King's shilling
Encyclopedia
For many years a soldier's daily pay, before stoppages, was the shilling
given as an earnest payment
to recruits
of the British Army
and the Royal Navy
of the 18th and 19th centuries. The expression "to take the King's shilling" (or the Queen's shilling as the case may be) meant that a man agreed to serve as a soldier or sailor.
Recruiters of the time used all sorts of tricks, most involving strong drink, to press the shilling on unsuspecting victims. The man did not formally become a soldier until attested before a Justice of the Peace
, and could still escape his fate by paying his recruiter "smart money" before attestation. In the 1840s this amounted to £1 (twenty shillings), a sum most recruits were unlikely to have at hand.
Press gangs were used by the Royal Navy
as a crude and violent method of recruiting seamen into naval service, often against their will. Recruiting sailors voluntarily was difficult as the conditions on board ship were poor and serving in the navy, especially at time of war, was dangerous. The word press gangs derives from the term impressment, which can be defined as the act of coercing someone into government service. Impressment was used from as early as Elizabethan times and was last used during the Napoleonic wars (1803-1815).
The press gang, a group of 10 - 12 men, led by an officer, would roam the streets looking for likely "volunteers." Merchant seamen were particularly prized as they already had seagoing experience and needed less training. Certain groups were exempt from the impressment process; apprentices, for example, were exempt. Officially, foreigners could not be impressed, although they could be persuaded to volunteer, and there was an age limit of 18 to 55 years. But the rules were often ignored so that the press gang could earn their reward, since they were paid by the head. Often men were knocked unconscious or threatened and often violent fights broke out as groups tried to prevent friends or workmates being impressed into service. When the press gang had seized a man, he was offered the "King's shilling."
There are reports that the "King's shilling" was hidden in the bottom of a pewter tankard (having drunk his pint, the unfortunate drinker found that he had unwittingly accepted the King's offer), and that this gave rise to glass-bottomed tankards. This may be a myth. Other recruits came from the courts, where a criminal's sentence could be commuted to service in the army. The bounty for volunteering for the army was much larger than a shilling. New recruits received £23.17s.6d, but out of this they were obliged to buy their uniform--a considerable expense.
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
given as an earnest payment
Earnest payment
An earnest payment is a deposit towards the purchase of real estate or publicly tendered government contract made by a buyer or registered contractor to demonstrate that he/she is serious about wanting to complete the purchase...
to recruits
Army recruit
Recruit or army recruit is a term often colloquially used to refer to the lowest military rank in various armed services. It usually implies that the soldier so labeled has not yet completed basic training....
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
of the 18th and 19th centuries. The expression "to take the King's shilling" (or the Queen's shilling as the case may be) meant that a man agreed to serve as a soldier or sailor.
Recruiters of the time used all sorts of tricks, most involving strong drink, to press the shilling on unsuspecting victims. The man did not formally become a soldier until attested before a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, and could still escape his fate by paying his recruiter "smart money" before attestation. In the 1840s this amounted to £1 (twenty shillings), a sum most recruits were unlikely to have at hand.
Press gangs were used by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a crude and violent method of recruiting seamen into naval service, often against their will. Recruiting sailors voluntarily was difficult as the conditions on board ship were poor and serving in the navy, especially at time of war, was dangerous. The word press gangs derives from the term impressment, which can be defined as the act of coercing someone into government service. Impressment was used from as early as Elizabethan times and was last used during the Napoleonic wars (1803-1815).
The press gang, a group of 10 - 12 men, led by an officer, would roam the streets looking for likely "volunteers." Merchant seamen were particularly prized as they already had seagoing experience and needed less training. Certain groups were exempt from the impressment process; apprentices, for example, were exempt. Officially, foreigners could not be impressed, although they could be persuaded to volunteer, and there was an age limit of 18 to 55 years. But the rules were often ignored so that the press gang could earn their reward, since they were paid by the head. Often men were knocked unconscious or threatened and often violent fights broke out as groups tried to prevent friends or workmates being impressed into service. When the press gang had seized a man, he was offered the "King's shilling."
There are reports that the "King's shilling" was hidden in the bottom of a pewter tankard (having drunk his pint, the unfortunate drinker found that he had unwittingly accepted the King's offer), and that this gave rise to glass-bottomed tankards. This may be a myth. Other recruits came from the courts, where a criminal's sentence could be commuted to service in the army. The bounty for volunteering for the army was much larger than a shilling. New recruits received £23.17s.6d, but out of this they were obliged to buy their uniform--a considerable expense.