First Lord of the Admiralty

First Lord of the Admiralty
Department of the Admiralty
StatusAbolished
Member ofBoard of Admiralty
Cabinet
Reports toPrime Minister
NominatorPrime Minister
AppointerPrime Minister
Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term lengthNot fixed
typically 3–7 years
Formation1628
First holderRichard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland
Final holderGeorge Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe
Abolished1964
Superseded bySecretary of State for Defence

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 direction and control of the Admiralty, and also of general administration of the Naval Service of the Kingdom of England, Great Britain in the 18th century, and then the United Kingdom, including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, and other services. It was one of the earliest known permanent government posts. Apart from being the political head of the Naval Service the post holder was simultaneously the pre-eminent member of the Board of Admiralty. The office of First Lord of the Admiralty existed from 1628 until it was abolished when the Admiralty, Air Ministry, Ministry of Defence and War Office were all merged to form the new Ministry of Defence in 1964. Its modern-day equivalent is the Secretary of State for Defence.

History

In 1628, during the reign of Charles I, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, Lord High Admiral of England, was assassinated and the office was placed in commission, under the control of a Board of Commissioners.

The first such First Lord of the Admiralty was Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland, who was appointed in 1628. The First Lord was not always a permanent member of the board until the Admiralty Department was established as an official government department in 1709 with the First Lord as its head; it replaced the earlier Office of the Admiralty and Marine Affairs. During most of the 17th century and the early 18th century, it was not invariable for the Admiralty to be in commission, so there are gaps in the list of First Lords, and a small number of First Lords were for a time Lord High Admiral.

After the Revolution, in 1690, a declaratory Act was passed, during the reign of William and Mary. Parliament passed the Admiralty Act, vesting in the Commissioners the powers formerly held by the Lord High Admiral of England. and at this point became a permanent Cabinet position.

The Admiralty Commission was dissolved in 1701, but was reconstituted in 1709 on the death of Prince George of Denmark, who had been appointed Lord High Admiral. The office has been held in commission from that time onwards, however, except for a short period (1827–28) when the Duke of Clarence was Lord High Admiral. The Board of the Admiralty comprised a number of "Lords Commissioners" headed by a First Lord.

From the early 1800s the post was always held by a civilian (previously flag officers of the Royal Navy also held the post). In 1832 First Lord Sir James Graham instituted reforms and amalgamated the Board of Admiralty and the Navy Board. By the provisions of the Admiralty Act of 1832, two Lords in committee could legalise any action of the Board.

In 1868 Prime Minister, William Gladstone appointed Hugh Childers First Lord, who would introduce a new system at the Admiralty. However these changes restricted communication between the board members who were affected by these new regulations, and the sittings of the Board were discontinued altogether. This situation described was further exacerbated by the disaster of HMS Captain in 1870, a poorly-designed new vessel for the navy.

The responsibility and powers of the First Lord of the Admiralty were laid down by an Order in Council dated 14 January 1869, and a later Order (19 March 1872) made the First Lord responsible to the Sovereign and to Parliament for all the business of the Admiralty. However, by describing the Lords of the Admiralty as the "assistants" of the First Lord, and by specifically defining their duties, this had, in fact, partially disabled the collective power of the Board.

In 1931, for the first time since 1709, the First Lord was not a member of the cabinet.

In 1946, the three posts of Secretary of State for War, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Secretary of State for Air became formally subordinated to that of Minister of Defence, which had itself been created in 1940 for the co-ordination of defence and security issues.

In 1964, the office of First Lord of the Admiralty was abolished, the last holder being the second Earl Jellicoe, whose father, Admiral of the Fleet the first Earl Jellicoe, had served as First Sea Lord nearly 50 years earlier. The functions of the Lords Commissioners were then transferred to an Admiralty Board, which forms part of the tri-service Defence Council of the United Kingdom.

Principal political leaders of the English/British Armed Forces:
Royal Navy British Army Royal Air Force Co-ordination
1628 First Lord of the Admiralty
(1628–1964)
1794 Secretary of State for War
(1794–1801)
1801 Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
(1801–1854)
1854 Secretary of State for War
(1854–1964)
1919 Secretary of State for Air
(1919–1964)
1936 Minister for Co-ordination of Defence
(1936–1940)
1940 Minister of Defence (1940–1964)
1964 Secretary of State for Defence (1964–present)


List of First Lords of the Admiralty

First Lords of the Admiralty of England (1628–1701)

First Lord of the Admiralty Term of office
Richard Weston
1st Earl of Portland
1628 1635
Robert Bertie
1st Earl of Lindsey
1635 1636
William Juxon
Bishop of London
(1582–1663)
1636 1638
Algernon Percy
10th Earl of Northumberland
1642 1643
Francis Cottington
1st Baron Cottington
1643 1646
Prince Rupert of the Rhine 1673 1679
Sir Henry Capell
MP for Tewkesbury
1679 1681
Daniel Finch
2nd Earl of Nottingham
1681 1684
Arthur Herbert
1st Earl of Torrington
1689 1690
Thomas Herbert
8th Earl of Pembroke
1690 1692
Charles Cornwallis
3rd Baron Cornwallis
1692 1693
Anthony Cary
5th Viscount Falkland
1693 1694
Edward Russell
1st Earl of Orford
1694 1699
John Egerton
3rd Earl of Bridgewater
1699 1701
Thomas Herbert
8th Earl of Pembroke
1701 1702

Senior Members of the Lord High Admiral's Council (1702–1709)

Senior Member Term of office
Sir George Rooke 1702 1705
Sir David Mitchell 1705 1708
David Wemyss
4th Earl of Wemyss
1708 1709

First Lords of the Admiralty of Great Britain (1709–1801)

First Lord of the Admiralty Term of office Ministry Monarch
Edward Russell
1st Earl of Orford
1709 1710 Godolphin–Marlborough
(ToryWhig)
Anne
Admiral of the Fleet
John Leake

MP for Rochester
1710 1712 Oxford–Bolingbroke
Thomas Wentworth
1st Earl of Strafford
1712 1714
George I
Edward Russell
1st Earl of Orford
1714 1716 Townshend
James Berkeley
3rd Earl of Berkeley
1717 1727 Stanhope–Sunderland I
Stanhope–Sunderland II
Walpole–Townshend
George II
George Byng
1st Viscount Torrington
1727 1733
Walpole
Charles Wager
MP for Westminster
1733 1741
Daniel Finch
8th Earl of Winchilsea
1741 1744
Carteret
John Russell
4th Duke of Bedford
1744 1748 Broad Bottom
(I & II)
John Montagu
4th Earl of Sandwich
1748 1751
George Anson
1st Baron Anson
1751 1756
Newcastle I
Richard Grenville-Temple
2nd Earl Temple
1756 1757 Pitt–Devonshire
Daniel Finch
8th Earl of Winchilsea
1757 1757 1757 Caretaker
George Anson
1st Baron Anson
1757 1762 Pitt–Newcastle
George III
George Montague-Dunk
2nd Earl of Halifax
1762 1762 Bute
(ToryWhig)
George Grenville
MP for Buckingham
1762 1763
John Montagu
4th Earl of Sandwich
1763 1763 Grenville
John Perceval
2nd Earl of Egmont
1763 1766
Rockingham I
Chatham
(WhigTory)
Charles Saunders
MP for Hedon
1766 1766
Edward Hawke
MP for Portsmouth
1766 1771
Grafton
North
John Montagu
4th Earl of Sandwich
1771 1782
Augustus Keppel
1st Viscount Keppel
1782 1783 Rockingham II
Shelburne
(WhigTory)
Richard Howe
5th Viscount Howe
1783 1783
Augustus Keppel
1st Viscount Keppel
1783 1783 Fox–North
Richard Howe
5th Viscount Howe
1783 1788 Pitt I
John Pitt
2nd Earl of Chatham
1788 1794
George Spencer
2nd Earl Spencer
1794 1801

First Lords of the Admiralty of the United Kingdom (1801–1964)

First Lord of the Admiralty Term of office Party Ministry Monarch
(Reign)
John Jervis
1st Earl of St Vincent
1801 1804 Whig Pitt I George III
Addington
Henry Dundas
1st Viscount Melville
1804 1805 Tory Pitt II
Charles Middleton
1st Baron Barham
1805 1806 Tory
Charles Grey
Viscount Howick

MP for Northumberland
1806 1806 Whig All the Talents
(WhigTory)
Thomas Grenville
MP for Buckingham
1806 1807 Whig
Henry Phipps
3rd Baron Mulgrave
1807 1810 Tory Portland II
Perceval
Charles Philip Yorke
MP for St Germans
1810 1812 Tory
Robert Dundas
2nd Viscount Melville
1812 1827 Tory Liverpool
George IV
Prince William Henry
Duke of Clarence

Lord High Admiral
1827 1828 Canning
(CanningiteWhig)
Goderich
Robert Dundas
2nd Viscount Melville
1828 1830 Tory Wellington–Peel
William IV
James Graham
MP for East Cumberland
1830 1834 Whig Grey
George Eden
2nd Baron Auckland
1834 1834 Whig
Melbourne I
Wellington Caretaker
Thomas Robinson
2nd Earl de Grey
1834 1835 Conservative Peel I
George Eden
2nd Baron Auckland
1835 1835 Whig Melbourne II
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound
2nd Earl of Minto
1835 1841 Whig
Victoria
Thomas Hamilton
9th Earl of Haddington
1841 1846 Conservative Peel II
Edward Law
1st Earl of Ellenborough
1846 1846 Conservative
George Eden
1st Earl of Auckland
1846 1849 Whig Russell I
Francis Baring
MP for Portsmouth
1849 1852 Whig
Algernon Percy
4th Duke of Northumberland
1852 1852 Conservative Who? Who?
James Graham
MP for Carlisle
1852 1855 Peelite Aberdeen
(PeeliteWhig)
Palmerston I
Charles Wood
Bt GCB

MP for Halifax
1855 1858 Whig
John Pakington
MP for Droitwich
1858 1859 Conservative Derby–Disraeli II
His Grace
Edward Seymour
12th Duke of Somerset
1859 1866 Liberal Palmerston II
Russell II
John Pakington
MP for Droitwich
1866 1867 Conservative Derby–Disraeli III
Henry Lowry-Corry
MP for Tyrone
1867 1868 Conservative
Hugh Childers
MP for Pontefract
1868 1871 Liberal Gladstone I
George Goschen
MP for City of London
1871 1874 Liberal
George Ward Hunt
MP for Northamptonshire North
1874 1877 Conservative Disraeli II
William Henry Smith
MP for Westminster
1877 1880 Conservative
Thomas Baring
1st Earl of Northbrook
1880 1885 Liberal Gladstone II
Lord George Hamilton
MP for Ealing
1885 1886 Conservative Salisbury I
George Robinson
1st Marquess of Ripon
1886 1886 Liberal Gladstone III
Lord George Hamilton
MP for Ealing
1886 1892 Conservative Salisbury II
John Spencer
5th Earl Spencer
1892 1895 Liberal Gladstone IV
Rosebery
George Goschen
MP for St George Hanover Square
1895 1900 Conservative Salisbury
(III & IV)

(Con.Lib.U.)
William Palmer
2nd Earl of Selborne
1900 1905 Liberal Unionist
Edward VII
Balfour
Frederick Campbell
3rd Earl Cawdor
1905 1905 Conservative
Edward Marjoribanks
2nd Lord Tweedmouth
1905 1908 Liberal Campbell-Bannerman
Reginald McKenna
MP for North Monmouthshire
1908 1911 Liberal Asquith
(I–III)
George V
Winston Churchill
MP for Dundee
1911 1915 Liberal
Arthur Balfour
MP for City of London
1915 1916 Conservative Asquith Coalition
(Lib.Con.–et al.)
Edward Carson
MP for Dublin University
1916 1917 Conservative Lloyd George
(I & II)
Eric Geddes
MP for Cambridge
1917 1919 Conservative
Walter Long
MP for Westminster St George's
1919 1921 Conservative
Arthur Lee
1st Baron Lee of Fareham
1921 1922 Conservative
Leo Amery
MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook
1922 1924 Conservative Law
Baldwin I
Frederic Thesiger
1st Viscount Chelmsford
1924 1924 Independent MacDonald I
William Clive Bridgeman 1924 1929 Conservative Baldwin II
A. V. Alexander
MP for Sheffield Hillsborough
1929 1931 Labour
(Co-op)
MacDonald II
Austen Chamberlain
MP for Birmingham West
1931 1931 Conservative National I
(N.Lab.Con.–et al.)
Bolton Eyres-Monsell
1st Viscount Monsell
1931 1936 Conservative National II
National III
(Con.N.Lab.–et al.)
Edward VIII
Samuel Hoare
MP for Chelsea
1936 1937 Conservative
George VI
Duff Cooper
MP for Westminster St George's
1937 1938 Conservative National IV
James Stanhope
7th Earl Stanhope
1938 1939 Conservative
Winston Churchill
MP for Epping
1939 1940 Conservative Chamberlain War
A. V. Alexander
MP for Sheffield Hillsborough
1940 1945 Labour
(Co-op)
Churchill War
(All parties)
Brendan Bracken
MP for Paddington North
1945 1945 Conservative Churchill Caretaker
(Con.N.Lib.)
A. V. Alexander
MP for Sheffield Hillsborough
1945 1946 Labour
(Co-op)
Attlee
(I & II)
George Hall
1st Viscount Hall
1946 1951 Labour
Frank Pakenham
1st Baron Pakenham
1951 1951 Labour
James Thomas
1st Viscount Cilcennin
1951 1956 Conservative Churchill III
Elizabeth II
Eden
Quintin Hogg
2nd Viscount Hailsham
1956 1957 Conservative
George Douglas-Hamilton
10th Earl of Selkirk
1957 1959 Conservative Macmillan
(I & II)
Peter Carington
6th Baron Carrington
1959 1963 Conservative
George Jellicoe
2nd Earl Jellicoe
1963 1964 Conservative Douglas-Home

From 1 April 1964 Elizabeth II assumed the title of Lord High Admiral. Ministerial responsibility for the Royal Navy was transferred to the newly created Secretary of State for Defence.

Notes:

  1. ^ Baron Weston from 1628, created Earl of Portland in 1633.
  2. ^ Lord High Admiral 1638–1642.
  3. ^ Lord High Admiral 1689.
  4. ^ MP for Portsmouth until 1734; MP for Westminster from 1734.
  5. ^ As Lord High Admiral .
  6. ^ MP for Cumberland until 1832; MP for East Cumberland from 1832
  7. ^ MP for Oswestry
  8. ^ MP for Evesham until 1935; thereafter created Viscount Monsell.
  9. ^ MP for Hereford until 1955; thereafter created Viscount Cilcennin.

Boards, departments and offices under the First Lord

Fictional First Lords

W. H. Smith portrayed in a Punch cartoon from 13 October 1877 when First Lord, saying: "I think I'll now go below." In Pinafore, Sir Joseph Porter similarly sings: "When the breezes blow / I generally go below".

The "Radical" First Lord, and a major character, in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), is Sir Joseph Henry Porter, KCB. W. S. Gilbert wrote to Arthur Sullivan he did not intend to portray the real-life then First Lord, the bookseller and newsagent W. H. Smith, a Conservative, although some of the public, including Prime Minister Disraeli (who later referred to Smith as "Pinafore Smith"), identified Porter with him. The counterparts shared a known lack of naval background. It has been suggested the character was drawn on Smith's actual "Radical" predecessor of 1868–71, Hugh Childers.


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