Ten men were duly clothed and delivered to ships of the King's navy. In this small way began the work of the Marine Society. The main object of the charity when founded was sending unemployed or orphaned teenagers to sea as officers' servants.
The Marine Society started with ten men who received their naval uniforms and were assigned to ships in the King's navy. At that time, the organization focused on placing unemployed or orphaned teenagers at sea as servants to help them gain experience and skills.