Marines, or the Royal Marine Forces, are that body of the military forces of the crown which is under the control of the Admiralty, for service in the navy. They were first raised in 1664, the original aim, since modified, being to form a nursery whence to obtain seamen to man the fleet. The commerce of England was then too limited to procure from out of the merchant fleet sufficient seamen for the public service; and, as those obtained by the system of impress were not easily amenable to discipline, the presence of some marines as disciplined troops had to be relied on to check or suppress the frequent tendency to mutiny. The force is now composed of two branches, with separate lists for the promotion of officers, styled respec- tively the Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry. The artillery consists of one division quartered at Eastney, near Portsmouth; the uniform, blue with red facings, is almost identical with that of the land artillery. The infantry consists of three divisions, quartered at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Chatham; their uniform, scarlet with blue facings, is much the same as that of the line regiments. The officers rank according to seniority with officers of like rank in the army, and are promoted by seniority up to the rank of major, beyond which promotion is governed by selection. The strength of the marine forces is now about 14,000. When serving on board ship they are employed as sentries, and keep regular watch like the blue-jackets when not on guard, assisting in all the duties of the ship, except going aloft; in action both the men of the marine artillery and of the light infantry are now stationed at the guns conjointly with the blue-jackets, those not employed at the guns being used as a rifle party on deck; they always form part of all naval brigades landed for service on shore. With a view to their efficient training in gunnery, batteries with heavy guns mounted as on board ship have been constructed at all the marine barracks, where the men are regularly drilled by qualified officers and instructors. All the marine artillery officers have to undergo a special course of training, and since 1887 probationary lieutenants for the light infantry have to pass through a course at Greenwich similar to those for the marine artillery, and after joining headquarters undergo a course of instruction in gunnery. Combining the handiness of the sailor with the training of the soldier, the marines are justly regarded as a most valuable body of men. Their officers can be called upon to sit on garrison courts-martial and to perform general garrison duties, such as field-officer of the day, &c.; but they mount no garrison guards, and, although they may be called upon by the general in command to take part in field-days and reviews, yet, being entirely under the Admiralty, they occupy a position quite distinct from the regular troops in garrison with them. Marines, like blue-jackets, have the privilege, which the army does not enjoy, of wearing their beards, in barracks as well as when afloat; and, like the blue-jackets, but again unlike the army, they remain a long-service corps. Under the short-service system, which obtains in the army, it would be impossible to give marines the necessary training; they are therefore engaged to serve for fourteen years, with the option of re-engaging for another seven years, when they obtain a pension. One result of this is that the Admiralty can always obtain an unlimited supply of recruits; they are thus able to carefully pick their men, and their standard is much higher than that of the line. For physique, soldierly training, and efficiency no regiment in the army, not even the Guards, can approach the Marine Light Infantry. The marine artillery are even more a picked corps than their brothers of the light infantry, and they require a higher educational standard; it is admitted that no other army in the world can put on parade so magnificent a body of men as the Marine Artillery Division. One of their battalions in line covers a third more ground than a corresponding line battalion. The bands of the Marine Artillery and Infantry Divisions are among the best military bands in the kingdom, being only, perhaps, surpassed by the bands of the Guards. The Marine Light Infantry takes precedence in the army immediately after the 50th regiment of foot.
The original number of marines was 1200. The third regiment of the line was called the Maritime Regiment, also the Admiral's Regiment. In 1702 the force of marines had increased to six regiments; from 1714 to 1739 no marine force existed; in the latter year it was reconstituted in six regiments, and in 1741 numbered ten. Once more disbanded in 1748, it was in 1755 placed wholly under the Admiralty. Subsequently, however, on the sudden expansion of the fleet for the wars with France, several line regiments were at times called upon to serve as marines. The land artillery was also represented in the bomb-vessels, and were so serving in 1804, when their duties were taken over by the Royal Marine Artillery, then first formed. This branch, more than once disbanded since then, according to the views of the Admiralty of the time, and even since 1870 again threatened with disbandment, is now recognised as a cheap, reliable, and most valuable reserve of specially-trained gunners. In the United States the marines serve five years, receiving 13 a month; if they serve beyond the five years they are paid 18 a month. See Nicolas's book (1845); and Edye, The Historical Records of the Royal Marines (vol. i. 1893).