Finally, on April 12th, 1837, he reports that he has handed over the keys of the public part of the “late Royal Naval College,” and recommends the staff lately serving under him.
Pensions are allowed to most of these, on rather a mean scale, and they all protest vigorously, with the result that a few receive slight augmentation; but Mr. Tate, the Preceptor, after twenty-nine years’ service, only gets £140 per annum.
In a long letter to the Admiralty just before his retirement, Inman mentions that he has “examined about two thousand five hundred midshipmen and schoolmasters; a work certainly of no great difficulty, yet one of great responsibility”; he disclaims any wish to make much of any “trifling elementary works” which he has compiled, but “ventures to mention” his Navigation and Nautical Tables.
He concludes by saying that he will be grateful for any sum their Lordships may award him, which will enable him to live creditably during his few remaining years. The corner of this letter is turned down, and “£400” briefly inscribed upon it. This was subsequently increased to £460; which indeed appears little enough.
Inman lived for over twenty years after his retirement, and died in 1859, at the age of eighty-three.
Sir Henry Keppel, the veteran Admiral of the Fleet, in his book, before alluded to, gives some reminiscences of his experiences at the College.
The Lieut.-Governor in Keppel’s time was Captain J. Wentworth Loring, who, as a matter of fact, filled that post for seventeen years; and Sir Henry thus describes his uniform: Blue coat, open in front, gold epaulettes, white kerseymere waistcoat and pantaloons, Hessian boots, straight thin sword, cocked hat.
The uniform of the youngsters was a blue tail coat with stand-up collar, plain raised gilt buttons, round hat with gold lace loop and cockade.
“We cadets,” he says—though the term was not officially in use at that time—“had each a cabin about seven feet square, with a window, except the corner ones, which at the monthly changes were occupied by those who had been oftenest on the black list, and did not require daylight.”
The London coach used to come into the Dockyard to take the lads away for their holidays, and it was customary on these occasions to draw lots for the box seat. Peashooters were procured outside the Yard, and passers-by had a lively time.