In the

ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

, officiers de plume (literally pen officers) were officers working in the administration of ports and colonies, as opposed to officiers d'épée, who were officers at sea. These were the two principal corps of the French navy up until the 18th century. Since the institution of class (maritime conscription), a third corps was instituted: the corps of "officiers des classes", in charge of recruiting sailors to man the king's naval vessels. Also, the old

galley corps A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft (hull), draft, and low freeboard (nautical), freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of ...

(''corps des galères'') existed up until 1748, with its own administrators - thus one would not confuse a commissaire ordinaire of the galleys, who would be a member of the galley corps, with a commissaire ordinaire of the navy, who would be a member of the corps de plume. Up to the 17th century, a corps of naval artillery officers had existed, but this was abolished at the start of the 18th century.

Sources

*Asselinm Jean-François, ''Le corps des officiers de plume dans la marine royale au XVIIIe siècle à travers l'étude de l'arsenal de Rochefort, Mémoire de maîtrise, dirigé par Michel Vergé-Franceschi.'' Paris IV-Sorbonne, 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Officier De Plume Military ranks of France Navy of the Ancien Régime