Navy Office (Royal Navy)


The Navy Office was the government office charged with responsibility for the day-to-day civil administration of the British Royal Navy from. It contained all the members of the Navy Board and various other departments and offices. The day-to-day business of the Navy Office was administered by Clerk of the Acts from 1660 until 1796, who was responsible for the organisation of the office and management of its staff. When his office was abolished his duties were assumed by separate committees for Accounts, Correspondence, Stores, Transports and Victualling who were, in turn, presided over by the Comptroller of the Navy until 1832. It was one of two government offices that were jointly responsible for directing naval affairs. In 1832 following reforms of the naval service the Navy Office was abolished all of its functions and staff were merged within the Admiralty.

History

In 1576 the Navy Office replaced the Office of the Council of the Marine. It was initially located at Deptford for most of the sixteenth century. It later moved to collection of offices in the Tower Hill area of London until around 1654. The office then moved to a new building at the crossroad of Crutched Friars and Seething Lane. Until 1628 following the creation of the Board of Admiralty the Navy Office was an independent advisory office to the Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office when it became a subsidiary yet autonomous component of that office. In 1673 the office was destroyed by a fire and a new building was constructed to house its staff that took 10 years to complete. The Navy Office continued to be based in Tower Hill until 1786 when it relocated to a much large office space at Somerset House where it remained until it was abolished in 1832. The primary organisation within the office was the Navy Board 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 Comptroller of the Navy. 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 its functions were then transferred to the Department of Admiralty under supervision of the Board of Admiralty.

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.
  1. Navy Board

    Branches and Offices

  2. Allotment Office
  3. Bill Office
  4. Contract Office later became the Contract and Purchase Department
  5. Draftsmen Office
  6. Fee Office
  7. Office for Current Business
  8. Office for Examining Accounts Incurred
  9. Office for Examining Storekeepers’ Accounts
  10. Office for Examining Treasurers Accounts
  11. Office for Examining Victualling Accounts
  12. Office for Foreign Accounts
  13. Office for Old Accounts
  14. Office of Bills and Accounts
  15. Office of the Clerk Comptroller of the Navy
  16. Office of the Comptroller of the Navy of the Navy
  17. Office for Seamen's Wages
  18. Office of the Assistant Comptroller of the Navy
  19. Office of Assistant Clerk of the Acts and Secretary to the Navy Board
  20. Office of the Clerk of the Acts
  21. Office of the Deputy Comptroller of the Navy
  22. Office of the Committee for Accounts
  23. Office of the Committee for Correspondence
  24. Office of the Committee for Stores
  25. Office of the Committee for Transports
  26. Office of the Committee for Victualling
  27. Office of the Counsel to the Navy Board
  28. Office of the Counsel for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy
  29. Office of the General-Surveyor of Victuals
  30. Office of the Messenger to the Navy Board
  31. Paymaster of the Marines
  32. Office of the Paymaster of Widows Pensions
  33. Office of the Private Secretary to Controller
  34. Office of the Superintendent of Transports
  35. Slop Office
  36. Office of the Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty and Navy
  37. Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty and Navy
  38. Stores Office
  39. Surveyors Office
  40. Transport Branch
  41. Ticket Office
  42. Ticket and Wages Branch

    Departments

  43. Accounts Department
  44. Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy
  45. Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy
  46. Department of the Surveyor of Buildings
  47. Naval Works Department
  48. Payments Department

    Dockyards

Oversight of all Royal Navy Dockyards 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 Board of Admiralty.
United Kingdom and Ireland dockyards
  1. Portsmouth Dockyard
  2. Woolwich Dockyard
  3. Deptford Dockyard
  4. Chatham Dockyard
  5. Harwich Dockyard
  6. Sheerness Dockyard
  7. Plymouth Dockyard renamed Devonport Dockyard in 1823
  8. Pembroke Dockyard
Other minor yards were established in a number of locations over time, usually to serve a nearby anchorage used by naval vessels.
  1. Deal Dockyard
  2. Falmouth Dockyard
  3. Great Yarmouth Dockyard
  4. Kinsale Dockyard and supply base, Cork, Ireland
  5. Leith Dockyard
  6. Milford Haven Dockyard shipbuilding and repairs transferred to Pembroke Dockyard
    Overseas dockyards
  7. Jamaica Dockyard, Port Royal, Jamaica
  8. Cadiz Dockyard
  9. Gibraltar Dockyard
  10. Port Mahon Dockyard, Menorca, Spain
  11. Antigua Naval Dockyard
  12. Port Antonio Dockyard, Jamaica
  13. Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax, Canada
  14. Navy Island Royal Naval Shipyard, Canada
  15. Barbados Dockyard
  16. Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard, Canada
  17. Malta Dockyard
  18. Simons Town Dockyard, Simon's Town, South Africa
  19. York Naval Shipyard, Canada
  20. Ajaccio Dockyard, Ajaccio, Corsica
  21. Bermuda Dockyard, Bermuda
  22. Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard, Canada
  23. Madras Dockyard, India
  24. Cape of Good Hope Dockyard
  25. Bombay Dockyard, India
  26. Trincomalee Dockyard, Ceylon
  27. Penetanguishene Naval Yard, Canada
  28. Ascension Dockyard

    Services

  29. Transport Service the service was provided as part of the Transport Board.

    Autonomous components of the Navy Office

  30. Navy Pay Office
  31. Sick and Hurt Office
  32. Transport Office
  33. Victualling Office

    Citations