Master (naval)
In the Royal Navy, the master was originally a warrant officer who ranked with, but after, the lieutenants.
[4][5] Spanish sailing masters belonged to a navigation corps, called Cuerpo de Pilotos.
They were, unlike their British counterparts, theoretically trained at the famous navigation schools, called Real Colegios Seminarios de San Telmo, in Seville and Málaga.
Colored persons, Romani people, heretics, Jews, those punished by the Inquisition, and those whose parents pursued disreputable professions, were not eligible for enrollment.
The master's apprentices were called meritorios de pilotaje and were at sea rated as common seamen.
In order to become a master's assistant, called pilotín, during the 18th century, three voyages in Europe and one back and forth to America was required, as well as having passed a special examination.
Under royal orders members of the navigation corps were from 1781 to be called Don, be regarded as caballeros (gentlemen), carry small swords, and take oaths by swearing by a crucifix.
[8] In the Middle Ages, when 'warships' were typically merchant vessels hired by the crown, the man in charge of the ship and its mariners, as with all ships and indeed most endeavours ashore, was termed the master; the company of embarked soldiers was commanded by their own captain.
The master's main duty was navigation, taking the ship's position at least daily and setting the sails as appropriate for the required course and conditions.
The master was also in charge of stowing the hold and ensuring the ship was not too weighted down to sail effectively.
The master was in charge of the entry of parts of the official log such as weather, position, and expenditures.
[9] After passing the examination, they would be eligible to receive a warrant from the Navy Board, but promotion was not automatic.
[15] However, the number of sailing-masters halved from 140 to 74 between the years 1840–1860:[17] partly because the pay and privileges were less than equivalent ranks in the military branch, and also because the master's responsibilities had been largely assumed by the executive officers.
[20] The ranks of staff commander and staff captain were introduced in 1863 and 1864 respectively; and in 1867 the Masters Branch was re-organised as the Navigating Branch with a new pay scale, with the following ranks:[21][22] The Royal Naval College exams for navigating lieutenant and lieutenant were the same after 1869.
[23] By 1872 the number of navigating cadets had fallen to twelve, and an Admiralty experiment in 1873 under the First Sea Lord George Goschen further merged the duties of navigating lieutenants and sailing masters with those of lieutenants and staff commanders.
