The Admiral of the South, North and West formally known as Admiral of the Kings Southern, Northern and Western Fleets or Admiral of all the Fleets about England was a senior
English Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fra ...
appointment and Commander-in-Chief of the
English Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fra ...
from 1360 to 1369.
History
The naval defence of England from the end of the 13th century was divided into regional commands or 'admiralties' the
Admiral of the North, the
Admiral of the South
The Admiral of the South also known as Admiral of the Southern Fleet was a senior English Navy appointment. The post holder was chiefly responsible for the command of the navy's fleet that operated in the English Channel out of Portsmouth from ...
and the
Admiral of the West
The Admiral of the West, also known as Admiral of the Western Seas or Admiral of the Western Fleet, was formerly an English Navy appointment. The postholder was chiefly responsible for the command of the English navy's fleet based at Portsmouth, ...
. The first royal commission as Admiral to a
naval officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contex ...
was granted in 1303. In 1328 the
Admiralty of the South its units, formations and staff was merged with the Admiralty of the North until the end of the fourteenth Century. By 1344 the appointment of an admiral was only used as a rank at sea for a captain in charge of a fleet or fleets.
The appointment of an admiral was not regarded by the English government at the time as an honorary post subordinate to a military rank, their importance attached to their office can be confirmed by the recording of their allowances paid recorded in the
Calendar of Patent Rolls. In the fourteenth Century Admirals were paid a respectable salary which was only granted because the position was viewed as substantially important. In addition the rank of admiral was only granted to men of high prestige within feudal hierarchy, most recipients of the office were usually knights but more often earls.
[Rodger pp. 131-142]
On 18 July 1360
King Edward III of England
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ro ...
appointed
Sir John de Beauchamp by
letters patent, formally 'Admiral of the King's Southern, Northern and Western Fleets' giving him sole command of the English Navy effectively Admiral of the Fleet two further post holders would succeed Sir John de Beauchamp.
The Admirals duties usually consisted of assembling fleets for naval expeditions undertaken by the monarch on campaign, maintaining order and discipline and supervising the work of the
Admiralty Courts
Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries, and offences.
Admiralty courts in the United Kingdom England and Wales
Scotland
The Scottish court's earliest ...
for each region. On major military expeditions the Admiral would go to sea with their fleets and accompany the overall Commander-in-Chief of both sea and land forces usually the King himself but sometimes a nobleman of higher rank than the admiral. Their role was to observe and direct naval battles but not necessarily taking part in them themselves.
However, from 1344 onward their role was moving from primarily an administrative one to that of a seagoing command.
In 1337 the first known record of the appointment of a "vice-admiral' was granted to a Nicholas Ususmaris, a Genoese, he was made Vice-Admiral
of the King's fleet of galleys, and all other ships of Aquitaine. However these appointments were few and far between. There was two further instances of the appointment of Vice-Admirals to Sir Thomas Drayton as Vice-Admiral of the Northern Fleet and Sir Peter Bard Vice-Admiral of the Western Fleet both on 28 July 1338.
Special assistants were appointed to handle two important sub-divisions of the admirals powers. The first was the admiral's lieutenant, or deputy, who handled administrative and legal duties and each of these admirals had one. It would not be until the early 15th century that they would appointed on a more regular basis however they were referred to at this time as the admirals Lieutenant-General this office eventually became known as the Lieutenant of the Admiralty.
The second was the Wardens of the Coast for each region who were responsible for the direction and co-ordination of the fleet, the equipping of boats and processing payments to sailors and superintendence of the Sea Guard Militia assigned to each coastal county.
From the mid fourteenth century there was a move to centralise these regional naval authorities as seen with the appointment of the Admiral of the Southern, Northern and Western fleets sometimes referred to as Admiral of the Fleet or Admiral of England and the
Admiral of the North and West
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...
this tendency towards unifying regional naval authorities under one admiral eventually led to the creation of the office of the
Lord-Admiral of England
The Admirals were logistically supported by the
Clerk of the Kings Ships who looked after all the navy's finances whilst victualling of the navy was handled by another one of Kings Clerks.
Admirals of the South, North and West
Post holders include:
:Admirals of all the Fleets
*
Admiral of all the Fleets: Sir John de Beauchamp, 18 July 1360 – 2 December 1360. (died in office).
*
Admiral of all the Fleets: Sir Robert de Herle, 2 December 1360 - 7 July 1364. (died in office)
*
Admiral of all the Fleets: Sir Ralph de Spigurnell, July 1364 - 1369 (retained title for life)
See also
*
Admiral of the Narrow Seas
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
*
Admiral of the North
*
Admiral of the North and West
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...
*
Admiral of the North and South
*
Admiral of the South
The Admiral of the South also known as Admiral of the Southern Fleet was a senior English Navy appointment. The post holder was chiefly responsible for the command of the navy's fleet that operated in the English Channel out of Portsmouth from ...
*
Admiral of the West
The Admiral of the West, also known as Admiral of the Western Seas or Admiral of the Western Fleet, was formerly an English Navy appointment. The postholder was chiefly responsible for the command of the English navy's fleet based at Portsmouth, ...
*
Lord High Admiral of England
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
References
Footnotes
Sources
*
*
* Mangone, Gerard J. (1997). United States Admiralty Law. Leiden, Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. .
*St. George Tucker. Vol. (1996). Blackstone's commentaries: with notes of reference to the constitution and laws, of the federal government of the United States, and of the Commonwealth of Virginia; with an appendix to each volume, containing short tracts upon such subjects as appeared necessary to form a connected view of the laws of Virginia as a member of the federal union (Originally published: Philadelphia : William Young Birch, and Abraham Small, 1803. ed.). Union, NJ: Lawbook Exchange. .
*Rodger, N.A.M. (2004). "Admirals and Officials: English Admirals 1295 to 1408". The safeguard of the sea : a naval history of Britain from 660 to 1649. New York: W.W. Norton.
*Twiss, Travers (2012). The Black Book of the Admiralty: With an Appendix. Cambridge, England. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN, 9781108048910.
S
1360 establishments in England
1369 disestablishments in England