Admiralty in the 17th century

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Through Government spending, War and England

Historical overview

After 1603 the English and Scottish fleets were organized together under James I but the efficiency of the Navy declined gradually, while corruption grew until brought under control in an inquiry of 1618. James concluded a peace with Spain and privateering was outlawed. Between 1618 and 1628, a Navy Commission temporarily replaced the Navy Board, due to misappropriation of public funds by board commissioners. After the inquiry was over the office of the Lord High Admiral (held by the Duke of Buckingham) was restored. However, he was murdered and King Charles I put the office into commission. This led to the creation of a new Board of Admiralty which in its early formation was just the Privy Council in another reincarnation. This in turn also led to the removal of the Admiralty Court from direct control of the Lord High Admiral's. His office was temporarily restored again in 1638, but then put in commission once more after 1679 the Lords Commissioners of Admiralty became the permanent officers responsible for administration of the Navy.

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Organization in the seventeenth century

Admiralty of England

Commanders-in-chief

Naval Lords of England

Office of the Lord High Admiral of England
- Vice-Admiral of England and Deputy Lord High Admiral
  - Rear-Admiral 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

The Board of Admiralty

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
  - Housekeeper of the Admiralty appointed (1687 – 1799)
  - Doorkeeper of the Admiralty, 1687
  - Gardner of the Admiralty appointed (1687 – 1799)

Civil Commissioner

Chief Secretary to the Admiralty (1628 – 1652)
First Secretary to the Admiralty (1652 – 1871)

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

Office of the Lord High Admiral of England (1600 – 1628)
- Office of the Vice-Admiral of England
  - Office of the Rear-Admiral of England
Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty (1628 – 1964)
- Office of the Naval Lord of the Admiralty*
  - Admiralty Secretariat, (1690-1932)
  - Greenwich Hospital
  - Nautical Almanac Office
  - Register office
  - Royal Observatory
  - Sixpenny Office

Fleet commands

Flag officers of the fleet

Admiral of the Fleet Red
- Vice-Admiral of the Red
  - Rear-Admiral of the Red
Admiral of the White
- Vice-Admiral of the White
  - Rear-Admiral of the White
Admiral of the Blue
- Vice-Admiral of the Blue
  - Rear-Admiral of the Blue

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)
Commander-in-Chief, the Downs, (1628-1834)
Commander-in-Chief, Medway, (1698-1699)
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

Vice-Admiralties of the Coast of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, (1536-1830)

Overseas commands

Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station (1655-1830)
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet (1690-1967)

Fleet units

Squadrons

Red Squadron
White Squadron
Blue Squadron

Administrative and logistical support

Board of ordnance

Principal officers

Board of Ordnance (1597 – 1855)

Office of the Board of Ordnance
- Master-General of the Ordnance (1597 – 1855)
  - Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance (1597 – 1855)
    - Treasurer of the Ordinance (1597 – 1855)
    - Surveyor-General of the Ordnance (1597 – 1888)
    - Clerk of the Ordnance (1554 – 1853)
    - Storekeeper of the Ordnance (1558 – 1845)
    - Clerk of Deliveries of the Ordnance (1570 – 1812)

Ordnance yards and stores

Home ordinance yards

The Gun Wharf, Chatham Dockyard
Gunwharf Portsmouth Dockyard

Gunpowder magazines stores

Tower of London, London (1461 – 1855)
Square Tower, Portsmouth (1584 – 1855)

Navy board

Construction, design, maintenance, supplies

Principal officers

Office of the Navy Board
- Comptroller of the Navy (1597 – 1832)
  - Surveyor of the Navy (1597 – 1832)
  - Treasurer of the Navy (1597 – 1832)
  - Clerk of the Navy
  - Surveyor-General Victuals, (1550-1679)
  - Controller of Treasurer Accounts, (1667-1796)
  - Controller of Victualling Accounts, (1667-1796)
  - Controller of Storekeepers Accounts, (1671-1796)
  - Commissioners for Old Accounts, (1686-8)
  - Commissioners for Current Business, (1686-8)
  - Commissioners for Examining Accounts (Incurred), (1688-9)

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

Portsmouth Dockyard (1496 – present)
Woolwich Dockyard (1512 – 1869)
Deptford Dockyard (1513 – 1869)
Erith Dockyard (1514 – 1521), failed yard: due to persistent flooding
Chatham Dockyard (1567 – 1983)
Sheerness Dockyard (1665 – 1957)
Plymouth Dockyard, Plymouth (1690 – 1824)

Oversea bases and dockyards

Jamaica Dockyard, Port Royal, Jamaica (1675 – 1905)

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. The Deputy Lord High Admiral presided over the High Court.

Admiralty courts

Lord High Admiral of England
- Vice Admiral of England and Deputy Lord High Admiral
  - Advocate General to the office of the Lord High Admiral

Legal advisors to the admiralty courts

Office of the Lord High Admiral
- Counsel to the Admiralty,(1673 – 1824), attached originally to the Navy Board
- Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy, appointed (1692 – 1799)

High court of the admiralty

Office of the High Court of the Admiralty Court (1450 – 1875)
- Judge of the High Court of Admiralty
- Judge Advocate of the Fleet
  - Deputy Judge Advocate of the Fleet
- Proctor of the High Court of Admiralty
- Marshall of the High Court of Admiralty
- Droits of the High Court of Admiralty

Vice admiralty courts

The Vice-Admiral of the Coast was responsible for the defence of one of the twenty maritime counties of England, the North and South of Wales. As a Vice-Admiral, the post holder was the chief of naval administration for his district. His responsibilities included deciding the outcome of the Prize court (captured by pirate ships), dealing with salvage claims for wrecks, and acting as a judge in relation to maritime issues.

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

Vice-Admiral Carolina
Vice-Admiral Maryland
Vice-Admiral Massachusetts
Vice-Admiral New Hampshire
Vice-Admiral New York, including Connecticut
Vice-Admiral Pennsylvania, including Delaware
Vice-Admiral Virginia

West Indies

Vice-Admiral Barbados
Vice-Admiral Jamaica

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