Keywords: Ordnance; Clerks; Bureaucratisation
Abstract:
This paper will show how and when the Office of Ordnance became a global body in the eighteenth century. By mapping the position of facilities, staffing levels, and how staffing costs changed, it is possible to visually demonstrate the growth and reduction of the Ordnance over the long eighteenth century.
As the Government department responsible for supplying the British navy and army with arms and ammunition, having a global network of facilities was critical to the success of the Ordnance’s mission. However, this paper will demonstrate that the Ordnance was only truly a global department by the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Before that, it’s growth and retraction can be matched to the success and failure of British forces in the numerous wars of the eighteenth century.
By mapping not only the position, but also the number of staff, and wage costs it is possible to demonstrate the importance (or otherwise) of individual facilities. Although staffing and wages can only be a proxy for importance, they are useful to show where the Ordnance felt it was important to expend its finite resources.
Using Ordnance establishment and employment records as the main source base I have created a database of Ordnance employees in the late eighteenth century which enables easier analysis of career paths as well as changes in pay scales in the period. By adding in the latitude and longitude of the Ordnance facilities it is possible to overlay this data onto maps to give a visual representation of Ordnance employment patterns. This mapping of employment patterns gives a different perspective on the life of eighteenth century government employees and the increase in the bureaucratisation of the eighteenth century British state.