Admiralty in the 17th century explained

Agency Name:Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office
Type:Office
Preceding1:Offices of the Kings Marine
Jurisdiction:Parliament of England
Headquarters:Admiralty Building
Whitehall
London
Kingdom of England
Formed:1414
Dissolved:1707
Superseding:Admiralty Department
Chief1 Name:Lord High Admiral of England
Parent Agency:Privy Council of England

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.

Organization in the seventeenth century

Admiralty of England

Commanders-in-chief

Naval Lords 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[2]

First Commissioner and First Lord of the Admiralty

Civil Commissioner

Naval Commissioner

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

Fleet commands

Flag officers of the fleet

Flag officers commanding fleets and stations

Flag officer commanding individual fleets and stations

Home commands

Shore commands

Overseas commands

Fleet units

Composition of the Navy between 1649-1690
align=center rowspan=1 Typealign=center rowspan=1Number of units [14]
Ships of the Line 1st rate7
Ships of the Line 2nd rate11
Ships of the Line 3rd rate40
Ships of the Line 4th rate19
Ships of the Line 5th-6th rate26
Captured ships of the line10
Sloops22
Armed merchants29
Flyboats28
Galliots & hoys22
Fireships111
Bomb vessels17
Hospital ships4
Yachts25
In commission361

Squadrons [15]

Administrative and logistical support

Board of ordnance

Principal officers

Board of Ordnance [16] (1597  - 1855)

Ordnance yards and stores

Home ordinance yards

Gunpowder magazines stores

Navy board

Construction, design, maintenance, supplies

Principal officers
Subsidiary boards of navy board
Shore facilities

Note: Dockyards during this period were managed by the commissioners of the Navy Board.

Home naval base and dockyards[19]

Oversea bases and dockyards

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.[20] The Deputy Lord High Admiral presided over the High Court.

Admiralty courts

Legal advisors to the admiralty courts

High court of the admiralty

Vice admiralty courts

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.

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

West Indies

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Rodger, Safeguard, pp. 395–8; Rodger, Command, pp. 33–55, 95–122Ollard, 1984, ch.16;
  2. Web site: Sainty. J. C.. Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4, Admiralty Officials 1660-1870.. british-history.ac.uk. British History Online, University of London, Institute of Historical Research,1975. 3 November 2016. pp.1-17.
  3. Book: Davies. J. D.. Pepys's Navy Ships, Men and Warfare 1649-89. 2008. Seaforth Publishing. 978-1783830220. 28.
  4. Book: Davies. J. D.. Pepys's Navy Ships, Men and Warfare 1649-89. 2008. Seaforth Publishing. 978-1783830220. 28.
  5. Book: Ehrman . John . The Navy in the War of William III 1689-1697: Its State and Direction . 2012 . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge, England . 9781107645110 . 289–290 . en.
  6. Book: Corbett. Sir Julian Sir Julian. England in the Mediterranean: A Study of the Rise and Influence of British Power Within the Straits, 1603-1713. 2007. Cosimo, Inc.. 9781602062672. 580. en.
  7. Book: Baugh. Daniel A.. British Naval Administration in the Age of Walpole. 2015. Princeton University Press. 9781400874637. 132. en.
  8. Book: Corbett. Sir Julian Sir Julian. England in the Mediterranean: A Study of the Rise and Influence of British Power Within the Straits, 1603-1713. 2007. Cosimo, Inc.. 9781602062672. 580. en.
  9. Book: Baugh. Daniel A.. British Naval Administration in the Age of Walpole. 2015. Princeton University Press. 9781400874637. 132. en.
  10. Book: Corbett. Sir Julian Sir Julian. England in the Mediterranean: A Study of the Rise and Influence of British Power Within the Straits, 1603-1713. 2007. Cosimo, Inc.. 9781602062672. 580. en.
  11. Book: Baugh. Daniel A.. British Naval Administration in the Age of Walpole. 2015. Princeton University Press. 9781400874637. 132. en.
  12. Book: Nelson. Arthur. The Tudor navy : the ships, men and organisation 1485 - 1603. 2001. Conway Maritime Press. London. 9780851777856. 134.
  13. Book: Stewart . William . Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present . 2009 . McFarland . Jefferson, NC, USA . 9780786438099 . 181 . en.
  14. Book: Davies. J.D.. Pepys's navy : ships, men & warfare, 1649-1689. 2008. Seaforth Pub.. Barnsley. 9781848320147. 49–62.
  15. Web site: Information sheet no 055, Squadron colours. nmrn-portsmouth.org.uk. National Museum of the Royal Navy, 2014. 11 November 2016.
  16. Book: Puddefoot. Geoff. Ready for anything : the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, 1905-1950. 2010. Seaforth. Barnsley. 9781848320741. 4.
  17. Web site: Sainty. J. C.. Navy Treasurer c. 1546-1836, A provisional list compiled by J C Sainty, January 2003. history.ac.uk. The Institute of Historical Research, University of London, 2003. 9 November 2016.
  18. Web site: Sainty. J. C.. Navy Clerk of the Acts 1546 to 1660. history.ac.uk. The Institute of Historical Research, University of London. 16 November 2016.
  19. Web site: Government of the United Kingdom. Royal Naval dockyard staff. nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, 2016. 16 November 2016.
  20. Senior. W.. The Mace of the Admiralty Court. The Mariner's Mirror. 10. 1. 1924. 52. 10.1080/00253359.1924.10655256.
  21. Book: The Nautical Magazine: A Technical and Critical Journal for the Officers of the Mercantile Marine. 1845. James Brown & Son. 609. 14. en.
  22. Web site: Sainty. J C.. Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4, Admiralty Officials 1660-1870. Originally published by University of London, London, 1975.. british-history.ac.uk. Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Studie, University of London, 2015. 8 November 2016.
  23. Web site: Archives. The National. High Court of Admiralty - The National Archives. The National Archives. The National Archives. 16 January 2017.
  24. Book: Baker . Sherston . Office of vice-admiral of the coast : being some account of that ancient office. . Dec 20, 2010 . Gale Ecco, Making Of Mode . 9781240154067 . [S.l.] . 1–153 . Sir George Sherston Baker, 4th Baronet.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Admiralty in the 17th century".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.