The Sea Cadets

On 30 November 2004 The Marine Society and The Sea Cadet Association (SCA) merged to form The Marine Society & Sea Cadets.

The Council membership post merger consists of a 50:50 split between the former Marine Society and Sea Cadet Association trustees with Vice Admiral Sir Tom Blackburn KCVO CB as Chairman and Mr Max Gladwyn as Vice Chairman.

The Sea Cadet Association (registered charity number 306141 & company number 404951) is now a subsidiary of The Marine Society & Sea Cadets.

The origins of The Marine Society go back more than 250 years to 1756.

1756
John Thornton joined his friend Jonas Hanway and some 22 interested parties in the King’s Arms Tavern in the City of London to discuss the effect that the war was likely to have on trading conditions. By the end of the evening, The Marine Society had been formed, with John Thornton as Treasurer. The Marine Society offered sponsorship for naval recruits.

1772
The Society was incorporated by an Act of Parliament and the Earl of Romney became President.

1786
The first pre-sea training ship in the world, the 350 ton sloop Beatty was commissioned by the Society. It went on to provide sea training all the way up to the Second World War.

1756 to 1940
The Society recruited more than 110,000 men and boys for the Royal Navy, the East India Company and Merchant Service. Conscription during World War II meant that the Marine Society no longer had to continue with recruitment.

1919
The Seafarers Education Service was founded by Albert Mansbridge to provide British ships with a library of inspiring books. After ten years 400 Merchant Ships were carrying libraries.

1938 The College of the Sea was formed as an offshoot of the Seafarers Education Service and in 1939 it extended its remit to include the Royal Navy.

1976
The Marine Society merged with the Seafarers Education Service.

1987
The Marine Society purchased two Ministry of Defence vessels. These were the TS Jonas Hanway (returned to the Navy in 1998) and the TS Earl of Romney (decommissioned in December 2004) and subsequently sold in March 2005.

For the past 30 years, the principal objectives of the Marine Society have been to provide practical and financial support for the education, training and wellbeing of all professional seafarers and to encourage young people to embark on maritime careers. The Society offers its beneficiaries academic and vocational distance learning courses at all levels, together with financial assistance where required; a comprehensive training and recreational library service for ships; impartial careers and training guidance.

As the UK’s largest maritime youth and education charity, The Marine Society & Sea Cadets, with the wealth of experience of both its constituent parts, is ideally placed to make a very significant contribution to the maritime wellbeing of the nation.