The Navy Office was the government office responsible for the civil administration of the British

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 Fr ...

from 1576 to 1832. It contained all the members of 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 ...

and various other departments and offices. The day-to-day business of the Navy Office was headed by the Clerk of the Acts from 1660 until 1796. When this position was abolished duties were assumed by separate committees for Accounts, Correspondence, Stores, Transports and Victualling presided over by 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 o ...

. The Navy Office was one of two government offices (the other being the Department of Admiralty) that were jointly responsible for directing naval affairs. In 1832 following reforms of the naval service the Navy Office was abolished and its functions and staff taken over by the Admiralty.

History

In 1576 the Navy Office replaced the Office of the Council of the Marine. The Navy Office London

Based at

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 (crossing), ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home ...

for most of the sixteenth century, the Navy Office later moved to the Tower Hill area of London. In 1655 it relocated to a site at the crossroad of Crutched Friars and

Seething Lane Seething Lane is a street in the City of London. It connects All Hallows-by-the-Tower, Byward Street, with St Olave's Church, Hart Street. The street is named after an Old English expression meaning "full of chaff", which was derived from the n ...

but in 1673 the office building was destroyed by fire. A new building designed by

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 church ...

was opened on the site in 1684. The Navy Office continued to be based in Tower Hill until its move in 1786 to

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 ...

. Until 1628 the Navy Office was an independent advisory office to the

Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

but upon the creation of the Board of Admiralty it became a subsidiary yet autonomous component of that office. The primary organisation within the office was the

and the various offices of its principal commissioners. However, the Treasurer of the Navy although a principal member of the board administered a separate Navy Pay Office. From 1567 until 1660 the office was administered by the

. In 1660 the Clerk of the Acts became responsible for the organisation of the Navy Office. In 1796 administration of the Navy Office was placed under the supervision of three Committees, of Correspondence, Accounts and Stores. Throughout its history its clerical supporting staff consisting of chief clerks then first, second and third class clerks were assigned to the various offices and departments within the Navy Office. In 1808 the Naval Works Department was relocated from the Admiralty to the Navy Office. A Ticket and Wages Branch was formed in 1829. In 1832 the Navy Office and subsequently the Navy Board were abolished and its functions transferred to the Department of Admiralty under supervision 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 ...

Organisation and structure of the Navy Office

The Navy Office provided accommodation for the Commissioners of the Navy Board and senior clerical and secretarial staff, as well as office space. Different branches, departments and offices were located within different parts of the Navy Office in London, England. Royal Navy Dockyards both in the United Kingdom and overseas were also part of this office.

Components of the Navy Office

The Navy Office consisted of a number of specific component parts that included:

Boards

The Navy Board and formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes was the organisation with responsibility for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. Its principal officers and commissioners were headquartered in the Navy Office. #

Branches and Offices

# Allotment Office (1795-1822) # Bill Office # Contract Office (1803-1832) later became the

Contract and Purchase Department A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...

# Draftsmen Office # Fee Office (controlled by the Receiver of Fees and Paymaster of Contingencies) # Office for Current Business (1686-1688) # Office for Examining Accounts Incurred (1686-1689) # Office for Examining Storekeepers’ Accounts (1671-1796) # Office for Examining Treasurers Accounts (1667-1796) # Office for Examining Victualling Accounts (1667-1796) # Office for Foreign Accounts (1807-1829) # Office for Old Accounts (1686-1688) # Office of Bills and Accounts (1686-1832) # Office of the Clerk Comptroller of the Navy (1546-1561) # Office of the Comptroller of the Navy of the Navy (1561-1832) # Office for Seamen's Wages (1688-1829) # Office of the Assistant Comptroller of the Navy (1682-1691) # Office of Assistant Clerk of the Acts and Secretary to the Navy Board (1680-1832) # Office of the Clerk of the Acts # Office of the Deputy Comptroller of the Navy (1793-1816, 1829–1832) # Office of the Committee for Accounts # Office of the Committee for Correspondence # Office of the Committee for Stores # Office of the Committee for Transports # Office of the Committee for Victualling # Office of the Counsel to the Navy Board (1673-1696) # Office of the Counsel for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy (1696-1832) # Office of the General-Surveyor of Victuals # Office of the Messenger to the Navy Board (1660-1832) # Paymaster of the Marines (1831-1832) # Office of the Paymaster of Widows Pensions (1732-1834) # Office of the Private Secretary to Controller (1794-1832) # Office of the Superintendent of Transports (1829-1831) # Slop Office # Office of the Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy (1692-1698) # Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty and Navy (1703-1828) # Stores Office (1796-1832) # Surveyors Office # Transport Branch (1817-1832) # Ticket Office (1660-1829) # Ticket and Wages Branch (1829-1832)

Departments

# Accounts Department #

Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy The Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy also known as Accountant-General's Department was the department charged by the British Government with reviewing all naval estimates, conducting naval audits and processing payments from 1829 t ...

(1829-1832) #

Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy The Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy was initially the Navy Office department responsible for the storing and supply of naval stores to the Royal Navy established in 1829. In 1832 the Navy Board and subsequently Navy Office was a ...

(1829-1832) # Department of the Surveyor of Buildings (1807-1832) # Naval Works Department (1807-1813) # Payments Department

Dockyards

Oversight of all

Royal Navy 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 c ...

s that were part of the Navy Office were normally supervised by a resident commissioner of the navy board at their respective yards, these commissioners did not normally attend Navy Board meetings in London; nevertheless, they were full members of the Navy Board. After the abolition of the Navy Board and subsequently the Navy Office in 1832 responsibility for the management of the dockyards passed to the

=United Kingdom and Ireland dockyards

= #

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 ...

(1496-) #

Woolwich Dockyard Woolwich Dockyard (formally H.M. Dockyard, Woolwich, also known as The King's Yard, Woolwich) was an English naval dockyard along the river Thames at Woolwich in north-west Kent, where many ships were built from the early 16th century until ...

(1512-1832) #

Deptford Dockyard Deptford Dockyard was an important naval dockyard and base at Deptford on the River Thames, operated by the Royal Navy from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. It built and maintained warships for 350 years, and many significant events ...

(1513-1869) #

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 ...

(1567-1983) #

Harwich Dockyard Harwich Dockyard (also known as The King's Yard, Harwich) was a Royal Navy Dockyard at Harwich in Essex, active in the 17th and early 18th century (after which it continued to operate under private ownership). Owing to its position on the East ...

(1652-1829) # Sheerness Dockyard (1665-1960) #

Plymouth Dockyard His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport (HMNB Devonport) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Portsmouth) and is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Ro ...

renamed Devonport Dockyard in 1823 (1689-) # Pembroke Dockyard (1815-1947) Other minor yards (with some permanent staff and minor repair/storage facilities, but without dry docks etc.) were established in a number of locations over time, usually to serve a nearby anchorage used by naval vessels. # Deal Dockyard (1672- ) # Falmouth Dockyard # Great Yarmouth Dockyard # Kinsale Dockyard and supply base, Cork, Ireland (1647-1812) # Leith Dockyard # Milford Haven Dockyard (1797-1814) shipbuilding and repairs transferred to Pembroke Dockyard

=Overseas dockyards

= # Jamaica Dockyard, Port Royal, Jamaica (1675-1729, 1749–1905) # Cadiz Dockyard (1694) #

Gibraltar Dockyard ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibra ...

(1704-1984) # Port Mahon Dockyard, Menorca, Spain (1708-1812) # Antigua Naval Dockyard (1728-1882) # Port Antonio Dockyard, Jamaica (1729-1749) # Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax, Canada (1759-1905) # Navy Island Royal Naval Shipyard, Canada (1763-1822) # Barbados Dockyard (1779-1783, 1810) # Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard, Canada (1788-1853) #

Malta Dockyard Malta Dockyard was an important naval base in the Grand Harbour in Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. The infrastructure which is still in operation is now operated by Palumbo Shipyards. History Pre-1800 The Knights of Malta established dockyard ...

(1791-1979) # Simons Town Dockyard, Simon's Town, South Africa (1790-1898) # York Naval Shipyard, Canada (1793-1813) # Ajaccio Dockyard, Ajaccio, Corsica (1794-1799) # Bermuda Dockyard, Bermuda (1795-1951) #

Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard was a Provincial Marine and then a Royal Navy yard from 1796 to 1813 in Amherstburg, Ontario, situated on the Detroit River. The yard comprised blockhouses, storehouses, magazine, wood yard and wharf. The yard w ...

, Canada (1796-1813) # Madras Dockyard, India (1796-1813) (staff and work transferred to

Trincomalee Trincomalee (; ta, திருகோணமலை, translit=Tirukōṇamalai; si, ත්‍රිකුණාමළය, translit= Trikuṇāmaḷaya), also known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee Dis ...

) # Cape of Good Hope Dockyard (1808-1822) #

Bombay Dockyard Bombay Dockyard, also known as Naval Dockyard, is an Indian shipbuilding yard at Mumbai. The superintendent of the dockyard is a Naval Officer of the rank Rear Admiral, known as the Admiral Superintendent. Background Shipbuilding was an establi ...

, India (1813-1947) # Trincomalee Dockyard, Ceylon (1813-1957) #

Penetanguishene Naval Yard Penetanguishene Naval Yard was a Royal Navy yard from 1834 to 1856 in Ontario. Land was first acquired in 1798 near Penetanguishene and a base finally built in 1813, but it was abandoned in 1815 at the end of the War of 1812. It was reinstated ...

, Canada (1813-1856) # Ascension Dockyard on

Ascension Island Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of ...

(1816-1922)

Services

# Transport Service (1817-1832) the service was provided as part of the Transport Board.

Autonomous components of the Navy Office

# Navy Pay Office (1546-1832) # Sick and Hurt Office (1653-1806) # Transport Office (1686-1817) # Victualling Office (1653-1832)

Citations

Sources

# Admiralty Office (1814) The Navy List. Navy Office. John Murray. London. England. # https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol7 # Collinge, J. M. (1978). "Index of offices: British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Institute of Historical Research, University of London. # "Index of offices," in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 7, Navy Board Officials 1660–1832, ed. J M Collinge (London: University of London, 1978), 153. British History Online, accessed January 2, 2019, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol7/p153. # Rodger, N. A. M. (2004). "Administration 1509 to 1574". The safeguard of the sea: a naval history of Britain. Vol 1., 660–1649. London, England: Penguin. . {{Admiralty Department Admiralty departments