Admiral-superintendent explained

The admiral-superintendent[1] was the Royal Navy officer in command of a larger Naval Dockyard. Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham all had admiral-superintendents, as did some other dockyards in the United Kingdom and abroad at certain times. The admiral-superintendent usually held the rank of rear-admiral. His deputy was the captain of the dockyard (or captain of the port from 1969).

Some smaller dockyards, such as Sheerness and Pembroke,[2] had a captain-superintendent[3] instead, whose deputy was styled commander of the dockyard. The appointment of a commodore-superintendent[4] was also made from time to time in certain yards.

The appointment of admiral-superintendents (or their junior equivalents) dates from 1832 when the Admiralty took charge of the Royal Dockyards. Prior to this larger dockyards were overseen by a commissioner who represented the Navy Board.

In the Royal Naval Dockyards, admiral-superintendents ceased to be appointed after 15 September 1971, and existing post-holders were renamed port admirals.[5] This followed the appointment of a (civilian) Chief Executive of the Royal Dockyards in September 1969[6] and the creation of a centralised Royal Dockyards Management Board.[7]

Admiral-superintendents

List of admiral-superintendents by first appointment date. Appointed by the Navy Board until 1832 and the Board of Admiralty thereafter.

Commodore-superintendents

List of commodore-superintendents by first appointment date. All appointed by the Board of Admiralty.

Captain-Superintendents

List of captain-superintendents by first appointment date. Appointed by the Navy Board until 1832 and the Board of Admiralty thereafter.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Royal Naval dockyard staff. nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, UK, 2016. 3 November 2016.
  2. Book: Carradice. Phil. The Ships of Pembroke Dockyard. 2013. Amberley. Stroud, Gloucs..
  3. Web site: Royal Naval dockyard staff. nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, UK, 2016. 3 November 2016.
  4. Book: Stewart. William. Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present. 2009. McFarland. Jefferson, N.C.. 9780786438099. 47. en.
  5. Web site: Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust.
  6. Web site: House of Commons 15 October 1969. 15 October 1969. Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).
  7. Web site: House of Commons 27 July 1971. 27 July 1971. Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).
  8. Web site: Naval Biographical Database. navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. 4 November 2016.
  9. Web site: Naval Biographical Database. navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. 4 November 2016.
  10. Web site: Naval Biographical Database. navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. 4 November 2016.
  11. Web site: Harley. Simon. Lovell. Tony. Admirals Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard. The Dreadnought Project, 26 September 2016. 3 November 2016.
  12. Web site: 1832 - First Admiral Superintendent Appointed. portsmouthdockyard.org.uk/. Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, 2015. 4 November 2016.
  13. Web site: Naval Biographical Database. navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. 4 November 2016.
  14. Book: Mayne. Richard O.. Betrayed: Scandal, Politics, and Canadian Naval Leadership. 2011. UBC Press. 9780774840132. 117. en.
  15. Book: The Navy List 1834. 26 Sep 2006. Originally H.M. Stationery Office, Digitized by University of Michigan. 137.