Comptroller of the Navy (Navy Board)

The Comptroller of the Navy[1] originally called the Clerk Comptroller of the Navy[2] was originally a principal member of the English Navy Royal, and later the British Royal Navy, Navy Board. From 1512 until 1832, the Comptroller was mainly responsible for all British naval spending and directing the business of the Navy Board from 1660 as its chairman.[3] The position was abolished in 1832 when the Navy Board was merged into the Board of Admiralty. The comptroller was based at the Navy Office.

This article is about the period from 1561–1832. For the article about the new Controller of the Navy, see Third Sea Lord.
Office of the Comptroller of the Navy
Navy Board Flag
Department of the Admiralty
Member ofNavy Board (1546–1832)
Reports toFirst Lord of the Admiralty
NominatorFirst Lord of the Admiralty
AppointerPrime Minister
Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term lengthNot fixed (usually for life)
Inaugural holderJohn Hopton
Formation1512–1832

History

The post was originally created in 1512 during the reign of Henry VIII of England when the post holder was styled as the Clerk Comptroller until 1545. In 1561 the name was changed to Comptroller of the Navy. The Comptroller presided over the Board from 1660, and generally superintended the business of the Navy Office, and was responsible for the offices dealing with bills, accounts and wages[4] during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By the eighteenth century the principal officer responsible for estimating annual stores requirements, inspecting ships' stores and maintaining the Fleet's store-books and repair-bills was the Surveyor of the Navy; however, the Surveyor's duties passed increasingly to the Comptroller of the Navy during the latter half this period. The office of Surveyor did not altogether disappear. In 1832 the Comptroller's department was abolished following a merger of the Navy Board with the Board of Admiralty and the Surveyor was made the officer responsible under the First Naval Lord for the material departments, and became an adviser to the Board of Admiralty. In 1860, the name of the office was changed to Controller of the Navy, and in 1869 was merged with the office of the Third Naval Lord, then becoming known as Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy. The Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy was independent of the First Naval Lord and was themself a member of the Board of Admiralty.[5]

Office holders

Included:[6]

Clerk Comptrollers of the Navy

Comptrollers of the Navy
Post in commission 1618–1628
Post vacant 1686-1688

In 1832 the post of Comptroller of the Navy was abolished and duties passed to the Surveyor of the Navy.

See also

References
  1. Parliament, Great Britain (1803). Reports from committees of the House of Commons: which have been printed by order of the House, and are not inserted in the journals; reprinted by order of the House. House of Commons. p. 831.
  2. Childs, David (2009). Tudor Sea Power: The Foundation of Greatness. Seaforth Publishing. p. 298. ISBN 9781473819924.
  3. Colling, J. M. "Principal officers and commissioners, Navy Board, British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. University of London, 1978. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  4. "Navy Board, In-Letters And Orders, 1688–1815 – National Maritime Museum". collections.rmg.co.uk. Royal Museum Greenwich. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  5. Archives, The National. "Records of the Surveyor of the Navy and successors". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, 1620–1979. Retrieved 5 June 2017. This article contains text from this source, which is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
  6. Collinge, J.M. (1978). Navy Board officials, 1660-1832 Volume 7 of Office-holders in modern Britain. London: University of London, Institute of Historical Research. pp. 18–25.

Sources
  • Childs. David (2009). Tudor Sea Power: The Foundation of Greatness. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781473819924.
  • Collinge, J.M. (1978). Navy Board officials, 1660-1832 Volume 7 of Office-holders in modern Britain. London: University of London, Institute of Historical Research.
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