Office of the Clerk of the Acts | |
---|---|
Department of the Admiralty | |
Member of | Navy Board (1546–1796) |
Reports to | First Lord of the Admiralty |
Nominator | First Lord of the Admiralty |
Appointer | Monarch, with advice from council/ministers |
Term length | Not fixed (usually for life) |
Inaugural holder | Samuel Pepys |
Formation | c. 1660–1796 |
The Clerk of the Acts, [1] originally known as the Keeper of the King's Ports and Galleys, [2] [3] [4] [5] was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy and a principal member of the Navy Board. The office was created by King Charles II in 1660 and succeeded the earlier position of Clerk of the Navy(1546 to 1660). The Clerk was responsible for the organisation of Navy Office, processing naval contracts and coordinating the administrative and secretarial side of the Navy Board's work. The post lasted until 1796, when its duties were merged with that of the Second Secretary to the Admiralty later known as the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty. [6]
The ultimate origins of the office lie in the reign of King John, who developed a royal fleet and the earliest known administrative structure for the English Navy, through his appointment of William of Wrotham as Keeper of the King's Ports and Galleys in the early 13th century. According to modern historians, William had a "special responsibility for ports, customs, and the navy".[ citation needed] Murray (1935), Oppenheim reprint, (1940), Lloyd (1970) and Runyan (1987) support the view that his office continued until the creation of the Navy Board in 1546 and is therefore a direct predecessor of the later Clerk of the Acts and the Secretary of the Admiralty. [7] However, a clear definition of Wrotham's office is not conclusive and has been viewed by other sources such as Turner (1994) to be similar to that of the First Lord of the Admiralty. [8] King John's son and successor Henry III [9] continued to refine the administration the royal fleet. However it was during Edward III's reign that a formal naval administration really began to evolve when the Keeper was succeeded by the office of Clerk of the King's Ships, [10] according to naval historian Nicholas A. M. Rodger in his book the Admiralty (1979) states "Insofar as mediaeval Kings of England possessed a permanent administrator of their navies, he was the 'Clerk of the Kings Ships'. The post first appears in a distinct form under King John with William de Wrotham as Keeper of the Kings Ports and Galleys, the Clerk of the Kings Ships was not a one man department of state but a permanent agent of the crown" [11] For a period of over 300 years this official was responsible, sometimes really and sometimes nominally, for control of naval organisation until the formation of the Navy Board in 1546. [12] During the course of the following centuries the title changed its name. In the fifteenth century the post was known as the Clerk of Marine Causes and during the sixteenth century the office was known as the Clerk of the Navy, in the seventeenth century, Clerk of the Acts. [13] [14] Between the years 1673 and 1677 the office was held jointly by two clerks of the acts, and then again from 1702 until 1706. Between 1673 and 1680 the post was held simultaneously with the Secretary of the Admiralty. In the same year the Clerk of the Acts was appointed an assistant to alleviate him of some of his secretarial duties [15] and thus separating those responsibilities from the office of the secretary. In 1796 the offices of Clerk of the Acts and three other offices, those of Comptroller of Storekeepers Accounts, Comptroller of Treasurer Accounts and Comptroller of Victualling Accounts, [16] were abolished and the Board reconstituted; the function of the Navy Office was then supervised by three Committees, of Correspondence, Accounts and Stores. [17]
The Clerk of the Acts' official responsibility's were: [18] [19]
The Clerk of the Kings Ships' responsibilities were: [20]
The Keeper of the Kings Ports and Galleys' responsibilities were: [21]
Keeper of the King's Ports and Galleys
Clerks of the King's Ships (also referred to as Keeper of the King's Ships or Clerk of the Ships)
Clerk of Marine Causes (in official court circulars also referred to as Clerk of the Ships)
Clerks of the Navy (in official court circulars also referred to as Clerk of the Ships)
From June 1639 to August 1706 two clerks of the acts were occasionally appointed jointly to the office
Note: Title of Clerk of the Navy is changed to Clerk of the Acts in 1660 [39]
Clerks of the Acts
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Office of the Clerk of the Acts | |
---|---|
Department of the Admiralty | |
Member of | Navy Board (1546–1796) |
Reports to | First Lord of the Admiralty |
Nominator | First Lord of the Admiralty |
Appointer | Monarch, with advice from council/ministers |
Term length | Not fixed (usually for life) |
Inaugural holder | Samuel Pepys |
Formation | c. 1660–1796 |
The Clerk of the Acts, [1] originally known as the Keeper of the King's Ports and Galleys, [2] [3] [4] [5] was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy and a principal member of the Navy Board. The office was created by King Charles II in 1660 and succeeded the earlier position of Clerk of the Navy(1546 to 1660). The Clerk was responsible for the organisation of Navy Office, processing naval contracts and coordinating the administrative and secretarial side of the Navy Board's work. The post lasted until 1796, when its duties were merged with that of the Second Secretary to the Admiralty later known as the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty. [6]
The ultimate origins of the office lie in the reign of King John, who developed a royal fleet and the earliest known administrative structure for the English Navy, through his appointment of William of Wrotham as Keeper of the King's Ports and Galleys in the early 13th century. According to modern historians, William had a "special responsibility for ports, customs, and the navy".[ citation needed] Murray (1935), Oppenheim reprint, (1940), Lloyd (1970) and Runyan (1987) support the view that his office continued until the creation of the Navy Board in 1546 and is therefore a direct predecessor of the later Clerk of the Acts and the Secretary of the Admiralty. [7] However, a clear definition of Wrotham's office is not conclusive and has been viewed by other sources such as Turner (1994) to be similar to that of the First Lord of the Admiralty. [8] King John's son and successor Henry III [9] continued to refine the administration the royal fleet. However it was during Edward III's reign that a formal naval administration really began to evolve when the Keeper was succeeded by the office of Clerk of the King's Ships, [10] according to naval historian Nicholas A. M. Rodger in his book the Admiralty (1979) states "Insofar as mediaeval Kings of England possessed a permanent administrator of their navies, he was the 'Clerk of the Kings Ships'. The post first appears in a distinct form under King John with William de Wrotham as Keeper of the Kings Ports and Galleys, the Clerk of the Kings Ships was not a one man department of state but a permanent agent of the crown" [11] For a period of over 300 years this official was responsible, sometimes really and sometimes nominally, for control of naval organisation until the formation of the Navy Board in 1546. [12] During the course of the following centuries the title changed its name. In the fifteenth century the post was known as the Clerk of Marine Causes and during the sixteenth century the office was known as the Clerk of the Navy, in the seventeenth century, Clerk of the Acts. [13] [14] Between the years 1673 and 1677 the office was held jointly by two clerks of the acts, and then again from 1702 until 1706. Between 1673 and 1680 the post was held simultaneously with the Secretary of the Admiralty. In the same year the Clerk of the Acts was appointed an assistant to alleviate him of some of his secretarial duties [15] and thus separating those responsibilities from the office of the secretary. In 1796 the offices of Clerk of the Acts and three other offices, those of Comptroller of Storekeepers Accounts, Comptroller of Treasurer Accounts and Comptroller of Victualling Accounts, [16] were abolished and the Board reconstituted; the function of the Navy Office was then supervised by three Committees, of Correspondence, Accounts and Stores. [17]
The Clerk of the Acts' official responsibility's were: [18] [19]
The Clerk of the Kings Ships' responsibilities were: [20]
The Keeper of the Kings Ports and Galleys' responsibilities were: [21]
Keeper of the King's Ports and Galleys
Clerks of the King's Ships (also referred to as Keeper of the King's Ships or Clerk of the Ships)
Clerk of Marine Causes (in official court circulars also referred to as Clerk of the Ships)
Clerks of the Navy (in official court circulars also referred to as Clerk of the Ships)
From June 1639 to August 1706 two clerks of the acts were occasionally appointed jointly to the office
Note: Title of Clerk of the Navy is changed to Clerk of the Acts in 1660 [39]
Clerks of the Acts
{{
cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires |journal=
(
help)
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)