Admiralty
The Admiralty was the naval ministry of the British government.
Contents
Composition
The ministry was led by the first sea lord who was simultaneously chief of the naval staff.
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History
The Royal Navy and the ministerial Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office were established in 1546 by Henry VIII. Both were led by the lords admiral and a lord high admiral. The royal court positions known as the council of the marine became the professional navy board and charged with management.
Charles I established a commission of the admiralty, composed of lords commissioners, to advise the lord high admiral. The senior member of this commission was historically known as one of senior naval lord, senior member, chief naval advisor, first naval lord, and first sea lord. He also established board of admiralty to manage the navy board.
Anne reformed the ministry in 1707, establishing the powerful Admiralty. She had also briefly renamed the commission of the admiralty to a lords admiral council, from 1702 to about 1709.
The Admiralty, due to its funding structure, came to own pocket boroughs and formed an essential part of the crown's patronage system.
George IV briefly re-enacted the renaming of the commission of the admiralty to the lords admiral council, lasting about a year from 1827. At the same time, he made several lasting reforms, including...
- dissolution of the navy board
- reassignment of management duties to the board of admiralty
establishment of a civil lord on the board of admiralty with specific management duties over civilian service members
In 1917, the title of the senior member of the commission formally became first sea lord and chief of the naval staff.
Churchill established the Ministry of Defense to which the admiralty was subordinate. Finally the board of the admiralty was reformed into the admiralty board in 1964.