The Lord High Admirals Council was a series of councils appointed to advise and assist the
Lord High Admiral of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and then later of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great B ...
in the direction of Naval Affairs also known as Council of the Lord High Admiral when the
Board of Admiralty
The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. As that position was not always occupied, the purpose was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requi ...
was not in commission the first series took place between 1702-1708 and second and final series of councils took place from 1827-1828.
History
For the periods the ''Board of Admiralty'' was not in commission, a special council of advisers known as the ''Lord High Admirals Council'' was established on the advice of the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
of the day to which the Lord High Admiral had to accept the advisers recommended by the government.
In 1702,
Prince George was authorised to appoint a Lord Admirals Council – there were originally three naval members and one civil member who were usually a
member of parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
. Between 1703 and the spring of 1704, the permitted number of members of the council was raised to six. After spring 1704 until 1708, the upper limit of members of the council was increased to seven. In May 1827, the
Duke of Clarence
Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England.
The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...
was authorised to appoint a council that consisted of no more than four members to hold office during his tenure; by July 1827, the right of the Lord High Admiral to appoint council members was passed over to the
Monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
. The Duke of Clarence's councils usually consisted of two naval members and two civil members, in all twelve councils would convene during the two periods.
Councils of the lord high admiral
Councils of Prince George
* Lord High Admiral of England:
Prince George of Denmark
Prince George of Denmark ( da, Jørgen; 2 April 165328 October 1708) was the husband of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. He was the consort of the British monarch from Anne's accession on 8 March 1702 until his death in 1708.
The marriage of Georg ...
''Senior Members of Lords Admiral Council (*), Naval Member (N) and Civil Member (C)''
''Council of 22 May 1702''
*
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rooke, (* N).
* Vice-Admiral,
Sir David Mitchell, (N).
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
, George Churchill (N).
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C)
*
George Clarke
George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736.
Life
The son of Sir William Clarke ...
, and
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(joint Secretaries to the Admiralty)
''Council of 29 March 1703''
* Admiral of the Fleet,
Sir George Rooke, (* N).
* Vice-Admiral,
Sir David Mitchell, (N).
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
,
George Churchill (N).
* Hon:
James Brydges, (C)
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C)
*
George Clarke
George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736.
Life
The son of Sir William Clarke ...
, and
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(joint Secretaries to the Admiralty)
''Council of 30 April 1704''
* Admiral of the Fleet,
Sir George Rooke, (* N).
* Vice-Admiral,
Sir David Mitchell, (N).
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
,
George Churchill (N).
* Hon:
James Brydges, (C)
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C)
* Hon:
Henry Paget,(C)
*
George Clarke
George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736.
Life
The son of Sir William Clarke ...
, and
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(joint Secretaries to the Admiralty)
''Council of 26 December 1704''
* Admiral of the Fleet,
Sir George Rooke, (* N).
* Vice-Admiral,
Sir David Mitchell, (N).
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
,
George Churchill (N).
* Hon:
James Brydges, (C)
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C)
* Hon:
Henry Paget, (C)
* Admiral,
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell (c. November 1650 – 22 or 23 October 1707) was an English naval officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and then at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. ...
, (N).
*
George Clarke
George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736.
Life
The son of Sir William Clarke ...
, and
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(joint Secretaries to the Admiralty)
''Council of 11 June 1705''
* Admiral,
Sir David Mitchell, (* N).
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
,
George Churchill (N).
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C).
* Hon:
Henry Paget, (C).
* Admiral,
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell (c. November 1650 – 22 or 23 October 1707) was an English naval officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and then at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. ...
, (N).
*
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...
.
*
George Clarke
George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736.
Life
The son of Sir William Clarke ...
, and
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(joint Secretaries to the Admiralty)
''Council of 8 February 1706''
* Admiral, Sir
Sir David Mitchell, (* N).
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
,
George Churchill (N).
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C).
* Hon:
Henry Paget, (C)
* Admiral,
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell (c. November 1650 – 22 or 23 October 1707) was an English naval officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and then at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. ...
, (N).
*
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...
, (C).
* Vice-Admiral, Sir
Stafford Fairborne, (N)
*
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(Secretary to the Admiralty)
Notes: 28 June 1707:
Prince George, Lord High Admiral (reappointed as Lord High Admiral of Great Britain following the Union with Scotland)
''Council of 28 June 1707''
* Admiral, Sir
Sir David Mitchell, (* N).
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
,
George Churchill, (N)
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C).
*
The Hon. Henry Paget, (C).
* Admiral, Sir
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell (c. November 1650 – 22 or 23 October 1707) was an English naval officer. As a junior officer he saw action at the Battle of Solebay and then at the Battle of Texel during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. ...
, (N)
*
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...
, (C)
* Vice-Admiral, Sir
Stafford Fairborne, (N)
*
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(Secretary to the Admiralty)
''Council of 19 April 1708''
*
Earl of Wemyss
Earl of Wemyss ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1633. The Scottish Wemyss family had possessed the lands of Wemyss in Fife since the 12th century. Since 1823 the earldom has been held with the Earldom of March, created i ...
, (*)
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
,
George Churchill (N)
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C)
*
The Hon. Henry Paget, (C)
* Admiral, Sir
Stafford Fairborne, (N)
* Admiral,
Sir John Leake, (N)
*
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(Secretary to the Admiralty)
''Council of 20 June 1708''
*
Earl of Wemyss
Earl of Wemyss ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1633. The Scottish Wemyss family had possessed the lands of Wemyss in Fife since the 12th century. Since 1823 the earldom has been held with the Earldom of March, created i ...
, (*)
*
Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
,
George Churchill, (N)
* Sir,
Richard Hill, (C).
*
The Hon. Henry Paget, (C)
*
Admiral of the Fleet,
Sir John Leake, (N)
*
Rear-Admiral of the Blue
The Rear-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-Admiral of the White. Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear admiral, vice admiral and adm ...
,
Sir James Wishart, (N)
* Rear-Admiral,
Robert Fairfax, (N)
*
Josiah Burchett
Josiah Burchett (c.1665 – 2 October 1746), of Hampstead, Middlesex, was a British naval administrator and Whig politician, who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1705 and 1741. He was Secretary of the Admiralty in Engl ...
(Secretary to the Admiralty)
Councils of the Duke of Clarence
''Senior Members of Lords Admiral Council
''
Footnotes
Bibliography
* Clarendon, Edward Hyde Earl of (1798). The Life of Edward Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford: Containing, I. An Account of the Chancellor's Life from His Birth to the Restoration in 1660. II. A Continuation of the Same, and of His History of the Grand Rebellion, from the Restoration to His Banishment in 1667. J.J. Tourneisen.
* Morriss, Roger (1997). Cockburn and the British Navy in Transition: Admiral Sir George Cockburn, 1772-1853. Univ of South Carolina Press. .
* Sainty J. C. ed. (1775) 'Members of the Council of the Lord High Admiral 1702-8; 1827-8', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4, Admiralty Officials 1660-1870, ed. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol4.
* Rodger, N.A.M. (1979). The Admiralty. Offices of State. Lavenham: T. Dalton. .
External links
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Royal Navy
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1828 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Prince George of Denmark
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