The Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office (1546–1707), previously known as the Admiralty Office (1414–1546), was a government department of the Kingdom of England, responsible for the Royal Navy. First established in 1414 when the offices of the separate Admiral of the North and West were abolished and their functions unified under a single centralised command, it was headed by the Lord High Admiral of England. The department existed until 1707 when England and Scotland united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, after which it was known as the British Admiralty.

Under Henry VIII, the Admiralty supervised the creation of a "Navy Royal", with its own secretariat, dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships. It later helped repulse the 1588 Spanish Armada during the 1585 to 1604 war with Spain, although attacks on the Spanish mainland were far less successful. By the end of the 16th century, corruption within the Admiralty had seriously weakened the Royal Navy, leading to a government enquiry and calls for naval reform.

Historical overview

Although a small permanent navy was first established during the ninth century, it quickly disappeared and pre-16th century monarchs largely relied upon requisitioned merchant ships for their needs. Maritime affairs were managed directly by the Crown until the appointment of a Lord High Admiral in 1385, with administration and operations divided into three regions, the North Sea, English Channel and Irish Sea, each commanded by an admiral. These regional commands were abolished in 1414 and their functions and jurisdiction centralised under a single Admiralty Office, although they did not disappear entirely disappear; the Admiral of the Narrow Seas, first established in 1412, continued to exist as a separate command subordinate to the Lord High Admiral.

As the Royal Navy expanded under Henry VIII of England, increasing costs and complexity required the appointment of specialist departments, including Clerk of the Acts, Comptroller of the Navy (Navy Board), Treasurer of the Navy and Surveyor of the Navy. In 1546, these offices and functions were brought together in the Council of the Marine, a group directed by the Lieutenant of the Admiralty until 1557. Later known as the Navy Board, this was the first permanent attempt to establish an effective naval administration, with responsibility for ship building, maintenance and administration of the Royal Navy Dockyard, although operational matters remained under the Lord High Admiral.

A fifth officer, the Surveyor of Marine Victuals, was added in 1550 with responsibility for food and drink, along with a Board of Ordnance under a Master of the Ordnance, an independent body which supervised the storage and issuing of weapons and gunpowder at the main naval Bases. For the next six decades, this system of administration did not change, except in 1557 the Treasurer of the Navy took over supervision of the Navy Board, which remained independent until 1628 when it became a subsidiary body of the Board of Admiralty. The Treasurer also reported independently to the Lord High Treasurer in order to provide funds for the navy, although spending and administration remained the responsibility of the Navy Board.

Organisational structure

During the 16th century, the Admiralty consisted of the Lord Admiral of England, supported by the Vice-Admiral of England and the Lieutenant of the Admiralty, responsible for the control and direction of naval operations, civil affairs, logistical support and judicial administration of the admiralty courts.

Lord Admirals of England

First established in 1385 as "High Admiral of England, Ireland and Aquitaine", the position was re-styled "Lord Admiral of England" in 1512, then "Lord High Admiral" from 1638 onward. As titular head of the Royal Navy and one of the Great Officers of State, the role was generally filled by a member of the senior nobility or Royal family, such as Henry's illegitimate son Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset. His official duties included civil and judicial administration of the admiralty courts as head of the High Court of Admiralty, as well as naval operations, although many of the latter responsibilities were absorbed by the Council of the Marine in 1545 leaving the Lord Admiral to concentrate on judicial affairs.

High Admiral of England, Ireland and Aquitaine, 1500–1512 Name Term Ref High Admiral of England, Ireland and Aquitaine John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford1485 – 17 March 1513

Lord Admirals of England, 1512–1600

Name Term Ref Lord Admiral of EnglandSir Edward Howard17 March 1513 – 4 May 1513Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Surrey4 May 1513 – 16 July 1525Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset16 July 1525 – 16 August 1536 William Fitzwilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton 16 August 1536 – 28 July 1540John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford28 July 1540 – December 1542Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of HertfordDecember 1542 – 26 January 1543John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland26 January 1543 – 17 February 1547Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley17 February 1547 – 28 October 1549John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland28 October 1549 – 14 May 1550Edward Clinton - 9th Lord Clinton14 May 1550 – 20 March 1554William Howard - 1st Lord Howard of Effingham 20 March 1554 – 10 February 1558Edward Clinton - 1st Earl of Lincoln10 February 1558 – 8 July 1585Charles Howard - 1st Earl of Nottingham-8 July 1558 – 28 January 1610

Vice-Admiral of England Name Term Ref Vice-Admiral of EnglandWilliam FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton25 April 1513 – 1536Post unfilled 1536–1546 Sir Thomas Clere Kt.April 1546 – December 1552Sir William WoodhouseDecember 1552 – 1557Sir John Clere of Ormesby Kt. 1557–1558Post unfilled 1558–1604

Lieutenant of the Admiralty Name Term Ref Lieutenant of the AdmiraltySir Thomas Clere1545–1552Sir William Woodhouse1552–1564

Subordinate organisations Prior to formation of the Council of the Marine in 1545, the Vice-Admiral of England was supported by four "Clerks of the Kings Marine", variously responsible for naval finance, ship building, safekeeping of ships and ship yards, storehouses and victualling.

# Office Dates Notes/Ref1 Clerk of the Kings Ships (1320–1545) 2 Clerk Comptroller (1512–1545) 3 Keeper of the Kings Storehouses(1524–1545) 4 Treasurer of Marine Causes (1528–1545)

# Organization Dates Notes/Ref1 High Court of the Admiralty (1360–1875) 2 Office of Ordnance (1410–1683)

These officers were later joined by another three officers to form the Kings Council of the Marine.

# Organization Dates Notes/Ref1 Council of the Marine(1545–1578) council members styled Chief Officers of the Admiralty2 Navy Board (1578–1832)

Naval operations

By 1560 there were three main operational areas; the English Channel, Irish Sea and North Sea, each with its own squadron commanded by an admiral or vice admiral. The number of ships varied depending on circumstances while some were purely temporary formations but during this period they included the following;

Narrow Seas Squadron; also called the "Eastern" and commanded by the Admiral of the Narrow Seas, responsible for protecting English shipping in the Channel, particularly the Straits of Dover, and the area of the southern North Sea between England and the Spanish Netherlands, later the Dutch Republic.

Irish Squadron; a temporary formation in service from 1539 to 1545 and 1569 to 1583, based in Milford Haven under the Admiral of the Irish Squadron.

North Sea Squadron; based first in Great Yarmouth, then Newcastle upon Tyne under the Admiral of the North, responsible for the northern North Sea; established in 1543, it was disbanded in 1563. Included

Channel Squadron; responsible for guarding the western approaches to the Channel and renamed the "Western Squadron" in 1650, this was formed in 1512 and based in Plymouth under the Vice-Admiral in the Channel.

Shore commands

Vice-Admiralties of the coast of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales (1536–1947) The Vice-Admiralties of the Coast were shore commands established in maritime counties of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales in 1536. The office holders, designated as "Vice-Admirals of the Coast", were responsible for the naval administration, defence, judicial administration and recruitment of naval personnel in each of their respective counties and were deputies of the Lord High Admiral. In 1660 they came under direct control of the Board of Admiralty by the 19th century the posts were gradually phased out.

England # Post Dates Notes/Ref1 Vice-Admiral Cheshire 1569–1856 2 Vice-Admiral Cornwall 1559–1601 (including the Scilly Isles)3 Vice-Admiral Cumberland 1559–1844 4 Vice-Admiral Devon1559–1835 5 Vice-Admiral Dorset 1559–1835 6 Vice-Admiral Durham 1559–1835 7 Vice-Admiral Essex 1559–1835 8 Vice-Admiral Gloucestershire 1559–1835 9 Vice-Admiral Hampshire1558–1846 (including the Isle of Wight)10 Vice-Admiral Kent1558–1846 11 Vice-Admiral Lancashire1569–185112 Vice-Admiral Lincolnshire1565–186213 Vice-Admiral Norfolk1536–184614 Vice-Admiral Northumberland 1559–1847 15 Vice-Admiral Somerset1561–1855 16 Vice-Admiral Suffolk 1536–1947 honorary post in 20th C17 Vice-Admiral Sussex 1559–1860 18 Vice-Admiral Westmorland1559–1802 19 Vice-Admiral Yorkshire1559–1860

Ireland # Post Dates Notes/Ref1 Vice-Admiral Connaught 1558–1639 part of Vice-Admiralty of Ireland to 1558–852 Vice-Admiral Ireland 1558–1585 3 Vice-Admiral Leinster 1585–1647 ditto4 Vice-Admiral Munster1559–1648 ditto5 Vice-Admiral Ulster 1585–1647 ditto

Wales North Wales (including five coastal counties Anglesey, Carnarvon, Denbigh, Flint & Merioneth under Vice-Admiral, North Wales)

South Wales before 1585 three of the four coastal counties of South Wales, Cardigan, Carmarthen and Pembroke, under Vice Admiral, South Wales only vice admiral for Glamorgan was separate. Thereafter all four counties were placed under a single vice admiral.

# Post Dates Notes/Ref1 Vice-Admiral North Wales 1565–1560 2 Vice-Admiral Glamorgan 1559–1576

Administrative and logistical support, (1500–1599) Before the formation of the Council of the Marine in 1545, court officials of various monarchs of England responsible for administering the king's ships were called 'Clerks of the Kings Marine'. In 1545 a memorandum was issued by Henry VIII outlining a new organization to be called the 'Council of the Marine, formalized by Letters Patent in April 1546, and consisting of the Chief Officers of the Admiralty as they were then called. In 1578 The council of Marine is renamed the Navy Office and administered by the Navy Board. The chief officers become later known as principal officers and commissioners.

Offices of the clerks of the kings marine, (1320–1545) # Office Dates Notes/Ref1 Clerk of the Kings Ships (1320–1545) For over 200 years he was the sole administrator of the English Navy2 Clerk Comptroller (1512–1545) Specialist office holder appointed to relieve the clerk of the ships of some of his duties3Keeper of the Kings Storehouses (1524–1545) ditto4 Office of the Treasurer of Marine Causes (1528–1545) ditto

Council of the marine, (1545–1578) Council of the Marine; established under Henry VIII to provide a clear administrative structure to the Royal Navy, it later became known as the Navy Office or Navy Board.

Chief Officers of the Admiralty