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PUBLICATIONS OF THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY VOL. XXIX.

FIGHTING INSTRUCTIONS
1530-1816

EDITED WITH ELUCIDATIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY AUTHORITIES BY JULIAN S. CORBETT, LL.M.

PRINTED FOR THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY MDCCCCV

                          THE COUNCIL
                            OF THE
                     NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY
                           1904-1905

* * * * *

PATRON H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES, K.G., K.T., K.P.

PRESIDENT EARL SPENCER, K.G.

VICE-PRESIDENTSBRIDGE, ADMIRAL SIR CYPRIAN | PROTHERO, G.W., A.G., G.C.B. | LL.D.HAWKESBURY, LORD. | YORKE, SIR HENRY, K.C.B.

COUNCILLORS

ATKINSON, C.T. | KIPLING, RUDYARD.BATTENBURG, PRINCE LOUIS OF, | LORAINE, REAR-ADMIRAL SIR G.C.B. | LAMBTON, BART.BEAUMONT, VICE-ADMIRAL SIR | LYALL, SIR ALFRED C., G.C.I.E. LEWIS, K.C.B., K.C.M.G. | MARKHAM, SIR CLEMENTS R.,CLARKE, COL. SIR GEORGE S., | K.C.B., F.R.S. K.C.M.G. | MARSDEN, R.G.CORBETT, JULIAN S. | NEWBOLT, HENRY.DESART, THE EARL OF, K.C.B. | PARR, REAR-ADMIRAL A.C.DRURY, VICE-ADMIRAL SIR | SLADE, CAPTAIN EDMOND J.W., CHARLES, K.C.S.I. | R.N.FIRTH, PROFESSOR G.H., LL.D. | TANNER, J.R.GINSBURG, B.W., LL.D. | THURSFIELD, J.R.GODLEY, SIR ARTHUR, K.C.B. | TRACEY, ADMIRAL SIR RICHARD,HAMILTON, ADMIRAL SIR R. | K.C.B. VESEY, G.C.B. | WATTS, PHILIP, D.SC., F.R.S.

SECRETARY
PROFESSOR J.K. LAUGHTON, D.Litt., King's College, London, W.C.

TREASURER
W. GRAHAM GREENE, C.B., Admiralty, S.W.

The COUNCIL of the NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY wish it to be distinctlyunderstood that they are not answerable for any opinions orobservations that may appear in the Society's publications; For thesethe responsibility rests entirely with the Editors of the severalworks.

PREFACE

The inaccessibility of the official Fighting Instructions from time totime issued to the fleet has long been a recognised stumbling-block tostudents of naval history. Only a few copies of them were generallyknown to exist; fewer still could readily be consulted by the public,and of these the best known had been wrongly dated. The discoverytherefore of a number of seventeenth century Instructions amongst theEarl of Dartmouth's papers, which he had generously placed at thedisposal of the Society, seemed to encourage an attempt to makesomething like a complete collection. The result, such as it is, isnow offered to the Society. It is by no means exhaustive. Some sets ofInstructions seem to be lost be

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