The Orchestra of H.M.S. Royal Arthur

 

I don't know his name
but I do know where he was sitting.
He is poised on the deck of a warship
in Great Britain's Royal Navy,
the H.M.S. Royal Arthur.

His affable face was easy to spot
when he turned up in several photos
taken onboard this ship.

Here he is again
with two of his shipmates,
all dressed as seamen
of the Royal Navy.

But what set him apart
from an ordinary sailor
is that he played a violin
in the ship's orchestra.
That's generally not
a standard rating in any navy. 
 

Today I present a small collection
of photo postcards
taken at a time when
Britannia ruled the waves. 

The H.M.S. Royal Arthur was a first class protected cruiser built at the Portsmouth Dockyard in south England and launched on 26 February 1891. It was 387.5 ft (118.1 m) long with a beam of 60.75 ft (18.52 m) and it displaced 7,700 tons. It was the fourth of nine ships built to the same Edgar-class design for a "protected cruiser", so-called because of an internal protective deck that shielded the magazines and machinery spaces within the ship's structure with a layer of 5 in (130 mm) thick steel armor. 

British Edgar class protected cruiser.
Brassey's Naval Annual, 1897. Plate 13.
Source: Wikipedia

The main armament for the Royal Arthur consisted of one 9.2-inch gun mounted aft and twelve 6-inch guns, with one pair replacing another 9.2-inch gun usually mounted at the bow in other ships of this class. The ship was also armed with a dozen smaller guns and four 18-inch torpedo tubes. Power for its twin propellers came from steam expansion engines fueled by coal and producing 12,000 ihp. And for extra insurance there were two masts for rigging sails. 

Engines of the First-Class Protected Cruisers
Theseus and Royal Arthur
Source: The Engineer, 23 March 1894

A cruiser ship in the Edgar class typically carried a complement of 544 officers and seamen. After being fitted out and passing its sea trials, in 1893 the Royal Arthur was first assigned to the Pacific Station in the British fleet which then operated on the eastern side of Pacific Ocean. In this era a voyage to the west coast of South America might take anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks depending on weather. 

My trio of sailors stand on an upper deck of the ship in front of a cowl ventilator which channeled air to the lower decks. Their dark blue uniforms and caps are a classic style that distinguishes sailors of the Royal Navy. The navy's tradition of putting a ship's name on its sailors' caps makes it much easier to identify them compared to soldiers in army uniforms. They have the look of three comrades pleased to pose for a photo that they could send home to their families.  

HMS Royal Arthur, stern view
Source: Wikimedia

In 1897 the Royal Arthur transferred to the Australian Station where it served as a flagship for that fleet from 1897 to 1904. Steamships of this era might make an Atlantic crossing from England to America in about 7 to 10 days. But a voyage to Australia covered a distance of roughly 24,000 km or 15,000 miles and took between 40 to 70 days depending on whether the route went via the Cape of Good Hope at the bottom of Africa or took a manmade shortcut through the Suez Canal. 

What first caught my attention was finding this postcard of a small orchestra of sailors who posed in front of an outdoor stage backdrop. There are 13 musicians with eight violins, cello, clarinet, trombone, and two drums, and all wear caps branded with the badge of HMS ROYAL ARTHUR. The sailor who I've focused on stands second from right in the backrow. Historically the Royal Navy has always used bands of the Royal Marines, but these men are clearly in navy uniforms and, with the exception of the clarinetist, trombonist, and drummers, they are not bandsmen. 

Sydney NSW Morning Herald
16 February 1901

It was during its time in Australia that the HMS Royal Arthur received the most attention in newspaper reports. As flagship of a fleet the Royal Arthur was the resident vessel of the fleet's commanding officer, a vice admiral, who had numerous social and diplomatic duties while the ship was in port. Having a small orchestra onboard offered a useful cultural asset to promote the navy when in port as well as provide a diversion to officers and crew during long voyages. In February 1901 a Sydney newspaper carried a short report of an entertainment at the Seamen's Institute performed by singers, instrumentalists, and orchestra from H.M.S. Royal Arthur. "A selection of patriotic, descriptive, and humorous songs and recitations was rendered by Messrs. Smeaton, Baker, Judge, Parnell, Heald, and Thompson Mr. Cornfoot (violin), Mr. J. Doust and Mr. Howe (mandolin duet), with the orchestra, viz., Miss Evans, Messrs. Collins, Cornfoot, Doust, and Prangley, provided the instrumental items.  The 251 seamen present appreciated the entertainment, and responded heartily to the call for three cheers, made by the chaplain, Rev. T. H. Distan Morgan."

A month earlier the sailors put on a minstrel show at the Temperance Hall in Hobart, Tasmania. A review of this event reported that "the most interesting feature of the evening was the sword bayonet display by the Royal Marine Artillery, the wrist play and movements of the six performers engaged being exceptionally clean and active.  The cutlass display by the blue-jackets was also creditable, and the performance concluded with a farce entitled "Touched".

In February 1902 the Royal Arthur was in Adelaide, South Australia where a group of its sailors gave a concert at the Institute Hall. A short review gave tactful praise: "The String Band Orchestra delighted the audience by the way in which it rendered the selections and accompaniments." Even wrong notes and gimpy rhythms can be entertaining. 

Admiral Pearson's flagship H.M.S. Royal Arthur, 1898
Source: University of Melbourne Archives

The HMS Royal Arthur returned to Britain via the Mediterranean in May 1904 for another refitment at Portsmouth's Dockyards. In 1905 was assigned to the North America and West Indies Station for a short service before returning to England in 1906.

In this photo the Royal Arthur's string ensemble is a bit larger with 16 musicians posed onboard the ship. Seated on the deck in the center is my guy holding a round life saver with the name HMS ROYAL ARTHUR stenciled on it. Seated right behind him is an officer, perhaps the ship's captain. Standing  in the back row, far right, is an older man with a violin who wears a different uniform and cap. He was also in the previous photo. I'm not certain, but he may be dressed in a marine uniform. It's possible he is the leader of this little orchestra. 

In 1906 the Royal Navy added a new battleship to its fleet, the H.M.S. Dreadnought. This huge ship started a revolution in naval power with its size, increased armor, and firepower. It was 527 ft (160.6 m) in length and 82 ft (25 m) across the beam. There was thick steel armor along the belt of the hull, on the decks, around the guns, and between the bulkheads. It was also powered by new steam turbine engines which made it very fast for its size.  But it was its powerful armament which made it a new threat to battleships of other navies. The Dreadnought carried 5 x twin 12-in guns, 27 × single 12-pdr guns, and 5 × 18-in torpedo tubes. Its heavy-caliber guns were capable of a very long fire, a range much longer than other battleships of the time. Soon all the first-order nations began building bigger battleship fleets with more big guns. It was an expensive and jingoistic rivalry that started a naval armament race which in a few years would set up political conditions that led to the First World War. 

This musical group from the Royal Arthur is reduced to 9 musicians with all strings except a clarinetist and a keyboardist on the right. That man sit by a small harmonium that uses foot pedals to inflate its organ bellows. Seated center is an older gentleman not dressed as a sailor but instead a black suit coat with clerical collar. I believe he is the ship's chaplain and that this ensemble was performing a worship service on the ship's deck. Could he be the Rev. T. H. Distan Morgan mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald?

The photographer must have thought the sailors' caps were too much for the occasion and took this second photo with their hats off. Even the padre has removed his hat. For me it's a rare treat to get a variation on a group photo. 

After returning to Britain, the HMS Royal Arthur was placed in reserve for three years. By 1909 advances in naval design had made cruisers of this type practically obsolete so it was reassigned to the Home Fleet just for training purposes. I don't believe it was ever used again as a flagship, so it seems unlikely that the Royal Arthur orchestra continued after 1906.  

All the postcards were never posted and only one has an imprint: W. Charles. 29 Rhodes St., Holloway, London which might be the name of a photographer or a collector. So it is difficult to date or place a location on my little collection of the Royal Arthur's orchestra. The postcards do have a divided back for message and address, so that means the photo paper is later than 1902 when Britain first allowed postcards to have messages. But beyond that, time and place are just a guess. I think they likely were taken around 1903 to 1904 when the ship was stationed in Australia. 

On board H.M.S. Royal Arthur, 1898
Source: University of Melbourne Archives

This photo of the Royal Arthur's aft 9 inch gun with a seaman and officer standing on deck came from the archives of the University of Melbourne. It and the previous photo of ship at anchor came from a private album of photographs taken in 1898. I like how it gives a better perspective of how compact this warship was when every element had to serve several functions to keep the ship safe and still maintain its military purpose. 

My last postcard of from the HMS Royal Arthur is a grainy photo of twenty men posed formally on a small stage. Several men are dressed as clowns. One man in the back row is showing off his muscular arms. A string band of mandolins, violin, and guitar wear young boys' school uniforms and caps. Behind them is a painted backdrop of a fantasy courtyard with a sign at the top: North Sea College.  Seated second right of center is the officer seen in the photo with the life ring. And seated left of center is the same chaplain seen in the other photos. It's obviously a variety show troupe, most dressed in silly costume for an entertainment. On either side is a navy seaman and a Royal marine standing at attention with rifles fixed with bayonets. It's the only photo where I can't spot the sailor who appears in all the other photos. 

During its time of service the HMS Royal Arthur never participated in any great naval battle but it is an example of how Britain's Royal Navy embraced a formidable sea power to defend the British Empire. That empire, and several others too, would be challenged in 1914 with the start of World War One. 

During the war the Royal Arthur served as a guardship at Scapa Flow and later as a submarine depot ship. It was decommissioned after the war and sold for scrap in August 1921.

The era of HMS Royal Arthur bridges a time between a modern navy powered by steam engines and an older tradition of warships under sail. Close quarter action between ships was still considered possible so sailors trained with hand weapons. Here is a postcard captioned: Life in the Navy, Cutlass Drill showing two long lines of Royal Navy sailors practicing their swordsmanship. The ship is not identified but the postcard was printed in Great Britain, probably around 1902-03.   

A life at sea required diligent work for every seaman in the Queen's/King's Navy. Their ship was their home and it protected them only so long as they obeyed orders and followed countless rules and regulations. I believe most men inevitably formed strong bonds of comradery through their navy service. But it's fascinating to think that some sailors got to enjoy another level of friendship through making music. I would have loved to see one of their shows.    

Now I will close with a rendition of
"When I Was a Lad" a song from HMS PINAFORE,
an operetta composed by Arthur Sullivan
from a libretto by W. S. Gilbert.
 This is a 2017 preview from the Stratford Festival.

I bet the orchestra from HMS Royal Arthur
did a passable version of this song.

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday

where saucy sailors sing only on high Cs.