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Luc,
I have the book "Maskelyne, Astronomer Royal." Edited by Rebekah Higgit. 2014, 
Pages 209-210 mention a resolution in the 1765 Longitude Act making all 
commissioners on the board of longitude ineligible to receive reward money. 
So the idea of "conflict of interest" was appreciated by parliament and the 
board and certainly by Maskelyne.
This book, by the way, gives a much more balanced view of the wicked Maskelyne 
than that portrayed by Sobel.  
It may also amuse modern man to know that little chalk and slate boards  were 
still used in  British Junior schools in the 1950s. I had one. So not 
surprised to see them aboard ship.
Francis

-----Original Message-----
From: NavList@fer3.com [mailto:NavList@fer3.com] On Behalf Of Luc Van den Borre
Sent: 03 May 2019 22:32
To: francis@pharmout.co.uk
Subject: [NavList] Re: Life on the Ocean

On 14/01/2019 17:01, Robin Stuart wrote:
> I was thumbing through my copy the excellent "Ships, Clocks, and Stars:
> The Quest for Longitude" trying to find where I had read the statement
> that as Astronomer Royal, Maskelyne would not have been eligible to
> receive money from the longitude prize. I didn't find that statement
> (does anyone else on Navlist know where it might be?) but came across
> this painting entitled "Life on the Ocean, representing the usual
> occupations of the young officers in the steerage of a British frigate

   

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