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
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 ...
between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the
Navy Office.
History
The origins of the Navy Board can be traced back to the 13th century via the office Keeper of the King's Ports and Galleys; later known as the
Clerk of the King's Ships. The management of the navy expanded with the
Keeper of the Storehouses
The Keeper of the Storehouses and formally known as the Keeper of the King's Storehouses was an English Navy appointment created in 1524 the office holder was a principal member of the Council of the Marine from 1546 until the post was abolished ...
appointed in 1514 and the
Clerk Comptroller in 1522. The
Lieutenant of the Admiralty
The Lieutenant of the Admiralty is a now honorary office generally held by a senior retired Royal Navy admiral. He is the official deputy to the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom. He is appointed by the Sovereign on the nomination of the First ...
,
Treasurer of Marine Causes and
Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy were all added in 1544, and a seventh officer, the
Master of Naval Ordnance
The Master of Naval Ordnance was an English Navy appointment created in 1546 the office holder was one of the Chief Officers of the Admiralty and a member of the Council of the Marine and a member of the Office of Ordnance until the post was abo ...
a year later. By January 1545 this group was already working as a body known as 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 ...
or ''King's Majesty's Council of His Marine''.
In the first quarter of 1545 an official memorandum proposed the establishment of a new organisation that would formalize a structure for administering the navy with a clear chain of command.
The Navy Board was officially appointed to this role by letters patent of
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
on the 24 April 1546. It was directed by the
Lieutenant of the Admiralty
The Lieutenant of the Admiralty is a now honorary office generally held by a senior retired Royal Navy admiral. He is the official deputy to the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom. He is appointed by the Sovereign on the nomination of the First ...
until 1557. The board was charged with overseeing the administrative affairs of the navy; directive, executive and operational duties of the Lord High Admiral remained with the
Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office.
In 1557 the Lieutenant of the Admiralty ceased to direct the Navy Board and that role was given to the Treasurer of the Navy also known as the ''Senior Commissioner''. The Navy Board remained independent until 1628, when it became a subsidiary body of 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 ...
now reporting to the
First Lord of the Admiralty
The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...
. In 1660 the Treasurer of the Navy ceased to direct the board and was replaced by the Comptroller who now held the new joint title of ''Chairman of the Board''.
In 1832, following proposals by
Sir James Graham to restructure the Naval Service, the Navy Board was abolished (along with its subsidiary boards for
Sick and Hurt,
Transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
, and
Victualling). Operational functions were taken over by 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 ...
and administrative functions were dispersed between the
Naval Lords.
Duties and responsibilities
![Somerset House marine heraldry](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Somerset_House_marine_heraldry.jpg)
The Navy Board's responsibilities included:
* the construction and maintenance of ships through the
Royal Dockyard
Royal Navy Dockyards (more usually termed Royal Dockyards) were state-owned harbour facilities where ships of the Royal Navy were built, based, repaired and refitted. Until the mid-19th century the Royal Dockyards were the largest industrial ...
s of
Deptford
Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...
,
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...
,
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
and
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
as well as the operations of these dockyards and other naval establishments.
* the procurement of
victuals
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ing ...
(obtained from private contractors or "agents"), stores, supplies and services for the fleet
and provision of ordnance items (sourced from the
Office of Ordnance
The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...
).
* civilian and naval pay.
* the appointment of
junior officer
Junior officer, company officer or company grade officer refers to the lowest operational Officer (armed forces), commissioned officer category of ranks in a military or paramilitary organization, ranking above non-commissioned officers and below ...
s and
warrant officers
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the most ...
.
Individual officials held responsibility as follows:
* The Lieutenant of the Admiralty initially presided over the Council of the Marine (1545–1564) but was later superseded by the treasurer.
* The Treasurer of the Navy was senior commissioner of the board from 1564 to 1660 and controlled and directed all Naval finance – though in practice his responsibilities were later increasingly devolved to the Comptroller.
* The Comptroller of the Navy was in charge of Naval spending and also acted as chairman of the board from 1660 until its abolition in 1832.
* The Surveyor of the Navy was in charge of Naval shipbuilding, ship design and running the Royal Dockyards.
* The Clerk of the Navy was in charge of the day-to-day running of the board and the administration of its work and acted as chief secretary to the Navy Office.
* The Surveyor of Marine Victuals was responsible for the administration of victualling yards and supply of food and beverages for the Royal Navy from 1550 to 1679. This office was abolished and replaced by the Victualling Board in 1683.
* The Master of Naval Ordnance was a specifically assigned officer from the Ordnance Office responsible for the supply of Naval Ordnance and was briefly a member from 1561 to 1569.
* The Comptroller of Storekeepers's Accounts, The Comptroller of Treasurer's Accounts and The Comptroller of Victualling Accounts were posts created to relieve the Comptroller of the Navy of these duties.
''Note: The
Navy Pay Office (domain of the Treasurer of the Navy) was independent of the Board; though the Board's Commissioners were required to authorize payments, all funds were held and issued by the Pay Office (which was also known as the Navy Treasury)''.
Subsidiary boards
As the size of the fleet grew, the Admiralty sought to focus the activity of the Navy Board on two areas: ships and their maintenance, and naval expenditure. Therefore, from the mid- to late-17th century, a number of subsidiary Boards were established to oversee other aspects of the board's work.
These included:
* The
Victualling Board
The Commissioners for the Victualling of the Navy, often called the Victualling Commissioners or Victualling Board, was the body responsible under the Navy Board for victualling ships of the British Royal Navy. It oversaw the vast operation of ...
(1683–1832). Responsible for providing naval personnel with food, drink and supplies.
* The
Sick and Hurt Board
The Sick and Hurt Commissioners (also known as the Sick and Hurt Board, but formally and fully titled The Commissioners for taking Care of Sick and Wounded Seamen and for the Care and Treatment of Prisoners of War) were responsible for medical ser ...
(established temporarily in times of war from 1653, placed on a permanent footing from 1715, amalgamated into the Transport Board from 1806). Responsible for providing medical support services to the navy and managing prisoners of war.
* The
Transport Board (1690–1724, re-established 1794, amalgamated into the Victualling Board in 1817). Responsible for the provision of transport services and for the transportation of supplies and military equipment.
Each of these subsidiary Boards went on to gain a degree of independence (though they remained, nominally at least, overseen by the Navy Board).
Principal Officers and Commissioners
Tudor and Stuart period
''List of Principal Officers and Commissioners 1546-1660 included.
* the
Lieutenant of the Admiralty
The Lieutenant of the Admiralty is a now honorary office generally held by a senior retired Royal Navy admiral. He is the official deputy to the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom. He is appointed by the Sovereign on the nomination of the First ...
, (He presided over the Navy Board from 1546-1564 until he was superseded by the Treasurer.
* 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 ...
originally called ''Treasurer of Marine Causes'' he was Senior Commissioner of the board from 1564-1660
* the
Surveyor of the Navy
The Surveyor of the Navy also known as Department of the Surveyor of the Navy and originally known as Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy was a former principal commissioner and member of both the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 15 ...
, originally called ''Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy'' (1546-1660)
* the
Clerk of the Navy, originally called ''Clerk of the Kings Ships'' (1546-1660)
* the
Surveyor of Marine Victuals
The Surveyor of Marine Victuals later known as the General-Surveyor of Victuals was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy who was a former member of the Navy Board from 1550 until 1679, he was responsible for managing the supply of food, beverage ...
(1550-1679) (against protocol he was added under monarchs, Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I).
* the
Comptroller of the Navy
The post of Controller of the Navy (abbreviated as CofN) was originally created in 1859 when the Surveyor of the Navy's title changed to Controller of the Navy. In 1869 the controller's office was abolished and its duties were assumed by that of ...
, originally called the ''Clerk Comptroller of the Navy'' was in charge of Naval spending he also acted as Chairman of the Board from 1660.
* the
Keeper of the Storehouses
The Keeper of the Storehouses and formally known as the Keeper of the King's Storehouses was an English Navy appointment created in 1524 the office holder was a principal member of the Council of the Marine from 1546 until the post was abolished ...
, also called ''Clerk of the Storehouses'' he was briefly a member in (1546–1560) his duties were later merged with the treasurers.
* the
Master of Naval Ordnance
The Master of Naval Ordnance was an English Navy appointment created in 1546 the office holder was one of the Chief Officers of the Admiralty and a member of the Council of the Marine and a member of the Office of Ordnance until the post was abo ...
, specifically assigned officer from the Ordnance Board was briefly a member from (1546–1589).
Instrumental in the early administration of the Navy Office were between four and seven "Principal Officers" though some were styled differently prior to 1660.
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
added a fifth between 1625 and 1640 they included:.
As defined by a set of
Ordinances drawn up under Henry VIII's successor,
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
, the Navy Board was given a high degree of autonomy, yet remained subordinate to the
Lord High Admiral until 1628. This – at times ambiguous – relationship with
The Admiralty
The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964, historically under its titular head, the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of it ...
was an enduring characteristic of the board, and was one of the reasons behind its eventual demise in 1832.
Commonwealth and Restoration period
During the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
the business of both Navy Board and Admiralty was carried out by a committee of Parliament. Following the
Restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
,
James, Duke of York
James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...
(as Lord High Admiral) oversaw the reconstitution of the Navy Board. Alongside the aforementioned "Principal Officers" further officials were appointed to serve as "Commissioners" of the Navy, and together these constituted the board. By tradition, commissioners were always Navy officers of the rank of
post-captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of Captain (Royal Navy), captain in the Royal Navy.
The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:
* Officers in command of a naval vessel, who were (and still are) ...
or captain who had retired from active service at sea.
''List of Principal Officers and Commissioners 1660-1796 included.''
*
Comptroller of the Navy
The post of Controller of the Navy (abbreviated as CofN) was originally created in 1859 when the Surveyor of the Navy's title changed to Controller of the Navy. In 1869 the controller's office was abolished and its duties were assumed by that of ...
(chaired meetings of the board and liaised with the
First Lord of the Admiralty
The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...
)
*
Surveyor of the Navy
The Surveyor of the Navy also known as Department of the Surveyor of the Navy and originally known as Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy was a former principal commissioner and member of both the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 15 ...
*
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 ...
*
Clerk of the Acts of the Navy
''Additional Commissioners added after 1666, who were soon given specific duties (so as to lessen the administrative burden placed on the Controller.''
*
Controller of Treasurer Accounts
The Controller of Treasurer Accounts also called Comptroller of Treasurer Accounts was the civilian officer in the Royal Navy who was a principal member of the Navy Board initially from 1667 to 1679 and then again from 1691 until 1796, he was resp ...
, (1667–1796)
*
Controller of Victualling Accounts
The Controller of Victualling Accounts also called Comptroller of Victualling Accounts was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy who was also a principal member of the Navy Board from 1667 until 1796, he was responsible for examining the accounts of ...
, (1667–1796)
*
Controller of Storekeepers Accounts
The Controller of Storekeepers Accounts also known as the Comptroller of Storekeepers Accounts was a principal member of the Navy Board who was responsible for managing and processing all naval store-keeping accounts and deliveries to naval yards ...
, (1671–1796)
*
Commissioners for Old Accounts, (1686–1688)
*
Commissioners for Current Business, (1686–1688)
*
Commissioners for Examining Accounts (Incurred), (1688–1689)
*
Deputy Comptroller of the Navy, (1793–1813)
Hanoverian period
In 1796 the board was reconstituted: the post of Clerk of the Acts was abolished, as were the three controllers of accounts. Henceforward, the board would consist of the controller and a deputy controller (both of whom were normally commissioned officers), the surveyor (usually a master
shipwright
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
from one of the dockyards) and around seven other commissioners (a mixture of officers and civilians) to whom no specific duties were attached.
The treasurer, though still technically a member of the board, was (like the dockyard commissioners) seldom in attendance.
In fact the post of treasurer was by this stage little more than a sinecure; the main work of his department was carried out by its senior clerk, the Paymaster of the Navy.
Following the abolition of the office of Clerk of the Acts, the post of secretary to the board was created; as well as overseeing the administrative department, the secretary attended meetings of the board and took minutes; but he was not himself a commissioner and did not therefore have a vote.
''List of Principal Officers and Commissioners 1796-1832 included:''
*
Comptroller of the Navy
The post of Controller of the Navy (abbreviated as CofN) was originally created in 1859 when the Surveyor of the Navy's title changed to Controller of the Navy. In 1869 the controller's office was abolished and its duties were assumed by that of ...
*
Surveyor of the Navy
The Surveyor of the Navy also known as Department of the Surveyor of the Navy and originally known as Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy was a former principal commissioner and member of both the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 15 ...
*
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 ...
*
Deputy Surveyor of the Navy
*
Pay Commissioner, (1796–1814).
*
Inspector-General of Naval Works, (1807–1808), ''from 1796 to 1807 post holder reported to the Board of Admiralty''
*
Civil Architect and Engineer of the Navy, (1808–1812)
*
Surveyor of Buildings, (1812–1832)
*
Surveyor of Dockyards
The Department of the Director of Dockyards, also known as the Dockyard Branch and later as the Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department, was the British Admiralty department responsible from 1872 to 1964 for civil administration of dockyards, ...
, (1813–1832).
*
Accountant-General of the Navy, (1829–32)
*
Storekeeper General of the Navy, (1829–32)
*
Deputy Comptroller of the Navy, (1829–1832)
*
Superintendent of Transport, (1829–1831)
Commissioners of the Navy
To all of these lists must be added the Commissioners of the Navy with oversight of the
Royal Navy Dockyards
Royal Navy Dockyards (more usually termed Royal Dockyards) were state-owned harbour facilities where ships of the Royal Navy were built, based, repaired and refitted. Until the mid-19th century the Royal Dockyards were the largest industrial c ...
. Normally resident at their respective dockyards and thus known as resident commissioners, these commissioners did not normally attend the board's meetings in London; nevertheless, they were considered full members of the Navy Board and carried the full authority of the board when implementing or making decisions within their respective yards both at home and overseas.
Not every Dockyard had a resident commissioner in charge, but the larger Yards, both at home and overseas, generally did (with the exception of the nearby Thames-side yards of
Deptford
Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...
and
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...
, which were for the most part overseen directly by the board in London, although Woolwich did have a Resident Commissioner for some years).
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, ...
,
Devonport Dockyard,
Portsmouth Dockyard
His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is l ...
,
Sheerness Dockyard
Sheerness Dockyard also known as the Sheerness Station was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the Sheerness peninsula, at the mouth of the River Medway in Kent. It was opened in the 1660s and closed in 1960.
Location
In the Age of Sail, the R ...
,
Trincomalee Dockyard and the
Bermuda Dockyard all had Resident Commissioners.
After the abolition of the board in 1832 the duties of these commissioners were taken over by commissioned officers: usually an
admiral-superintendent The admiral-superintendent was the Royal Navy officer in command of a larger Naval Dockyard. Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham all had admiral-superintendents, as did some other dockyards in the United Kingdom and abroad at certain times. The admir ...
at the largest yards, or a captain-superintendent at smaller yards.
Headquarters
![Navy Office Crutched Friars Cole 1750](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Navy_Office_Crutched_Friars_Cole_1750.jpg)
From the 1650s the board, together with its staff of around 60 clerks, was accommodated in a large house at the corner of
Crutched Friars
The Crutched Friars (also Crossed or Crouched Friars, cross-bearing brethren) were a Roman Catholic religious order in England and Ireland. Their name is derived from a staff they carried with them surmounted by a crucifix. There were several orde ...
and Seething Lane, just north of the Tower of London. Following a fire, the house was rebuilt by
Sir Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...
. This new
Navy Office provided accommodation for the commissioners, as well as office space. Different departments were accommodated in different parts of the building; the rear wing (which had its own entrance on Tower Hill) housed the offices of the Sick and Hurt Board. The Victualling Office was also located nearby, on Little Tower Hill, close to its early manufacturing base at
Eastminster
Eastminster, also known as New Abbey, St Mary Graces, and other variants, was a Cistercian abbey on Tower Hill at East Smithfield in London. It was founded by Edward III in 1350 immediately outside the Roman London Wall in what is now the London ...
. The Navy Treasury, where the treasurer was based, was located from 1664 in Broad Street (having moved there from Leadenhall Street). It was also known as the
Navy Pay Office. In 1789, all these offices were relocated into the new purpose-built office complex of
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace ("O ...
.
Demise
By the early nineteenth century, members of Parliament had begun raising concerns at the cost of Navy Board operations and the obscurity of its record-keeping. On 15 February 1828
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...
, the
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...
, established a Parliamentary Committee to review the board's operations. The committee, chaired by Irish MP
Henry Parnell
Henry Brooke Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton PC (3 July 1776 – 8 June 1842), known as Sir Henry Parnell, Bt, from 1812 to 1841, was an Irish writer and Whig politician. He was a member of the Whig administrations headed by Lord Grey and Lord ...
, was specifically charged with interpreting and reducing Navy Board costs. By the end of the year it had issued critical reports covering the board's administration of naval pensions,
half-pay Half-pay (h.p.) was a term used in the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries to refer to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service.
Past usage United Kingdom
In the Eng ...
, revenue, expenditure and debt. In particular, the committee noted the Navy Board had long since abandoned financial controls; that it had instead "established a scale of expense greatly beyond what existed during former periods of peace," and that its operations tended to "exalt its own importance" over the needs of the public service as a whole.
The board's internal operations were also found wanting:
The Government's response was delivered on 14 February 1832, with a
Bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
to abolish both the Navy Board and the
Victualling Board
The Commissioners for the Victualling of the Navy, often called the Victualling Commissioners or Victualling Board, was the body responsible under the Navy Board for victualling ships of the British Royal Navy. It oversaw the vast operation of ...
and merge their functions into 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 ...
. This Bill was moved by Sir
James Graham as
First Lord of the Admiralty
The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...
, who argued that the Boards had been "constituted at a period when the principles of banking were unknown," and were redundant in an era of greater Parliamentary oversight and regulation. An amendment proposed by
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 ...
Sir
George Cockburn
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet, (22 April 1772 – 19 August 1853) was a British Royal Navy officer. As a captain he was present at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in February 1797 during the French Revolutionary Wars an ...
suggested that Navy Board be preserved and only the Victualling Board abolished, but this was defeated by 118 votes to 50. The Bill itself was passed on 23 May 1832, with the Navy Board formally ceasing operations from 1 June.
[
]
Notes
References
Sources
* Rodger, N.A.M. (1979). The Admiralty. Offices of State. Terence Dalton Ltd, Lavenham. Suffolk. England.
*
External links
{{Naval Service (British), state=collapsed
Boards of the Royal Navy
1546 establishments in England
1832 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Navy Office organisations