Post-Captain

:For the Patrick O'Brian novel, see Post Captain (Novel).

Related Topics:
Patrick O'Brian - Post Captain (Novel)

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Post-Captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy.

Related Topics:
Captain - Royal Navy

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The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from

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• officers in command of a naval vessel, who were (and still are) addressed as captain regardless of rank;
• commanders, who received the title of captain as a courtesy, whether they currently had a command or not (e.g. the fictional Captain Jack Aubrey in Master and Commander); this custom is now defunct.

Once an officer had been promoted to post-captain, his further promotion was strictly by seniority; if he could avoid death or disgrace, he would eventually become an admiral (even if only a yellow admiral).

Related Topics:
Admiral - Yellow admiral

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An officer "took post" when he was first commissioned to command a rated vessel — that is, a ship too important to be commanded by a mere commander. Unrated vessels could also in some cases be commanded by post-captains.

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A junior post-captain would usually command a frigate or a comparable ship, while a senior post-captain would command a ship of the line.

Related Topics:
Frigate - Ship of the line

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Note that the term was descriptive only: no-one was ever titled e.g. "Post-Captain John Smith".

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Post-Captain: See also ►