History of the Yeoman Rate
The term 'Yeoman' goes way back in British usage. He was not naval at all, but a farmer who held some land ownership, but this is not for our study of the Rate of Yeoman used in the U.S. Navy..
It's tough finding any origin in Naval terms, for YEOMAN, and the above Website has probably the only references that I can find to origins (in Naval usage). Found the following...
Boatswain's Yeoman - Established 1799; disestablished 1864.
- Carpenter's Yeoman - In use in 1798.
- Communications Yeoman - Established 1964 at pay grade E-4 only.
- Engineer's Yeoman - Established 1874; disestablished 1893.
- Yeoman of the Gunroom - Established 1797; disestablished 1813.
- Equipment Yeoman - Established 1884; disestablished 1893.
- Gunner's Yeoman - Established 1798; disestablished 1838.
- Paymaster's Writer - Changed from Paymaster's Steward 1867; changed to Paymaster's Yeoman 1c, 2c, 3c 1870.
- Paymaster's Yeoman 1c, 2c, 3c - Changed from Paymaster's Steward 1867; changed to Paymaster's Yeoman 1c, 2c, 3c 1878;
- Personnelman - Established 1948 from the ratings of Yeoman, Specialist (C) (Classification Interviewers), Specialist (W) (Chaplain's Assistants), Specialist (T) (Teachers), Specialist (X) (Position Classifiers), Specialist (R) (Recruiters), Specialist (DI) (Discharge Interviewers), and Specialist (S) (Personnel Supervisors).
- Ship's Yeoman - Established 1884; changed to Yeoman 1893.
- Teleman - Established 1948 from the ratings of Radioman, Telegrapher, Specialist (Q) (Registered Publication Clerks), Mailman, and Yeoman; included in Yeoman and Radioman 1962.
- The Disbursing Clerk rating was established in 1948 from the wartime rating of storekeeper (D) (Disbursing Clerk). However, way back in 1861 there was a Paymaster's Steward that was changed to Paymaster's Writer in 1870 and changed again to Paymaster's Yeoman in 1878.
- Writer 1c - Changed from Ship's Writer 1893; changed to Yeoman 1c 1896.
- Writer 2c and 3c - Established 1893; changed to Yeoman 2c and 3c 1896.
- Yeoman - Established 1835; disestablished 1884. Re-established from Ship's Yeoman 1893; pay grades C, 1c, 2c, 3c established 1896.
- Yeoman of the Gunroom - Established 1797; disestablished 1813.
Info from the following site: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq78-3.htm
Jake, YN3, USNR-R, '61 - '67
Web Yeoman, USS Hancock CV/CVA-19 Memorial.
