'Midshipman'

Coloured lithograph by M and N Hanhart after William Sharpe, 1854. Printed by Gambart and Company, 1854.

Midshipmen were usually the sons of wealthy families training to become commissioned officers. They usually joined the Royal Navy at the age of 12 to 14 and can be identified by the white patch on the collar of their uniform, which is still in use today. They were taught navigation and other skills by the ship's schoolmaster as well as undertaking watches on deck when their school hours were over.