ABSTRACT
In the eighteenth century the communities surrounding naval establishments were neither loyal to the government nor manageable. In 1798-1800 one of Samuel Bentham's concerns was to improve the relationship between government and its workforce. In 1788 as Comptroller of the Navy, Charles Middleton had drawn up lists of officers which included columns specifying 'how far they are such as fear God and hate covetousness, their moral character, actions, dispositions [and] whether married or single'. Control of conduct militated against the long survival of serious fraud or embezzlement. In addition, the establishment of mechanics institutes in most naval towns during the mid-1820s permitted some to educate themselves. At least for some, self-help probably mitigated the worst effects of laissez-faire in the 1830s. By the end of the nineteenth century the schools were thought to generate motivation.
