of two years since your petitioners observed with pleasure the augmentation which had been made to the pay of the Army and Militia, and the provision that took place with respect to their wives and families, of such soldiers as were serving on board, naturally expecting that they should in their turn experience the same munificence, but alas no notice has been taken of them, nor the smallest provisions made for their wives and families except what they themselves sent out of their pay to prevent them being burdensome to the parish. That your petitioners humbly presume that their loyalty to their Sovereign is as conspicuous and their courage as unquestionable as any other description of men in His Majesty’s service as their enemies can testify, and as your Lordship can witness who so often led them to victory and glory and by whose manly exertions the British Flag rides triumphant in every quarter of the Globe. And your petitioners humbly conceive that at the time when their wages were settled in the reign of Charles the Second it was intended as a comfortable support both for themselves and families, but at present by the considerable rise in the necessaries of life, which is now almost double; and an advance of 30 per cent on slops, your Lordship will plainly see that the intentions of the legislature is counteracted by the before mentioned causes and therefore most humbly pray for relief. Your petitioners relying on your goodness and benevolence humbly implores that my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty will comply with the prayers of this petition, and grant such addition will be made in their pay as their Lordships’ wisdom they shall think meet. And your petitioners will in duty bound ever pray. 28th Feb. 1797