During the early 17th century, England's relative naval power deteriorated; in the course of the rest of the 17th century, the office of the Admiralty and Marine Affairs steered the Navy's transition from a semi-amateur Navy Royal fighting in conjunction with private vessels into a fully professional institution, a Royal Navy. Its financial provisions were gradually regularised, it came to rely on dedicated warships only, and it developed a professional officer corps with a defined career structure, superseding an earlier mix of sailors and socially prominent former soldiers.[1]
Historical overview Sovereign of the Seas After 1603 the English and
Lords Commissioners of Admiralty
became the permanent officers responsible for administration of the Navy.
Organization in the seventeenth century Admiralty of England Commanders-in-chief Naval Lords of England Civil administration of the Navy Notes: the Secretary of State England for the period 1628 to 1679 was responsible for all policy decisions and direction on behalf of the government due to a continued state of war .
Board of Admiralty The Board of Admiralty and the Lord's Commissioners executing the office of the Lord High Admiral [2]
First Commissioner and First Lord of the Admiralty
First Lord of the Admiralty , and member of the English government
Clerk of the Admiralty
Messenger of the Admiralty, appointed, 1687[3]
Housekeeper of the Admiralty appointed (1687 – 1799)
Doorkeeper of the Admiralty, 1687[4]
Gardner of the Admiralty appointed (1687 – 1799) Civil Commissioner
Naval Commissioner
Naval Lord
from (1682 – 1689)Senior Naval Lord
from (1689–1771)Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
91 commissioners served during the 17th century.
Notes: Between 1693 and 1830 the commission always included either 1 or 2 additional naval lords except from 1757 until 1782 when it was just the Senior Naval Lord. After 1830 the Naval Lords are titled, First, Second, Third, Fourth until 1904 when they are re-styled Sea Lord. A junior naval lord is introduced in 1868 until 1903 then is re-styled Fifth Sea Lord from 1917.
Naval operations Senior leadership Naval High Command
Fleet commands Flag officers of the fleet
Flag officers commanding fleets and stations Flag officer commanding individual fleets and stations
Home commands Admiral Commanding, the Narrow Seas , (1412-1688)Admiral/Vice-Admiral Commanding, in the Channel . (1512-1746)[12] Commander-in-Chief, the Downs
, (1628-1834)Commander-in-Chief, Medway, (1698-1699)
[13] Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth (1667-1969)Commander, Royal Squadron , (1660-1995)Commander-in-Chief, Thames
, (1695-1696)Commander-in-Chief, Western Squadron
, (1650-1854)Shore commands Overseas commands Fleet units
Composition of the Navy between 1649-1690
Type
Number of units [14]
Ships of the Line 1st rate
7
Ships of the Line 2nd rate
11
Ships of the Line 3rd rate
40
Ships of the Line 4th rate
19
Ships of the Line 5th-6th rate
26
Captured ships of the line
10
Sloops
22
Armed merchants
29
Flyboats
28
Galliots & hoys
22
Fireships
111
Bomb vessels
17
Hospital ships
4
Yachts
25
In commission
361
Squadrons [15]
Red Squadron
White Squadron
Blue Squadron Administrative and logistical support Board of ordnance Principal officers Board of Ordnance [16]
Ordnance yards and stores Home ordinance yards
Gunpowder magazines stores
Navy board Construction, design, maintenance, supplies
Principal officers Office of the Navy Board
Comptroller of the Navy
(1597 – 1832)
Subsidiary boards of navy board Office of the Navy Board
Sick and Hurt Board
(established temporarily in times of war from 1653, placed on a permanent footing from 1715)Victualling Board (1683 – 1832)Transport Board (1690 – 1724, re-established 1794) Shore facilities Note: Dockyards during this period were managed by the commissioners of the Navy Board .
Home naval base and dockyards [19]
Oversea bases and dockyards
Judicial administration Note:Admiralty Courts date to at least the 1360s, during the reign of Edward III. At that time there were three such Courts, appointed by Admirals responsible for waters to the north, south and west of England. In 1483 these local courts were amalgamated into a single High Court of Admiralty, administered by the
Lord High Admiral of England.
[20]
Admiralty courts Legal advisors to the admiralty courts
High court of the admiralty Office of the High Court of the Admiralty Court (1450 – 1875)[22] [23] Vice admiralty courts The pirate ships), dealing with salvage claims for wrecks, and acting as a
judge
Vice-Admiral Cheshire
(1559 – 1835)Vice-Admiral Cornwall
(1559 – 1917)Vice-Admiral Cumberland
(1559 – 1835)Vice-Admiral Devon
(1559 – 1835)Vice-Admiral Dorset
(1559 – 1835)Vice-Admiral Durham
(1559 – 1835)Vice-Admiral Essex
(1559 – 1835)Vice-Admiral Gloucestershire
(1559 – 1835)Vice-Admiral Hampshire
(1558 – 1846)Vice-Admiral Kent
(1558 – 1846)Vice-Admiral Lancashire
(1569 – 1861)Vice-Admiral Lincolnshire
(1565 – 1862)Vice-Admiral Norfolk
(1554 – 1846)Vice-Admiral Northumberland
(1559 – 1847)Vice-Admiral Somerset
(1561 – 1865)Vice-Admiral Suffolk
(1554 – 1947)Vice-Admiral Sussex
(1559 – 1860)Vice-Admiral Westmorland
(1559 – 1802)Vice-Admiral Yorkshire
(1559 – 1860)Vice Admiralty jurisdictions and prizes abroad
By appointing Vice-Admirals in the colonies, and by constituting courts as Vice-Admiralty Courts, the terminology recognized the existence and superiority of the "mother" court in the United Kingdom. Thus, the "vice" tag denoted that whilst it was a separate court, it was not equal to the "mother" court. In the case of the courts abroad, a right of appeal lay back to the British Admiralty Court, which further reinforced this superiority. In all respects, the court was an Imperial court rather than a local Colonial court.
North America
West Indies
See also References
^ Rodger, Safeguard , pp. 395–8; Rodger, Command , pp. 33–55, 95–122Ollard, 1984, ch.16;
^ Sainty, J. C. "Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4, Admiralty Officials 1660-1870" . british-history.ac.uk . British History Online, University of London, Institute of Historical Research,1975. Retrieved 3 November 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . ^ "Information sheet no 055, Squadron colours" (PDF) . nmrn-portsmouth.org.uk . National Museum of the Royal Navy, 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2016 .. ^ Sainty, J. C. "Navy Treasurer c. 1546-1836, A provisional list compiled by J C Sainty, January 2003" . history.ac.uk . The Institute of Historical Research, University of London, 2003. Retrieved 9 November 2016 . ^ Sainty, J. C. "Navy Clerk of the Acts 1546 to 1660" . history.ac.uk . The Institute of Historical Research, University of London. Retrieved 16 November 2016 . ^ Government of the United Kingdom. "Royal Naval dockyard staff" . nationalarchives.gov.uk . The National Archives, 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016 . . ^ The Nautical Magazine: A Technical and Critical Journal for the Officers of the Mercantile Marine ^ Sainty, J C. "Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4, Admiralty Officials 1660-1870. Originally published by University of London, London, 1975" . british-history.ac.uk . Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Studie, University of London, 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2016 . ^ Archives, The National. "High Court of Admiralty - The National Archives" . The National Archives . The National Archives. Retrieved 16 January 2017 . .
Sources The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 3 George IV. 1822 . London: By His Majesty's Statute and Law Printer. 1822.Hamilton, Admiral Sir. R. Vesey, G.C.B. (1896). Naval Administration: The Constitution, Character, and Functions of the Board of Admiralty, and of the Civil Departments it Directs . London: George Bell and Sons.
Logan, Karen Dale (1976). The Admiralty: Reforms and Re-organization, 1868-1892 . Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. University of Oxford.
Miller, Francis H. (1884). The Origin and Constitution of the Admiralty and Navy Boards, to which is added an Account of the various Buildings in which the Business of the Navy has been transacted from time to time . London: For Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Copy in Greene Papers. National Maritime Museum. GEE/19.
Rodger. N.A.M. (1979), The Admiralty (offices of state) , T. Dalton, Lavenham, External links
Direction and control Boards and offices under Direction of
Office of the Senior Naval Lord
Office of the First Naval Lord
Office of the First Sea Lord
Secretariat and staff under Operational planning, policy Divisions and sections Offices of the Sea Lords Admiralty civil departments
Admiralty Area Cash Offices Admiralty Central Dockyard Laboratory Admiralty Central Metallurgical Laboratory Admiralty Civilian Shore Wireless Service Admiralty Compass Observatory Admiralty Constabulary Admiralty Constabulary Headquarters Admiralty Engineering Laboratory Admiralty Experimental Station Admiralty Experiment Works Admiralty Gunnery Establishment Admiralty Interview Board Admiralty Labour Department Admiralty Marine Technology Establishment Admiralty Materials Laboratory Admiralty Mine Design Department Admiralty Mining Establishment Admiralty Naval Aircraft Materials Laboratory Admiralty Record Office Admiralty Regional Offices Admiralty Research Laboratory Admiralty Signal Establishment Admiralty Signals and Radar Establishment Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment Admiralty Surveying Service Admiralty Torpedo Experimental Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Launching Establishment Architectural and Engineering Works Department Air Equipment and Naval Photography Department Air Department Air Materiel Department Air Personnel Department Amphibious Warfare Headquarters Armament Supply Department
Board of Invention and Research Board of Longitude Boom Defence Department Boom Defence and Marine Salvage Department Britannia Royal Naval College Chemical Board Chemical Department Civil Catering Department Civil Engineer in Chiefs Department Coastguard and Reserves Branch Combined Operations Headquarters Commissioner for Property and Income-tax for the Naval Department Compass Department Contract and Purchase Department Council of Naval Education Dental Examining Board Department of Radio Equipment Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy Department of Aeronautical and Engineering Research Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development Department of Naval Assistant (Foreign) to Second Sea Lord Department of Naval Education Operational Research Department of Personal Services and Officer Appointments Department of Physical Research Department of Physical Training & Sports Department of Radio Equipment Department of Research Programmes and Planning Department of Superintendent of de-magnetisation Department of the Admiral of the Training Service Department of the Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance Department of the Chief of Naval Information Department of the Chief Scientist Department of the Civil Engineer-in-Chief Department of the Comptroller of Steam Machinery Department of the Comptroller of Victualling and Transport Services
Department of the Controller of the Navy Department of the Controller-General of Merchant Shipbuilding Department of the Controller for Navy Pay Department of the Deputy Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding Department of the Deputy Controller for Dockyards and Shipbuilding Department of the Director Contract-Built Ships Department of the Director-General Aircraft Department of the Director-General of Manpower Department of the Director-General, Supply and Secretariat Branch Department of the Director of Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department of the Director of Contract Labour Department of the Director of Dockyards Department of the Director of Electrical Engineering Department of the Director of Manning Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs Department of the Director of Merchant Ship Repairs Department of the Director of Naval Construction Department of the Director of Naval Equipment Department of the Director of Naval Recruiting Department of the Director of Naval Weather Service Department of the Director of Personal Services Department of the Director of Physical Training and Sports Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining Department of the Director of Transports
Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Materials Department of the Director of Unexploded Bombs Department of the Director of Warship Production Department of the Director of Welfare and Service Conditions Department of the Director of Wreck Dispersal Department of the Flag Officer Sea Training Department of the Engineer in Chief Department of the Paymaster Director-General Department of the Inspector of Anti-Aircraft Weapons Department of the Inspector of Dockyard Expense Accounts Department of the Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets Department of the Medical Director-General of the Navy Department of the Physician of the Navy Department of the Physician General of the Navy Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of Buildings Department of the Surveyor of Dockyards Directorate-General, (Naval Manpower and Training)
Directorate General Training
Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department Dockyards Branch Dockyard Expense Accounts Department Dockyard Schools Electrical Engineering Department Engineer Branch Engineering Department Experimental Department Fire Control Group Greenwich Hospital Department Inspector of Telegraphs Inspector of Repairs Joint Warfare Establishment Medical Consultative Board Medical Examining Board Historical Section Hydrographic Department Marine Department Marine Pay Department Materials and Priority Department Medical Consultative Board Medical Department Medical Examining Board Movements Department Nautical Almanac Office Naval Artillery and Torpedo Department Naval Engineering College Naval Equipment Department Naval Historical Branch Naval Construction Department Naval Intelligence Department
Naval Medical Service Naval Law Division Naval Manpower Department Naval Mobilisation Department Naval Ordnance Department Naval Ordnance Inspection Department Naval Ordnance Stores Department Naval Personnel Services and Officer Appointments Department Naval Publicity Department Naval Regional Offices Naval Reserve Department Naval Security Department Naval Stores Department Naval Training Department
Naval Works Department Navy, Army and Air Force Institute Navy and Army Canteen Board
Navy Works Department Navigation Department
Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope Office of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves Office of the Admiral Commanding, Reserves Office of the Admiralty Chemist Office of the Adviser on the Naval Construction to the Board of Admiralty Office of the Assistant Controller Office of the Assistant Controller Research and Development Office of the Clerk of the Journals Office of the Chief Polaris Executive Office of the Deputy Controller of Navy Office of the Deputy Controller Production Office of Extra Naval Assistant to Second Sea Lord Office of the Inspector Gun Mountings Office of the Keeper of Records Office of the Senior Psychologist (Naval) Office of the Senior Psychologist of the Navy Office of the Translator of French and Spanish Languages Office of the Vice Controller Air Office of the Vice Controller of the Navy Organisation and Methods Department Packet Service
Regional Organisation for Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs Royal Corps of Naval Constructors Royal Flying Corps Royal Marine Police Royal Marines Office Office of the Chaplain of the Fleet Royal Naval Academy Royal Naval Aircraft Workshops Royal Naval Air Service Royal Naval Air Stations Royal Naval Armaments Depot
Royal Naval Auxiliary Service Royal Naval Cordite Factories Royal Naval Propellant Factory Royal Naval College
Royal Naval College and the School for Naval Architecture
Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Royal Naval College, Greenwich Royal Naval College, Keyham Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval Engineering College Royal Naval Film Corporation Royal Naval Hospital Royal Naval Medical Depot Royal Naval Minewatching Service Royal Naval Mine Depot Royal Naval Patrol Service Royal Naval Scientific Service Royal Naval Sick Quarters Royal Naval Torpedo Depot Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Royal Naval War College Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth Royal Navy Dockyard Royal Navy Medical Service Royal Navy Shore Signal Service Royal Observatory, Greenwich Royal School of Naval Architecture Salvage Department School of Mathematics and Naval Construction Scientific Research and Experiment Department Sea Transport Branch Sea Transport Department Sea Transport Division Ship Department Ship Design Department Signal Department Signal School Sixpenny Office Statistics Department Steam Department Superintendent of De-magnetisation Torpedo Experimental Establishment Transport Department Undersurface Warfare Department Victualling Department Volunteer Boys and Cadet Corps Weapons Department Weapons Department (Naval) Women's Royal Naval Service Wireless Telegraphy Board Direction/Command of the Fleet Naval formations after 1707
1st Fleet 2nd Fleet 3rd Fleet Commander-in-Chief, Africa Atlantic Fleet Commodore, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf
Australia Station Cape of Good Hope Station
Cape and West Africa Station
Battle Cruiser Fleet Battle Cruiser Force
Caspian Flotilla Channel Fleet Channel Squadron
Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland Cork Station
Coast of Scotland Commander-in-Chief, China
Commander-in-Chief, Dover Flag Officer, East Africa East Indies Station East Indies and China Station Eastern Fleet
Far East Fleet English Channel Grand Fleet Flag Officer Gibraltar
Harwich Force Home Fleet Jamaica Station Leith Station Commander-in-Chief, Levant Levant and East Mediterranean Commander-in-Chief, Leeward Islands
Mediterranean Fleet Medway
Newfoundland Station New Zealand Division New Zealand Naval Forces Nore North America and West Indies Station Commander-in-Chief, North Sea Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands Pacific Fleet Pacific Station Admiral of Patrols Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Queenstown Station
Royal East African Navy Royal Indian Navy
Flag Officer Submarines Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth
Reserve Fleet Scotland and Northern Ireland Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic South East Coast of America Station Commander-in-Chief, Thames and Medway
West Africa Squadron Flag Officer, West Africa Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches Naval formations before 1707 Direction of Naval Finance Departments under the Direction of Naval Administration Branches and offices under the Civil Administration Departments under the Legal
Ministerial Lords Naval Lords
Senior Naval Lord
(1689–1771)First Naval Lord
(1771–1904)First Sea Lord
(1904–1917)First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
(1917–1964)Second Naval Lord
(1830–1869, 1872–1904)Second Sea Lord
(1904–1917)Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
(1917–1964)Third Naval Lord
(1832–1858)Controller of the Navy
(1859–1869)Third Naval Lord and Controller
(1869–1872)Controller of the Navy
(1872–1882)Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy
(1882–1904)Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy
(1904–1912)Third Sea Lord
(1912–1917)Controller of the Navy
(1917–1918)Third Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Matériel
(1918–1965)Junior Naval Lord (1868–1904)Fourth Sea Lord (1904–1917)Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport (1917–1955)Fifth Sea Lord (1917)Fifth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Air Service (1917–1956) Staff Naval Lords Civil Lords Civil Secretaries
Principal officers Subsidiary boards Resident Commissioners
Resident Commissioner, Chatham Dockyard
, (1631-1829)Resident Commissioner, Portsmouth Dockyard , (1649-1829)Resident Commissioner, Woolwich Dockyard ,(1688-1828)Resident Commissioner, Plymouth Dockyard
, (1691-1822)Resident Commissioner, Deptford Dockyard , (1714-1823)Resident Commissioner, Sheerness Dockyard
, (1793-1822)Resident Commissioner, Devonport Dockyard
, (1823-1832) Resident Commissioners
Resident Commissioner, Jamaica Yard , (1675-1832)Resident Commissioner, Cadiz Yard, (1694)
Resident Commissioner, Bombay Yard Resident Commissioner, Kinsale Yard , (1694-1713)Resident Commissioner, Gibraltar Yard , (1704-1832)Resident Commissioner, Antigua Yard , (1707-1832)Resident Commissioner, Ascension Yard , (1728-1832)Resident Commissioner, Port Mahon Yard , (1742-1763)Resident Commissioner, Halifax Yard , (1759-1832)Resident Commissioner, Barbados Yard , (1779-1783, 1810)Resident Commissioner, Kingston Yard , (1783-1832)Resident Commissioner, Ajaccio Yard , (1794-1799)Resident Commissioner, Bermuda Dockyard
, (1795-1832)Resident Commissioner, Amherstburg Yard , (1796-1813)Resident Commissioner, Quebec Yard , (1804-1826)Resident Commissioner, Malta Dockyard
, (1805-1832)Resident Commissioner, Madras Yard
, (1808-1817)Resident Commissioner, Cape of Good Hope Yard , (1808-1822)Resident Commissioner, Bombay Dockyard , (1808-1816)Resident Commissioner, Trincomalee Dockyard , (1810-1832) Offices
Leadership Components
History Operating Fleet Ships Administration Senior Personnel Equipment Former
Tudor Ensign 1600-1603
Stuart Navy Squadron Ensign 1603-1620
English Navy White Ensign 1620-1707
