Age, sea time, and the lieutenant’s examination

Who was the youngest person to take the lieutenant’s examination?

The individual is not identified. The formal age was nineteen, and early entries on a captain’s books could inflate a candidate’s credited sea time.

The youngest candidate is not identified, but the formal examination age was nineteen. Candidates also needed a qualifying period at sea, which appears straightforward only if the ship’s books are taken literally. Captains could enter sons on those books from birth, allowing credited service to accumulate before any real sea time. Apparent records of unusually young candidates therefore need to be tested against how their service was recorded rather than read as simple measures of experience.