What was the regular age to join the Royal Navy in the time of the British Empire (I'd say roughly between 18th and early 20th Century)?

by enlightendark

I'm curious about how was the procedure to get into the Royal Navy for the average sailor, especially if there was an official range of age or you could just go there and ask to enlist. I also wonder if there was something like a test or list of requirements, if you had to compromise for a minimum time of service and how was the beginning and progress within the scale.

knoperope

These answers cover the late 18th and the 19th centuries:

I'm a young English boy in the 1770s who dreams of one day becoming a Captain (or beyond) in the Royal Navy. My family is not aristocratic, but not poor either. How would I go about trying to achieve my dream? What would my career path look like? by /u/Lumpyproletarian

In the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, teenage and possibly pre-teen boys are depicted as officers in training on the ship. Was this a realistic age for boys to join the Royal Navy in the 19th century? by /u/jschooltiger