Master

In the Royal Navy, the Master of a ship was the senior warrant officer aboard, and was the only warrant officer aboard who had equal access to the gunroom (or wardroom in larger ships) with the Lieutenants.

Duties
Under the Captain, it was the master who was responsible for the navigation and sailing qualities of a ship. He was responsible for setting the course, finding and plotting the ship's position, supervising the midshipmen and master's mates when they took the noon sight. He was also responsible for the maintaining the ship's compass, stowing the hold (which would affect how the ship handled when at sea) and the daily issue of the spirit ration.

He had to provide his own charts and navigation instruments and was also responsible for keeping the official ship's log. (Any logs kept by the Captain and Lieutenants were personal records)

Pay
The Master's pay depended on the rate of ship he was assigned to, and varied from £12 12s per lunar (not calendar) month on a first rate such as HMS Victory to £7 7s on a sixth rate. This worked out at £176 16s per annum in a first rate down to £95 11s in a sixth rate, there being thirteen lunar months in one year.

He also ranked with the lieutenants and Captains of Marines when it came to prize money, having 1/8th of the total money divided between them. He was allowed £11 8s per year to pay for a servant, was given one of the better cabins aboard, and had the right to walk the quarterdeck. When on half-pay, his allocation would be 6s a day.

There was no particular career path to becoming a Master. Some came to the rank from before the mast, serving previously as master's mates or quartermasters, and others had previously been midshipmen who had given up the aspiration to become a commissioned officer. All prospective masters had to be eamined by a captain and three of the best-qualified masters.