| Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Preceded by | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1692 |
| Abolished | 1875 |
| Headquarters | London, England |
| Head | Solicitor to the Admiralty |
| Role | Admiralty Chief Legal Adviser and Practitioner |
| Affiliations | Royal Navy |
| Parent Department | Department of Admiralty |
| Succeeded by | ? |
The Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty was established in 1692 the was originally administered by the Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy in 1828 the responsibilities of the office were widened and its administrator was renamed as the Solicitor to the Admiralty. The Solicitor to the Admiralty was the Admiralty's Chief Legal Adviser and Legal Practitioner who acted on its behalf until 1964.
1) History
From 1672 and 1696 the Counsel to the Navy Board was empowered to employ a Solicitor. In 1692 a distinct office, that of Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy, was appointed until 1698. This office was vacant from 1699. In 1703 the Office of Assistant to the Admiralty Counsel was created it was conferred upon an individual who had in the previous year been appointed to the new office of Solicitor of Admiralty Droits. Thereafter these two offices, to which appointments were made by Admiralty warrant, were held concurrently. Their holder was generally referred to as Solicitor rather than Assistant Counsel and this practice has been followed in these lists. In 1828 the duties of the office were extended and its holder officially designated Solicitor to the Admiralty. The Solicitor to the Admiralty was the Admiralty's Chief Legal Adviser and Legal Practitioner who acted on its behalf. From 1870 the post was left vacant and after 1875, when the Admiralty Court became part of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the new High Court of Justice, the office became obsolete.
2) Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy
- 1692-1703, E. Whittaker
3) Solicitor to the Admiralty and Navy
- 1703-1718, J. Warter
- 1718-1733, T. Jobber
- 1733-1747, F. Winnington
- 1747-1749, A. Ryan
- 1749-1778, S. Seddon
- 1778-1796, J. Dyson
- 1796-1828, C. Bicknel
4) Solicitor to the Admiralty
- 1828-1843, C. Jones
- 1843-1862, William. Frogg Robson
- 1862 Jan- May C. F. Skirrow
- 1862-1870. A. R. Bristow
5) Sources
- 'Solicitor 1692-1870', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4, Admiralty Officials 1660-1870, ed. J C Sainty (London, 1975), p. 79. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol4/p79 [accessed 29 November 2018].