MARINES, men embodied to serve as soldiers on board of ships of war in naval engagements; and on shore, in the event of a descent being made upon an enemy's coast. In the British service, they also assist occasionally in performing some of the operations connected with the working of the ship; they cannot however be sent aloft at the command of a naval officer.
Originally in this country, as well as in France, the national fleets were composed of merchants' ships, which were armed on occasion for war ; and then there were no soldiers particularly destined for the naval service. The first troops of this kind in France were men skilled in the practice of the useful trades, who, when unemployed by tho government, lived on shore on half-pay; receiving only the full pay when called upon to serve at sea. This regulation did not however long subsist; and, subsequently to the administration of Cardinal Richelieu, companies of marine soldiers have been constantly retained on full pay.
It is not precisely known at what period distinct corps were appointed in Britain to this branch of the public service. In 1684 mention is mole of the duke of York's maritime regiment of foot ; and in the reign of William III. several regiments were placed on the establishment of the navy, but these were subsequently dia. banded. At that time the marine soldiers seem to have been retained as persons in training to become good seamen ; and, in Burchet's ' Naval Ilietory; quoted by Grose (' Mil. Antiq.,' vol. L), It is said that they were discharged from the regiments and entered on the ship's books as foremmt-men as soon as they became qualified to serve as such.
In the beginning of Queen Anne's reign (1702), six regiments of maritime soldiers were raised; and among the regulations concerning their service it is stated that they were to be quartered, when on shore, near the principal seaports. Whether at sea or on shore, they were to be paid at the same rate as the land forces, and the same deductions were to be made for clothing. At sea they were to be allowed pro visions equal in every respect to the shares of the seamen, without suffering any diminution of pay on that account.
In 1749, the then existing regiments of marine soldiers, ten in number, were disbanded ; and six years afterwards, on the recom mendation of Lord Anson, there were raised 130 companies, consisting in all of above 5000 men, who were put under the immediate command of the lords of the admiralty, and whose head-quarters were appointed to be at Plymouth, Portsmouth, and Chatham. The corps of marines, as it was then called, has subsequently been considerably increased ; In 1759 it numbered 18,000 men ; and during the war at the beginning of this century, its strength amounted to about 20,000 men. An additional division was, by an order of council in 1805, established at Woolwich ; and there were two companies of marine artillery, whose head-quarters were at Portsmouth. At present there are four divisions of royal marine light infantry, and one division of royal marine artillery, the head-quarters of the latter being at Portsmouth. The total strength is 17,459 noncommissioned officers and privates, 435 commissioned officers, and 106 staff officers.
The marines are now clothed and armed in the same manner as the infantry of the line, and, like all the other royal regiments, their scarlet uniform has blue facings. The marine artillery are dressed in blue with white facings. In an engagement at sea, they annoy the enemy by a fire of musketry from the tope and deck ; and they repel with the bayonet any attempt to board the ship. The gallant jollies, as the marines are familiarly called,have often distinguished themselves when acting on shore ; and their meritorious services at the taking of Belle isle (1761), in the battle of Bunker's Hill (1775), in the defence of Acre (1799). and under Lord John Hay, on the coast of Spain, have earned for them a lasting reputation.
The corps is commanded by a deputy adjutant-general, who is assisted by an assistant adjutant-general, and is under the admiralty. There are also five colonels-commandant of divisions, besides five colonels second commandants. No commissions in the corps arc ob tained by purchase and the officers of marines rise in it by seniority, as high only however as the rank of colonels-commandant.