292:), this created a series of "non-purchase vacancies" within his regiment. These could also occur when new regiments or battalions were created, or when the establishments of existing units were expanded. However, all vacancies resulting from officers dying of disease, retiring (whether on full or half pay) or resigning their commissions were "purchase vacancies". A period, usually of several years, had to elapse before an officer who succeeded to a non-purchase vacancy could sell his commission. For instance, if a Captain were promoted to Major to fill a non-purchase vacancy but decided to quit the Army immediately afterwards, he would receive only the value of his Captain's commission.
268:
Theoretically, a commission could be sold only for its official value and was to be offered first to the next most senior officer in the same regiment. In practice, there was also an unofficial "over-regulation price" or "regimental value", which might double the official cost. Desirable commissions
332:
or
Captain in his regiment, but might hold a higher local rank if attached to other units or allied armies, or might be given a higher Army rank by the Commander-in-Chief or the Monarch in recognition of meritorious service or a notable feat of bravery. Officers bearing dispatches giving news of a
269:
in fashionable regiments were often sold to the highest bidder after an auction. A self-interested senior officer might well regard his commission as his pension fund and would encourage the increase of its value. An officer who incurred or inherited debts might sell his commission to raise funds.
108:
never practised the sale of commissions, with advancement in officer ranks being solely by merit or seniority, at least in theory (in practice, the requirement for new officers to purchase expensive uniforms and study materials restricted naval commissions to sons of the middle and upper classes).
411:
mandated that all officers must start as privates, so the common method was to register an infant scion of a noble family as a private; reporting for service at the age of 15, the boy would already be promoted on seniority to a junior lieutenant or equivalent rank. This practice became gradually
272:
Social exclusiveness was preserved not only by money, as regimental colonels were permitted to – and often did – refuse the purchase of a commission in their regiment by a man who had the necessary money but was not from a social background to their liking. This was especially the case in the
300:
There were various regulations which required minimum durations of service in a given rank and which restricted officers from selling or exchanging their commissions to avoid active service. Exceptions and exemptions from these were at the discretion of the
383:
During the eighteenth century the purchase of commissions was a common practice in many
European armies, although not usually to the same extent as in Britain. In Spain, after having enlisted as a midshipman in the
378:
365:. 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
117:
The official values of commissions varied by branch (see below). Payments in excess of regulation (non-official) usually accorded with the differing social prestige of different regiments.
277:. Elsewhere, however, it was not unknown for Colonels to lend deserving senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers the funds necessary to purchase commissions.
324:
who were not keen on active service, thereby ensuring that many commissions were exchanged for their nominal value only. There was also the possibility of promotion to
634:
260:
These prices were incremental. To purchase a promotion, an officer only had to pay the difference in price between his existing rank and the desired rank.
53:. Formally, the purchase price of a commission was a cash bond for good behaviour, liable to be forfeited if the officer in question was found guilty of
749:
433:
349:
The malpractices associated with the purchase of commissions reached their height in the long peace between the
Napoleonic Wars and the
310:
361:. It became obvious in the Crimea that the system of purchase often resulted in incompetence, such as that which resulted in the
403:. The Austrian government had attempted to place restrictions on the practice, although it continued informally. Only in the
399:
It had been discontinued for the French infantry in 1758, although retained in the socially more exclusive cavalry until the
354:
41:
could be purchased. This avoided the need to wait to be promoted for merit or seniority, and was the usual way to obtain a
338:
694:
668:
626:
612:
574:
549:
320:
by heavy casualties among senior ranks, which resulted in many non-purchase vacancies, and also discouraged wealthy
302:
97:
527:
412:
obsolete during the early 19th century and was formally abolished by the
Russian military reforms of 1864.
138:
516:
362:
437:
686:
85:
393:
357:
paid £35,000 (equivalent to £4,110,000 in 2023) for the lieutenant-colonelcy of the stylish
316:
The worst potential effects of the system were mitigated during intensive conflicts such as the
153:
22:
396:, purchased his commission as a lieutenant colonel of a dragoon regiment the following year.
46:
42:
329:
8:
657:
143:
334:
708:
700:
690:
664:
622:
608:
570:
545:
400:
389:
325:
639:
366:
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285:
281:
50:
650:
49:, and continued to exist until it was abolished on 1 November 1871 as part of the
716:
408:
317:
93:
89:
321:
459:
Goldsmith, Jeremy (May 2007), "A gentleman and an officer - Army commissions",
643:
341:, and might be specially selected by a General in the field for this purpose.
743:
734:
600:
289:
157:
712:
720:
385:
379:
Social background of officers and other ranks in the French Army, 1750–1815
358:
38:
34:
350:
280:
Not all first commissions or promotions were paid for. If an officer was
105:
62:
567:Титулы, мундиры, ордена в Российской империи — М.: Центрполиграф, 2008
685:. Royal Historical Society studies in history. Vol. 20. London:
369:
which made many changes to the structure and procedures of the Army.
58:
54:
274:
101:
81:
78:
26:
661:
The Reason Why: The Story of the Fatal Charge of the Light
Brigade
404:
74:
30:
704:
305:. In 1806 there was a major scandal when it was discovered that
45:
in both armies. The practice began in 1683 during the reign of
313:, was engaged in selling commissions for her personal profit.
84:
could be purchased and therefore only those up to the rank of
273:
Household and Guards regiments, which were dominated by the
434:"The Purchase of Officers' Commissions in the British Army"
328:
army ranks for deserving officers. An officer might be a
96:
were awarded to those who graduated from a course at the
104:
and subsequent promotion was by seniority. Also, the
120:
For example, in 1837 the costs of commissions were:
595:
The
Purchase System in the British Army, 1660–1871.
683:The Purchase System in the British Army, 1660–1871
632:Sweetman, John (2004), "James Thomas Brudenell",
741:
263:
506:
432:Armatys, John; Cordery, Robert George (2005).
431:
16:Practice of paying money to be made an officer
638:(online ed.), Oxford University Press,
542:The Military Experience in the Age of Reason
344:
124:1837 (2023 equivalent) price of commissions
68:
494:
463:, vol. 23, no. 7, pp. 10–13
309:, the mistress of then Commander in Chief
458:
311:Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
631:
500:
427:
425:
663:. Penguin, 1953; Reprint edition 1991.
635:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
750:Military history of the United Kingdom
742:
517:"Pedro Caro Fontes y Maza de Lizana".
681:Bruce, Anthony Peter Charles (1980).
680:
607:. Wordsworth Military Library, 1973.
597:Royal Historical Society, London 1980
422:
21:Between the 17th and 19th centuries,
621:. HarperCollins, Hammersmith, 2001.
564:
436:. Colonial Wargames. Archived from
288:(usually through being promoted to
13:
674:
519:Diccionario Biográfico electrónico
14:
761:
728:
539:
295:
407:Army was it unknown. In Russia,
372:
558:
533:
485:
476:
467:
452:
355:James Brudenell, Lord Cardigan
1:
735:South African Defence Journal
415:
264:Regimental and social factors
651:UK public library membership
605:Queen Victoria's Little Wars
528:Real Academia de la Historia
7:
363:Charge of the Light Brigade
10:
766:
587:
530:. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
515:. Martín-Lanuza, Alberto.
376:
345:Abolition of the practice
112:
69:Great Britain and Ireland
687:Royal Historical Society
337:), often received such
593:Bruce, Anthony P. C.:
98:Royal Military Academy
644:10.1093/ref:odnb/3765
88:. Commissions in the
47:Charles II of England
23:officer's commissions
658:Woodham-Smith, Cecil
540:Duffy, Christopher.
461:Family Tree Magazine
394:Marquis of La Romana
284:or appointed to the
148:Half pay difference
73:Only commissions in
239:Lieutenant Colonel
125:
482:Holmes, pp.166–167
303:Commander in Chief
123:
649:(Subscription or
617:Holmes, Richard.
565:Шепелев, Леонид.
401:French Revolution
392:, the future 2nd
390:Pedro Caro Fontes
333:victory (such as
258:
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251:£9,000 (£1,033k)
757:
724:
654:
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456:
450:
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447:
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367:Cardwell reforms
307:Mary Anne Clarke
282:killed in action
126:
122:
63:gross misconduct
51:Cardwell Reforms
765:
764:
760:
759:
758:
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697:
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675:Further reading
648:
590:
585:
584:
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563:
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538:
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512:
511:
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501:Sweetman (2004)
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453:
443:
441:
430:
423:
418:
409:Peter the Great
381:
375:
347:
318:Napoleonic Wars
298:
266:
254:£1,314 (£151k)
248:£7,250 (£832k)
245:£6,175 (£709k)
242:£4,500 (£516k)
231:£8,300 (£953k)
228:£5,350 (£614k)
225:£4,575 (£525k)
222:£3,200 (£367k)
211:£4,800 (£551k)
208:£3,500 (£402k)
205:£3,225 (£370k)
202:£1,800 (£207k)
191:£2,050 (£235k)
188:£1,785 (£205k)
185:£1,190 (£137k)
171:£1,200 (£138k)
168:£1,260 (£145k)
115:
94:Royal Artillery
90:Royal Engineers
71:
17:
12:
11:
5:
763:
753:
752:
738:
737:
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729:External links
727:
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676:
673:
672:
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601:Farwell, Byron
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544:. p. 61.
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440:on 20 May 2016
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296:Active service
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39:British armies
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
762:
751:
748:
747:
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732:
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718:
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706:
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696:0-901050-57-1
692:
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669:0-14-001278-8
666:
662:
659:
656:
652:
645:
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637:
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630:
628:
627:0-00-653152-0
624:
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616:
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613:1-84022-216-6
610:
606:
602:
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596:
592:
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578:
576:5-9524-1046-4
572:
568:
561:
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551:1-85326-690-6
547:
543:
536:
529:
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497:
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479:
473:Holmes, p.161
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290:Major General
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234:£949 (£109k)
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56:
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48:
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40:
36:
33:units of the
32:
28:
24:
19:
682:
660:
633:
618:
604:
594:
566:
560:
541:
535:
522:
518:
513:(in Spanish)
508:
496:
491:Holmes, p.82
487:
478:
469:
460:
454:
442:. Retrieved
438:the original
398:
386:Spanish Navy
382:
373:Other armies
359:11th Hussars
348:
315:
299:
279:
271:
267:
259:
214:£511 (£59k)
194:£365 (£42k)
182:£700 (£80k)
174:£150 (£17k)
165:£840 (£96k)
162:£450 (£52k)
119:
116:
72:
20:
18:
351:Crimean War
322:dilettantes
179:Lieutenant
144:Foot Guards
139:Life Guards
653:required.)
416:References
377:See also:
106:Royal Navy
43:commission
388:in 1733,
339:promotion
330:subaltern
132:Infantry
82:regiments
59:desertion
55:cowardice
744:Category
721:3805740M
713:81111195
705:81111195
405:Prussian
335:Waterloo
275:nobility
199:Captain
135:Cavalry
102:Woolwich
92:and the
79:infantry
27:infantry
619:Redcoat
588:Sources
353:, when
86:colonel
75:cavalry
35:English
31:cavalry
25:in the
719:
711:
703:
693:
667:
647:
625:
611:
573:
548:
444:8 July
326:brevet
219:Major
158:Ensign
154:Cornet
113:Values
286:Staff
129:Rank
709:OCLC
701:LCCN
691:ISBN
665:ISBN
623:ISBN
609:ISBN
571:ISBN
546:ISBN
523:DB~e
446:2013
77:and
37:and
29:and
640:doi
61:or
746::
717:OL
715:.
707:.
699:.
689:.
603:,
569:.
525:).
424:^
100:,
65:.
57:,
723:.
642::
579:.
554:.
521:(
503:.
448:.
156:/
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