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
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.
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]
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.
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] The Deputy Lord High Admiral presided over the High Court.
The Vice-Admiral of the Coast[24] 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.
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.
^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.
^Baker, Sherston (Dec 20, 2010). Office of vice-admiral of the coast : being some account of that ancient office. [S.l.]: Gale Ecco, Making Of Mode. pp. 1–153.
ISBN9781240154067.
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,
ISBN978-0900963940.
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
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.
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]
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.
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] The Deputy Lord High Admiral presided over the High Court.
The Vice-Admiral of the Coast[24] 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.
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.
^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.
^Baker, Sherston (Dec 20, 2010). Office of vice-admiral of the coast : being some account of that ancient office. [S.l.]: Gale Ecco, Making Of Mode. pp. 1–153.
ISBN9781240154067.
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,
ISBN978-0900963940.