Civil Lord of the Admiralty

Office of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty
Office of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty
	Seal of H.M. Government
	Department of the Admiralty
Member of	Board of Admiralty
Reports to	First Lord of the Admiralty
Nominator	First Lord of the Admiralty
Appointer	Prime Minister; Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed (typically 3–7 years)
Inaugural holder	Charles Ross
Formation	1830–1964

The Civil Lord of the Admiralty ^[1] formally known as the Office of the Civil Lord of Admiralty also referred to as the Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty was a member of the Board of Admiralty who was responsible for managing the Royal Navy's supporting civilian staff, the works and buildings departments and naval lands from 1830 to 1964.

History[]

From 1709 the board of admiralty usually had a minimum of two Civil Lord Commissioners, however, there was not a settled arrangement for the distribution of duties amongst the members of the Board. In 1805 the First Lord of the Admiralty Charles Middleton, the Lord Barham, began a period of reform of the commissioners responsibilities during his tenure.^[2] He initially gave a new name to the Naval Lord Commissioners now referred to as "Professional Naval Lords", whilst the Civil Lords were given the duty of signing off all official documents.

In 1830 when Sir James Graham was appointed First Lord he also underwent further re-organising of the board following the abolition of the Navy Board each of the members were given particular responsibility for different areas of naval administration from this year it was fixed in principle that, other than the First Lord, there should be four Naval Lords; and one Civil Lord who was added in 1832. This arrangement was subject to minor variations. In 1834-5 there were three Naval and two Civil Lords.^[3]

Between 1830 and 1868 he had main responsibility for Naval Finance, this however changed when Parliamentary Secretary was re-designated the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary.^[4] In January 1869 the civil lord through an order in Order in Council ^[5] was designated an assistant to the First Lord of the Admiralty. These orders usually had a much wider remit in that they outlined the general regulations of governance of the Naval Service.

In March 1872 another order in council ^[6] was issued this time the civil lord would have specific duties assigned to them by the First Lord defining on this occasion the structure of the board. In 1874 the civil lord was given much wider powers. Exceptional changes to these rules meant that during wartime periods additional civil lords (though not officially styled so until after 1882) were added to the board to ease the burden of workload on the Civil Lord. The office existed until 1964 when the Admiralty was abolished and replaced by the Navy Department within a new Ministry of Defence.

Responsibilities[]

The Civil Lord assisted the First Lord in political and parliamentary duties, between 1830 and 1964 his remit changed from time to time but generally included the following responsibilities:^[7]^[8]

Deal with all special questions relating to the retirements, pay, and allowances of naval and marine officers and men.
Direct Civil Engineering Works.
Manage all Admiralty buildings including repairs and the construction as well as the storing of building materials that were within the Works Department.
Manage business within the Greenwich Hospital Department.
Manage compassionate allowances, the admiralty charitable fund, the allowances to ministers of religion, the various Dockyard and Marine Schools.
Manage leasing arrangements in regards to coastguard stations.
Superintendence of all Admiralty works and labour services.
Superintend all civilian staff at naval establishments, including: classifications, appointments, promotions, pay, allowances, and pensions, excluding appointments and promotions in London, and of professional officers of the Controller's Department of Dockyards.
Superintends the Contracts Department.
Superintends the Department of the Accountant General of the Navy. (in 1932 this department is abolished its financial functions were merged within the Department of the Permanent Secretary.

Civil Lords of the Admiralty[]

Included:^[9]^[10]

Mr. Charles Ross MP, July 1830 – May 1832.
Henry Labouchere, the Lord Taunton, June 1832 – December 1834.
Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Lord Ashley, December 1834 – March 1834. (held jointly with Maurice Fitzgerald)
Sir Maurice FitzGerald, December 1834 – March 1835. (held jointly with Anthony Ashley Cooper, Lord Ashley)
, 1835 – July 1841.
Mr. Henry Lowry-Corry, 1841–1845
Mr. Henry FitzRoy, 1845–1846.
Mr. , 1846–1854.
Sir Robert Peel, 1855–1857.
Mr. Thomas George Baring, 1857–1858.
Algernon Percy, the Lord Lovaine, 1858–1859.
Rt Hon: Frederick Lygon, March–April 1859.
Mr. Samuel Whitbread, June 1859 – March 1863.
Spencer Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, March–April 1863.
Mr. James Stansfeld, May 1863 – April 1864.
Mr. Hugh Childers, 1864–1865.
Mr. Henry Fenwick, January–April 1866.
Captain John Hay, April–May 1866.
Lord George Shaw-Lefevre, May–July 1866.
Sir Charles du Cane, 1866–1867.
Frederick, the Lord Stanley of Preston, 1868.
Sir George Otto Trevelyan, 1868–1870.
Robert Haldane-Duncan, Earl of Camperdown, 1870–1874.
Sir Massey Lopes, 1874–1880
Mr. William Caine, 1884–1885
Mr. Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, 1885–1885
Mr. Robert Abercromby, 1886–1886
Mr. Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, 1886–1892
Mr. Edmund Robertson, 1892–1895
Mr. Austen Chamberlain, 1895–1900
Colonel Arthur Lee, 1903–1905
Mr. George Lambert, 1905–1915
Mr. Simon Digby ?–?
Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell, 1921–1922
Mr. Frank Hodges, 1924–1924
Rt Hon George Hall, 1929–1931
Mr. Kenneth Lindsay, 1935–1937
Mr. John Llewellin, 1937–1939
Sir Austin Hudson, 1939–1942
Mr. Stoker Edwards, 1945–1951
Hon. Thomas Galbraith, 1957–1959
Mr. Ian Orr-Ewing, 1959–1963
Mr. John Hay, 1963–1964

Departments under the civil lord[]

Included:

Office of the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty
Architectural and Engineering Works Department
Department of the Accountant General of the Navy
Greenwich Hospital Department
Works Loan Department

References[]

^ Steinberg, S. (27 December 2016). The Statesman's Year-Book 1962: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all nations. Springer. p. 103. ISBN 9780230270916.
^ Sainty, J. C. "Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660–1870, British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. University of London, London, 1975, pp. 18–31. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
^ Sainty, J. C. "Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660–1870, British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. University of London, London, 1975, pp. 18–31. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
^ Hamilton, C. I. (3 February 2011). The Making of the Modern Admiralty: British Naval Policy-Making, 1805–1927. Cambridge University Press. p. 125. ISBN 9781139496544.
^ The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. H.M. Stationery Office. 1873. pp. 254–256.
^ Archives, The National. "Admiralty October–December:"Distribution of Business."". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, 1872, ADM 1/6313. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
^ Archives, The National. "Admiralty October–December:"Distribution of Business."". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, 1874, ADM 1/6313. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
^ "Greene, Sir William Graham (Secretary of the Admiralty), orders and circulars on changes in administration in the Admiralty, 1884–1917". collections.rmg.co.uk. National Maritime Museum, GEE/2.
^ "Civil Lord of Admiralty". hansard.millbanksystems.com. Hansard, Offices, (C), 1803–2005. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
^ Davis, Peter. "Commissioners of the Admiralty 1828 – 1899". pdavis.nl. Peter Davis, 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2017.

Attribution[]

Primary source for this article is by Harley Simon, Lovell Tony, (2016), Civil Lord of the Admiralty, dreadnoughtproject.org, http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org.

Sources[]

Admiralty. Return "of the Distribution of Business under the Lords of the Admiralty under the Old and New Arrangement for conducting the business of the Department." H.C. 84, 1869. Copy in Greene Papers. National Maritime Museum. GEE/2.
Hansard (1803–2005), Offices, Civil Lord of Admiralty, http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/offices/civil-lord-of-admiralty.
The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. III. London: For Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1873.

External links[]

[1] Steinberg, S. (27 December 2016). The Statesman's Year-Book 1962: The One-Volume ENCYCLOPAEDIA of all nations. Springer. p. 103. ISBN 9780230270916.

[2] Sainty, J. C. "Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660–1870, British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. University of London, London, 1975, pp. 18–31. Retrieved 7 March 2017.

[3] Sainty, J. C. "Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660–1870, British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. University of London, London, 1975, pp. 18–31. Retrieved 7 March 2017.

[4] Hamilton, C. I. (3 February 2011). The Making of the Modern Admiralty: British Naval Policy-Making, 1805–1927. Cambridge University Press. p. 125. ISBN 9781139496544.

[5] The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. H.M. Stationery Office. 1873. pp. 254–256.

[6] Archives, The National. "Admiralty October–December:"Distribution of Business."". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, 1872, ADM 1/6313. Retrieved 5 March 2017.

[7] Archives, The National. "Admiralty October–December:"Distribution of Business."". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, 1874, ADM 1/6313. Retrieved 5 March 2017.

[8] "Greene, Sir William Graham (Secretary of the Admiralty), orders and circulars on changes in administration in the Admiralty, 1884–1917". collections.rmg.co.uk. National Maritime Museum, GEE/2.

[9] "Civil Lord of Admiralty". hansard.millbanksystems.com. Hansard, Offices, (C), 1803–2005. Retrieved 5 March 2017.

[10] Davis, Peter. "Commissioners of the Admiralty 1828 – 1899". pdavis.nl. Peter Davis, 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2017.

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show v t Board of Admiralty
Ministerial Lords	Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty and President of the Board (1628–1964)
Naval Lords	Senior Naval Lord (1689–1771) First Naval Lord (1771–1904) First Sea Lord (1904–1917) First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff (1917–1964) Second Naval Lord (1830–1869, 1872–1904) Second Sea Lord (1904–1917) Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel (1917–1964) Third Naval Lord (1832–1858) Controller of the Navy (1859–1869) Third Naval Lord and Controller (1869–1872) Controller of the Navy (1872–1882) Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy (1882–1904) Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy (1904–1912) Third Sea Lord (1912–1917) Controller of the Navy (1917–1918) Third Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Matériel (1918–1965) Junior Naval Lord (1868–1904) Fourth Sea Lord (1904–1917) Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport (1917–1955) Fifth Sea Lord (1917) Fifth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Air Service (1917–1956)
Staff Naval Lords	Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (1917–1964) Deputy First Sea Lord (1917–1919) Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (1917–1964) Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (1941–1964) Deputy First Sea Lord (1942–1946)
Civil Lords	Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1830–1964) Accountant-General of the Navy (1832–1869) Controller of Victualling (1832–1869) Director-General of the Medical Department (1832–1869) Storekeeper-General of the Navy (1832–1869) Surveyor of the Navy (1832–1869) Controller of the Navy (1859–1869) Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1882–1885) Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1912–1917) Second Civil Lord (1918–1919) Third Civil Lord (1918–1919) Fourth Civil Lord (1918–1919)
Civil Secretaries	Secretaries to the Lords Admiral, Admiralty, Committees and Commissions (1625–1660) First Secretary to the Admiralty (1660–1763) First Secretary to the Admiralty (1763–1871) Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1871–1886) Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (1886–1959) Joint-Deputy Secretary to the Admiralty (1702–1766) Second Secretary to the Admiralty (1783–1857) Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty (1869–1872) Naval Secretary to the Board of Admiralty (1872–1882) Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty (1882–1964)

show v t Department of Admiralty
Direction and control of Admiralty and Naval affairs	Office of First Lord of the Admiralty and President of the Board of Admiralty Lord High Admirals Council
Boards and offices under the First Lord	Board of Admiralty Navy Board Navy Office Navy Pay Office Office of the Naval Secretary Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord Office of the Senior Naval Lord Office of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty
Direction of Admirals Naval/Sea Lords War and Naval Staff	Office of the Senior Naval Lord Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord
Secretariat and staff under the First Sea Lord	Office of the Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord Office of the Additional Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord Office of the Hydrographer of the Navy Offices of the Sea Lords Admiralty Navy War Council Admiralty War Staff Admiralty Naval Staff
Operational planning, policy strategy, tactical doctrine requirements	Admiralty Navy War Council Admiralty War Staff Admiralty Naval Staff
Divisions and sections under the War and Naval Staff	Administrative Planning Department Administrative Planning Division Air Division Anti-Submarine Division Anti-Submarine and Warfare Division Anti-U-boat Division Air Warfare Division Air Warfare and Fly Training Division Air Warfare and Training Division Communications Division Convoy Section Economic Warfare Division Gunnery and Anti-Aircraft Warfare Division Gunnery Division Gunnery and Torpedo Division Historical Section Local Defence Division Division Mercantile Movements Division Naval Air Division Naval Air Organisation and Training Division Naval Artillery and Torpedoes Division Navigation and Direction Division Navigation Division Minesweeping Division Mobilisation Division Naval Intelligence Division Operations Division Operations Division (Home) Operations Division (Foreign) Plans Division Plans Division (Q) Press Division Signal Division Signal Section Tactical Division Tactical and Weapons Policy Division Torpedo Division Torpedo, Anti-Submarine and Minewarfare Division Trade Division Trade and Operations Division Training and Staff Duties Division Tactical and Staff Duties Division Undersurface Warfare Division
Offices of the Sea Lords	Office of the Second Sea Lord Office of the Third Sea Lord Office of the Fourth Sea Lord Office of the Fifth Sea Lord
Admiralty civil departments and organisations under the Sea Lords	Admiralty Central Dockyard Laboratory Admiralty Central Metallurgical Laboratory Admiralty Civilian Shore Wireless Service Admiralty Compass Observatory Admiralty Constabulary Admiralty Constabulary Headquarters Admiralty Engineering Laboratory Admiralty Experimental Station Admiralty Experiment Works Admiralty Gunnery Establishment Admiralty Interview Board Admiralty Materials Laboratory Admiralty Mine Design Department Admiralty Mining Establishment Admiralty Naval Aircraft Materials Laboratory Admiralty Record Office Admiralty Research Laboratory Admiralty Signal Establishment Admiralty Signals and Radar Establishment Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment Admiralty Torpedo Experimental Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Launching Establishment Architectural and Engineering Works Department Air Department Armament Supply Department Board of Invention and Research Board of Longitude Britannia Royal Naval College Chemical Department Combined Operations Headquarters Compass Department Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development Department of Naval Education Department of the Comptroller of Victualling and Transport Services Department of the Director of Dockyards Department of the Director of Naval Construction Department of the Director of Naval Equipment Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining Department of the Director of Transports Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Materials Department of the Flag Officer Sea Training Department of the Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets Department of the Medical Director-General of the Navy Department of the Physician of the Navy Department of the Physician General of the Navy Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of Buildings Department of the Surveyor of Dockyards Directorate-General, (Naval Manpower and Training) Directorate General Training Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department Dockyards Branch Experimental Department Fire Control Group Greenwich Hospital Department Joint Warfare Establishment Historical Section Hydrographic Department Marine Department Marine Pay Department Medical Consultative Board Medical Department Medical Examining Board Nautical Almanac Office Naval Historical Branch Naval Construction Department Naval Intelligence Department Naval Medical Service Naval Mobilisation Department Naval Ordnance Department Naval Ordnance Stores Department Naval Reserve Department Naval Stores Department Naval Training Department Naval Works Department Navy, Army and Air Force Institute Navy and Army Canteen Board Navigation Department Office of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves Office of the Admiral Commanding, Reserves Office of the Admiralty Chemist Packet Service Royal Corps of Naval Constructors Royal Flying Corps Royal Marine Police Royal Marines Office Office of the Chaplain of the Fleet Royal Naval Academy Royal Naval Air Service Royal Naval Air Stations Royal Naval Armaments Depot Royal Naval Auxiliary Service Royal Naval Propellant Factory Royal Naval College Royal Naval College and the School for Naval Architecture Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal Naval College, Greenwich Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval Engineering College Royal Naval Hospital Royal Naval Minewatching Service Royal Naval Patrol Service Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval War College Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth Royal Navy Dockyard Royal Navy Medical Service Royal Observatory, Greenwich Royal School of Naval Architecture School of Mathematics and Naval Construction Sea Transport Branch Sea Transport Department Sea Transport Division Sixpenny Office Torpedo Experimental Establishment Transport Department Victualling Department
Distribution of the Fleet	Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord Admiralty Naval Staff
Military units distributed under the Admiralty	1st Fleet 2nd Fleet 3rd Fleet Africa Station Atlantic Fleet Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Australia Station Cape of Good Hope Station Cape and West Africa Station Battle Cruiser Fleet Battle Cruiser Force Caspian Flotilla Channel Fleet Channel Squadron Coastal Forces Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland Cork Station Coast of Scotland Commander-in-Chief, China Commander-in-Chief, Dover Downs Station East Africa Station East Indies Fleet East Indies Station East Indies and China Station Eastern Fleet Far Eastern Fleet English Channel Grand Fleet Flag Officer Gibraltar Harwich Force Home Fleet Jamaica Station Leith Station Commander-in-Chief, Levant Levant and East Mediterranean Commander-in-Chief, Leeward Islands Lisbon Station Mediterranean Fleet Medway Newfoundland Station New Zealand Division New Zealand Naval Forces Narrow Seas Nore North America and West Indies Station Commander-in-Chief, North Sea Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands Pacific Fleet Pacific Station Admiral of Patrols Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Portugal Queenstown Station Royal East African Navy Royal Indian Navy Flag Officer Submarines Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth Reserve Fleet Scotland and Northern Ireland Commander-in-Chief, Sheerness Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic South East Coast of America Station Commander-in-Chief, Thames Commander-in-Chief, Thames and Medway Thames, Medway and Nore West Africa Squadron Flag Officer, West Africa Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches West Indies Station Western Squadron
Direction of Naval Finance	Department of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty
Departments under the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary	Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty Accountant-General's Department Comptroller of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of the Navy
Direction of Naval Administration and the Admiralty Secretariat	Department of the Permanent Secretary
Branches and offices under the Permanent Secretary	Admiralty Record Office Admiralty Secretariat Air Branch Civil Branch Legal Branch Military Branch Naval Branch Ship Branch
Civil Administration	Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, Department of the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty
Departments under the Civil Lords	Accountant-General's Department Department of the Surveyor of Buildings Greenwich Hospital Department
Legal
Legal under Judicial Department	Admiralty court High Court of Admiralty Office of the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty High Court of Justice Office of the Judge Advocate of the Fleet Office of the Admiralty Advocate Office of the Chief Naval Judge Advocate Office of the Counsel for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy Office of the Counsel to the Admiralty Office of the Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty and Navy Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty King's Bench Division (Admiralty) Queens's Bench Division (Admiralty) Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division Vice Admiralty courts