The Lieutenant of the Admiralty is a now honorary office generally held by a senior retired

Royal 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 F ...

admiral 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, ...

. He is the official deputy to the

Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. The title holder is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary (although once operational) office which was vested in th ...

. He is appointed by the

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

on the nomination of the

First Sea Lord The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS) is the military head of the Royal Navy and Naval Service of the United Kingdom. The First Sea Lord is usually the highest ranking and most senior admiral to serve in the British Armed ...

History

The Lieutenant of the Admiralty (or Lieutenant-Admiral) is first found in about the middle of the 15th century, as the Deputy or Assistant to the

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 ...

. In 1545 the Lieutenant of the Admiralty presided over the

Council of the Marine The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...

. In 1546, when the

Navy Board The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...

was formed, the Lieutenant of the Admiralty was appointed as its Head, but this ceased in 1564 when the

Treasurer of the Navy The Treasurer of the Navy, originally called Treasurer of Marine Causes or Paymaster of the Navy, was a civilian officer of the Royal Navy, one of the principal commissioners of the Navy Board responsible for naval finance from 1524 to 1832. T ...

became the Head of the Board. The post was revived in 1604 when it appears to have been given as a mark of honourable distinction - with a salary of -£100p.a., including two clerks and certain travelling expenses. In 1672 the post of Lieutenant of the Admiralty was merged into that of

Vice-Admiral of England The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. The title holder is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary (although once operational) office which was vested in t ...

until 1707. The title became part of the office of the Vice-Admiral of Great Britain until 1800. From 1801 the office was joined with that of

, and was the second most powerful position in the Royal Navy.

List of lieutenants of the admiralty

''Note: Incomplete list'' * Sir

Thomas Clere Sir Thomas Clere (died 14 April 1545) was a successful poet at the court of Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII. He is commemorated in several poems by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, with whom he had a very close friendship. He was engaged to Mary She ...

April 1546 - December 1552 * Sir William Woodhouse, December 1552 - 1564 :''Post in abeyance'' * Sir Richard Leveson, April 1604 - July 1605 :''Post in abeyance'' * Sir

Robert Mansell Sir Robert Mansell (1573–1656) was an admiral of the English Royal Navy and a Member of Parliament (MP), mostly for Welsh constituencies. His name was sometimes given as Sir Robert Mansfield and Sir Robert Maunsell. Early life Mansel was a ...

July 1605 - June 1656 - (appointed for life died in office) :''Post in abeyance'' *

Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich, Order of the Garter, KG Privy Council of England, PC Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS Justice of the Peace, JP (27 July 162528 May 1672) was an English military officer, politician and diplomat, who fought f ...

, 1661-1663 * Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Grafton, 1663-1672 ''Office is merged with Vice Admiral of England in 1672.''

References

Sources

* Rodger, N.A.M. (1979). The Admiralty. Offices of State. Terence Dalton Ltd, Lavenham. Suffolk. England.

External links

{{Navy Board, state=collapsed 16th-century Royal Navy personnel L Maritime history of the United Kingdom