Quote:
Originally Posted by BugsyPal
Practice of selling officer commissions into the British military began under Charles II (1673) and ended with reforms enacted in 1817.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purcha...e_British_Army
As noted since GB practiced primogeniture where the eldest son copped everything, what did or were the spare heir and other sons get their living?
Gentlemen by definition didn't work, that left few respectable options open. One was military, and other being the church (RC or C of E).
All this being said, even with this purchase system things weren't that bad: https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/...world_05.shtml |
from your link...
The malpractices associated with the purchase of commissions reached their height in the long peace between the Napoleonic Wars and the
Crimean War, when
Lord Cardigan paid £35,000 (equivalent to £2,980,000 in 2016) for the Colonelcy of the stylish
11th Hussars.
[6] It became obvious in Crimea that the system of purchase often led to incompetent leadership, such as that which resulted in the
Charge of the Light Brigade. An inquiry (the Commission on Purchase) was established in 1855, and commented unfavourably on the institution. The practice of purchase of commissions was finally abolished as part of the 1871
Cardwell reforms which made many changes to the structure and procedures of the Army.
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