Board of Admiralty
Board of Admiralty
Admiralty%20Flag%2020th%20Century%20%281%29.gif
Preceded by Lord High Admirals Council
Country United Kingdom
Founded 1628
Abolished 1964
Headquarters Whitehall, London, England
President First Lord of the Admiralty
Deputy Head Parliamentary & Financial Secretary to the Admiralty
Head First Lord of the Admiralty
Chief Naval Member First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
Affiliations Royal Navy
Parent Department Department of Admiralty
Succeeded Admiralty Board (MOD)
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The Board of Admiralty was established in 1628 when King Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. Because the position of Lord Admiral was not always occupied, the purpose of the boards creation was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requirements of the Royal Navy; at that point administrative and civil control of the navy was still the responsibility of the Navy Board, established in 1576. From 1643 until 1649 the Board of Admiralty was replaced by the Admiralty Commission during the English Civil War. In February 1649 the powers of the Admiralty Commission were taken over by the English Council of State until 1653 when the commission was re-instated until 1660. In 1660 the board of admiralty was re-established and the dual system of Admiralty and Navy's Boards jointly managing HM Naval Service remained in place until 1832, when the Board of Admiralty became the sole authority charged with both administrative, civil and operational control of the navy following the abolition of the Navy Board. The term Admiralty has become synonymous with the command and control of the Royal Navy, partly personified in the Board of Admiralty and in the Admiralty buildings in London from where operations were in large part directed. It existed until 1964 when the office of First Lord of the Admiralty was finally abolished and the functions of the Lords Commissioners were transferred to the new Admiralty Board as a sub-service board of the tri-service Defence Council of the United Kingdom. The board was administered by the President and First Lord of the Admiralty.

Table of Contents

1) History

On the death of the Duke of Buckingham in 1628 his office of Lord High Admiral was put into commission, six Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty being appointed to execute the office jointly. In 1638 the office of Lord High Admiral was revived until 1639, but throughout the rest of the seventeenth century there were periods when the office was again in commission and even when there was a Lord High Admiral, he was often advised by an Admiralty Council, which was virtually a Board of Admiralty under another name. From 1643 until 1649 the Board of Admiralty was replaced by the Admiralty Commission during the English Civil War. In February 1649 the powers of the Admiralty Commission were taken over by the English Council of State until 1653 when the commission was re-instated until 1660. In 1660 the board of admiralty was re-established. Finally in 1708 the Board of Admiralty became the normal instrument for governing the Navy, except for the period 1827 to 1828, when the office of Lord High Admiral was temporarily revived for William, Duke of Clarence, later King William IV.

The eighteenth century Board of Admiralty usually contained a preponderance of civilians, although there was a naval element and often a sea officer was First Lord. The Lords Commissioners were all active politicians, even the naval members, and it was usual for some members and later the whole of the Board to change on a change of ministry. After 1806 the First Lord was always a civilian and a senior member of the ministry, while the separate post of First Sea Lord was evolved for the senior professional member. However, until late in the nineteenth century the First Sea Lord and his professional colleagues remained free to play an active part in politics, although as the century progressed they chose to do so less and less. Until the absorption of the High Court of Admiralty into the Court of Judicature they nominally retained, as executors of the office of Lord High Admiral, their centuries-old link with that court.

In 1822 the quorum of the Admiralty Board was reduced from three to two if less than six commissioners were present.] In 1832 all authority, powers, and duties of the Principal Officers, Commissioners of the Navy and Commissioners of Victualling were transferred to the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral, and quorum for the Admiralty Board reduced to two, irrespective of the number of Commissioners. Between 1832 and 1869 the Board consisted of the First Lord of the Admiralty, four Naval Lords, a Civil Lord, a First or Parliamentary Secretary and a Second or Permanent Secretary.

When the Navy Board was abolished in 1832 and responsibility for the civil administration of the Navy passed to the Board of Admiralty, the Board was redesigned. By Order in Council of 14 January, 1869, the Naval Lords were designated as "Assistants" to the First Lord of the Admiralty, who was "responsible to Your Majesty and to Parliament for all the business of the Admiralty." The number of Naval Lords was reduced from to three, and the office of Controller of the Navy merged with that of Second Naval Lord to become Third Lord and Controller. The Second Naval Lord's duties regarding personnel were merged into those of the First Naval Lord. The Parliamentary Secretary became responsible to the First Lord for finance, and the Civil Lord became his assistant. The Permanent Secretary was responsible to the First Lord for control of the Admiralty Secretariat.

The Lords Commissioners remained jointly responsible, subject to the controlling political authority of the First Lord, for all aspects of naval affairs, but in addition, especially after the reforms of 1869, they had individual responsibility for the work of the several departments of the Admiralty. This responsibility did not always coincide with control of staff and the head of a department might be responsible to two or more Lords Commissioners for the different aspects of his department's work.

By Order in Council of 19 March, 1872, the position of Second Naval Lord was restored, and that of Third Naval Lord abolished. The office of Comptroller of the Navy was re-established to be held by an officer not on the Board. The Naval Lords, rather than being "Assistants" to the First Lord, were "to be responsible" to him. The number of Secretaries was increased to three: The Parliamentary Secretary, the Permanent Secretary, and a Naval Secretary.

This state of affairs lasted a decade, until by Order in Council of 10 March, 1882, the "Comptroller of the Navy" became an additional naval lord on the Board. An Additional Civil Lord, not a member of either House of Parliament, was to be appointed to assist the Comptroller. Upon a vacancy occurring in the office of Naval Secretary the position was to lapse, leaving the Parliamentary Secretary and the Permanent Secretary. The Naval Secretaryship was abolished on 8 May. An Additional Civil Lord served on the Board between 1882 to 1885, after which the office lapsed.

The First Sea Lord, later First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, directed naval strategy in wartime and was responsible for planning, operations and intelligence, for the distribution of the Fleet and for its fighting efficiency; the Second Sea Lord, later Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel, was responsible for manning and mobilisation and other personnel questions relating to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines; the Third Sea Lord, after 1882 almost invariably also Controller of the Navy, was responsible for the Material Departments; the Fourth (or junior) Sea Lord, later 'Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies', was responsible for the Transport, Victualling and Medical Departments; the Civil Lord was responsible for civilian staff, the Works Departments and naval lands; the Parliamentary (or parliamentary and financial) Secretary was responsible for finance generally, the preparation of estimates and parliamentary business; the Permanent Secretary was head of the Secretary's Department.

In 1904 the structure was altered in detail by Order in Council of 10 August, 1904. On the Board with the First Lord sat the First Sea Lord, Second Sea Lord, Third Sea Lord and Controller, Fourth Sea Lord, and Civil Lord. The Secretaries to the Board were the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary and the Permanent Secretary. During the First World War the number of Sea Lords was increased at one time to eight and the number of Civil Lords to three, but after the war most of these extra members left the Board. In 1938 the title of the Board member designated Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) was altered to Fifth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Air Services. During both World Wars a civilian Controller of Merchant Shipbuilding and Repair was added (responsibility for this remained with the Admiralty until 1959, when it passed to the Ministry of Transport).

The specialist departments of the Admiralty under the Board of Admiralty changed their names and functions, and varied in number, from time to time, but the system on which the Admiralty was organised continued unchanged until 1 April 1964, when the Board became the Admiralty Board of the Defence Council of the Ministry of Defence, the office of Lord High Admiral itself being vested in HM the Queen.

2) Appellation

The Lords Commissioners were entitled collectively to be known as "The Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty", and were commonly referred to collectively as "Their Lordships" or "My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty", though individual members were not entitled to these styles. More informally, they were known in short as "The Lords of the Admiralty". That, for example, is the term invariably used throughout the well-known Horatio Hornblower series of historical novels.

3) Duties

Duties were assigned to each Lord Commissioner by the First Lord and defined in a Minute of the Board, and amended from time to time. the Secretary to the Admiralty "to be posted in the room of each Member of the Board and the Private Secretaries.

4) Members of the Board of Admiralty

4,1) Civilian Lords of the Admiralty

Ministerial

4.1.2) President of the Board of Admiralty and First Lord of the Admiralty (1628-1964)

He was a government minister in charge of the Department of Admiralty and a member of the Cabinet and political head of the HM Naval Service. After 1806, the First Lord of the Admiralty was always a civilian previous to this the post holder was sometimes a serving naval officer usually a flag officer.

Main article: First Lord of the Admiralty

4.1.3) Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1830–1964)

The Civil Lord of the Admiralty was a member of the Board of Admiralty who was responsible for managing the Royal Navy's supporting civilian staff, the works and buildings departments and naval lands from 1830 to 1964 .

Main Article: Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty

4.1.4) Accountant-General of the Navy (1832–1869)

The Accountant-General of the Navy was a member briefly from 1832 to 1869 when the Navy Board was abolished and its then Principle Officers were given places on the Board of Admiralty he had responsibility for naval estimates conducting naval audits and processing payments his department would later be merged with that of the Permanent Secretary's in 1932.

Main Article: Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy

4.1.4) Controller of Victualling (1832–1869)

He was member briefly from 1832 to 1869 when the Navy Board was abolished and its then Principle Officers were given places on the Board of Admiralty he had responsibility for the Victualling Service and Staff.

Main Article: Victualling Department

4.1.6) Director-General of the Medical Department (1832–1869)

He was a member briefly from 1832 to 1869 when the Navy Board was abolished and its then Principle Officers were given places on the Board of Admiralty he had responsibility for Medical Establishments and Staff.

Main Article: Medical Department of the Navy

4.1.7) Storekeeper-General of the Navy (1832–1869)

He was member briefly from 1832 to 1869 when the Navy Board was abolished and its then Principle Officers were given places on the Board of Admiralty he had responsibility for Naval Stores and Staff his office was merged with that of the Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy.

Main Article: Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy

4.1.8) Surveyor of the Navy (1848–1859)

He was member from 1848 to 1859 who had responsibility for ship design his office was renamed Controller of the Navy who's office was amalgamated with that of the Third Naval Lords in 1869

Main Article: Office of the Surveyor of the Navy

4.1.9) Controller of the Navy (1859–1869)

In 1859 the Surveyor of the Navy's title changed to Controller of the Navy. He was member from 1859 to 1859 who had responsibility for ship design his office was renamed Controller of the Navy who's office was amalgamated with that of the Third Naval Lords in 1869.

Main Article: Office of the Controller of the Navy

4.2) Additional Civilian Lords of the Admiralty

4.2.1) Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1882–1885, 1912-1919)

The Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty was a member of the Board of Admiralty first from 1882 to 1885 and then again from 1912 to 1919 who was mainly responsible for administration of contracts for matériel for the Fleet, supervision of the contracts and purchase department and general organisation of dockyards within the Admiralty. The post was sometimes styled Extra-Professional Civil Lord.

Main Article: Department of the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty

4.2.2) Second Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1918–1919)

In 1917 due to the increasing workload of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty extra civil lords were added however they were restyled as Second Civil Lord of the Admiralty until 1919 when the office was once again abolished.

Main Article: Department of the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty

4.2.3) Third Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1918–1919)

In 1917 due to the increasing workload of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty extra civil lords were added however they were restyled as Third Civil Lord of the Admiralty until 1919 when the office was once again abolished.

Main Article: Department of the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty

4.2.4) Fourth Civil Lord of the Admiralty(1918–1919)

In 1917 due to the increasing workload of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty extra civil lords were added however they were restyled as Fourth Civil Lord of the Admiralty until 1919 when the office was once again abolished.

Main Article: Department of the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty

4.3) Military Naval Lords

4.3.1) First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff (1689–1964)

He was previously known by different titles such as Senior Naval Lord (1689–1771), First Naval Lord (1771–1904), First Sea Lord (1904–1917). He was the Chief Naval Adviser to the First Lord of Admiralty and the board itself.

Main Article: First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff

4.3.2) Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel (1830–1964)

He was previously known by different titles such as Second Naval Lord (1830–1869, 1872–1904) and Second Sea Lord (1904–1917). He was responsible for manning and mobilisation, training and other personnel questions relating to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

Main Article: Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel (1917-1964)

4.3.3) Third Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Matériel (1832–1965)

He was previously known by different titles such as 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). He was mainly responsible for all Naval Construction and Material Departments and Ship design.

Main Article: Third Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Matériel

4.3.4) Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport (1868–1955)

He was previously known by different titles such as Junior Naval Lord (1868–1904) and Fourth Sea Lord (1904–1917). He was chiefly responsible for all Supplies, Transport, Victualling and Medical Departments.

Main Article: Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport (1917-1955)

4.3.5) Fifth Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (1917–1964)

He was previously known by different titles such as Fifth Sea Lords and Chief of Naval Air Service (19171918). Fifth Sea Lord (1938-1942), (1943-1956), Chief of Naval Air Services (1942-1943). In 1957 he was given the additional title of Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. He had overall responsibility for all naval aviation affairs, aviation departments, naval air service and fleet air arm.

Main Article: Fifth Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (1957-1964)

4.4) Military Staff Naval Lords (1917-1964)

The role of staff naval lords was to advise and assists the Board in strategic and operational planning, in disposing the Fleet and in formulating broad policy on tactical doctrine and requirements of men and material.

4.4.1) Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (1917-1964)

The position was originally established in 1917 on the Board of Admiralty. It essentially replaced the position of Chief of the Admiralty War Staff. He was deputy to the First Sea Lord and second most senior member of the [[[Admiralty Naval Staff]]. He had responsibility for assigned Admiralty Naval Staff Divisions, Directorates, Departments and Sections. This position is till active today.

Main Article: Deputy Chief of Naval Staff

4.4.1) Vice Chief of Naval Staff (1941-1964)

In October 1941 the post of Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff following the abolition of the office of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. It was essentially the same role as the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff: the post holder. In 1946 the office of the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff was revived and the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff from that point became the third most senior member of the Admiralty Naval Staff he reported to the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. He had responsibility assigned Admiralty Naval Staff Divisions, Directorates, Departments and Sections.

Main Article: Vice Chief of Naval Staff

4.4.1) Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (1917-1964)

The Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff was originally directly responsible to the First Sea Lord for non-operational divisions of the Admiralty Naval Staff, and held a position on the Board of Admiralty. The position was created in 1917 as one of two deputies with Board Status to whom the First Sea Lord delegated responsibility for the running of the Naval Staff. In 1941 additional assistant chiefs were created for specialist areas of policy. He had responsibility Admiralty Naval Staff Divisions, Directorates, Departments and Sections. The position still exists today on the Admiralty Board which directs the Royal Navy

Main Article: Assistant Chief of Naval Staff

4.5) Civil Secretaries (1625-1964)

The Secretary to the Admiralty later known as the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Board of Admiralty was a position on the Board of Admiralty and civil officer of the British Royal Navy. It was usually filled by a Member of Parliament although he attended Board of Admiralty meetings informally he was not made a full member of that Board until 1929, he served as the deputy to the First Lord of the Admiralty in Parliament, he was mainly responsible for all Naval Accounts, Estimates, Expenditure, Finance and Spending proposals from 1625 until 1959.

The The Assistant Secretary and later called the Permanent Secretary to the Board of Admiralty was the senior civil servant at the Admiralty, the department of state responsible for the administration of the Royal Navy. He was the head of the Secretary's Department and Admiralty Secretariat. Although not a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, he functioned as a member of the Board, and attended all of its meetings. From 1857 he was (widely referred to as the "Secretary of the Admiralty"). He was primarily responsible for the interrelationships and office organization of the various departments that serve the Royal Navy. He assumed the role Secretary to the Board, his chief responsibility was to examine thoroughly all questions involving expenditures and to advise the Board as to the possibility of savings where possible

4.5.1) Secretary to the Admiralty (1625-1638, 1640-1643, 1650-1653)

The Secretary to the Admiralty was replaced by the Secretary to the Lord Admiral from 1638 to 1639 who in turn was replaced by the Secretary to the Admiralty Commission from 1643 to 1649 and 1653 to 1660.

4.5.4) Secretary to the Admiralty (1660-1763)

Main article: Office of the Secretary to the Admiralty

4.5.5) First Secretary to the Admiralty (1763–1871)

Main Article Office of the First Secretary to the Admiralty

4.5.6) Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1871–1886)

Main Article: Department of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty

4.5.7) Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (1886–1959)

Main Article: Department of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty

4.5.8) Joint-Deputy Secretary to the Admiralty (1702–1766)

Main Article: Office of the Joint-Deputy Secretary to the Admiralty

4.5.9) Second Secretary to the Admiralty (1783–1857)

Main Article: Office of the Second Secretary to the Admiralty

4.5.10) Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty (1869–1872)

Main Article: Department of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty

4.5.11) Naval Secretary to the Board of Admiralty (1872–1882)

In March, 1872, it was decided that there were to be three secretaries to the Board of Admiralty; the Parliamentary, the Permanent, and a Naval Secretary. The appointment was for a fixed term of ten years. The post was held by one flag officer a vice-admiral who's role was to relieve the Parliamentary and Permanent Secretaries of some of their workload.

Main Article: Office of the Naval Secretary to the Board of Admiralty

4.5.12) Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty (1882–1964)

Main Article: Department of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty

5) Sources

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_Admiralty
  2. The Second World War: A Guide to Documents in the Public Record Office (PRO Handbooks No.15) pp.13-24.
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