Admiral of the West

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Office of the Admiral of the West
Monarch of England
Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term lengthNot fixed (usually for life)
Inaugural holderSir William de Leybourne, Baron de Leybourne
Formation1294–1412

The Admiral of the West,

English Navy appointment. The postholder was chiefly responsible for the command of the English navy's fleet based at Portsmouth, which operated in the English Channel, Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean,[3]
from 1294 to 1412.

History

The origin of the office of Admiral of the West

naval officer was granted in 1303. By 1344 it was only used as a rank at sea for a captain in charge of a fleet or fleets.[7]

This command, along with that of Admiral of the North, was regarded as one of the most senior posts in the English navy from the end of the 13th century until the beginning of the 15th century.[8]

Rank and Role

The administration of English Navy from the end of the 13th century was decentralized into three regional 'admiralties' until the end of the fourteenth Century.

Calendar of Patent Rolls.[10] In the fourteenth Century Admirals were paid a respectable salary which was only granted because the position was viewed as substantially important. In addition the rank of admiral was only granted to men of high prestige within feudal hierarchy, most recipients of the office were usually knights but more often earls.[11] The Admirals duties usually consisted of assembling fleets for naval expeditions undertaken by the monarch on campaign, maintaining order and discipline and supervising the work of the Admiralty Courts for each region. On major military expeditions the Admiral would go to sea with their fleets and accompany the overall Commander-in-Chief of both sea and land forces usually the King himself but sometimes a nobleman of higher rank than the admiral. Their role was to observe and direct naval battles but not necessarily taking part in them, themselves.[11] However, from 1344 onward their role was moving from primarily administrative one to that of a seagoing command.[12]

In 1337 the first known record of the appointment of a "vice-admiral' was granted to a Nicholas Ususmaris, a Genoese, he was made Vice-Admiral of the King's fleet of galleys, and all other ships of Aquitaine. However these appointments were few and far between. There was two further instances of the appointment of Vice-Admirals to Sir Thomas Drayton as Vice-Admiral of the Northern Fleet and Sir Peter Bard Vice-Admiral of the Western Fleet both on 28 July 1338.[13]

Special assistants were appointed to handle two important sub-divisions of the admirals powers. The first was the admiral's lieutenant, or deputy, referred to as sub-admirals, who handled administrative and legal duties and each of these admirals had one and often retained more knowledge than the Admiral himself in relation to the sea and coastal communities.[14] It would not be until the early 15th century that they would appointed on a more regular basis however they were referred to at this time as the admirals Lieutenant-General this office eventually became known as the Lieutenant of the Admiralty.[15]

The second was the Wardens of the Coast for each region who were responsible for the direction and co-ordination of the fleet, the equipping of boats and processing payments to sailors and superintendence of the Sea Guard Militia assigned to each maritime coastal county.

Lord-Admiral of England[11]

The Admirals were logistically supported by the

Clerk of the King's Ships who looked after all the navy's finances whilst victualling of the navy was handled by another one of King's Clerks.[11]

Admirals of the West

Includes:[16]

Admiral of the West and Irish Sea
Admiral of the West
Note: In 1326, the office of
Admiral of the Southern Fleet
was amalgamated with this command.
No appointments: see
Admiral of all the Fleets, 16 January 1361 – 28 April 1362[5][16]
No Appointments: see Admiral of the North and West, 17 July 1364 - 28 April 1369[5]
No appointments: see Admiral of the North and West, 24 November 1377 - 5 December 1377
No appointments: see
Admiral of England, April 1385 – 18 March 1388[5]
No appointments: see Admiral of the North and West, 29 January 1391 – 21 April 1400[5]
Note: The office, although vacant, was amalgamated within a single office of the
Lord High Admiral of England in 1412.[18]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^
    ISBN 9781843830474
    .
  2. ISBN 9781108056519
    .
  3. ISBN 9780199680825
    .
  4. ISBN 9781584774808
    .
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av Houbraken, Jacobus; Thoyras, Paul de Rapin; Vertue, George (1747). The History of England, A List of Admirals of England, 1228-1745. J. and P. Knapton. pp. 271–273.
  6. ISBN 9781107645110
    .
  7. ^ "History of Naval Ranks and Rates". www.navymuseum.co.nz. National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  8. ISBN 9781107645110
    .
  9. ISBN 9780140297249
    .
  10. ISBN 9780199680825
    .
  11. ^ a b c d e Rodger pp. 131-142
  12. ^ National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy
  13. ISBN 9781886363168
    .
  14. ISBN 9781843837015
    .
  15. doi:10.1080/00253359.1912.10654589
    .
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai Godolphin, John (1661). Synēgoros thalassios, A view of the admiral jurisdiction wherein the most material points concerning that jurisdiction are fairly and submissively discussed : as also divers of the laws, customes, rights, and priviledges of the high admiralty of England by ancient records, and other arguments of law asserted : whereunto is added by way of appendix an extract of the ancient laws of Oleron / by John Godolphin ... University of Michigan, An Arbour, MI, USA: W. Godbid for Edmund Paxton and John Sherley. pp. 197–207.
  17. ISBN 9781900639262
    .
  18. ISBN 9781107645110
    .

Sources

External links

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