Editing Navy Board (section)

==Principal officers and commissioners==

===Tudor and Stuart period===
''List of Principal Officers and Commissioners 1546-1660 included.
* the [[Lieutenant of the Admiralty]], (He presided over the Navy Board from 1546-1564 until he was superseded by the Treasurer.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rodger|first1=N.A.M.|title=The Admiralty, Offices of State|date=1979|publisher=Terence Dalton Ltd|location=Lavenham|isbn=0900963948|page=5}}</ref> 
* the [[Treasurer of the Navy]] originally called ''Treasurer of Marine Causes'' he was Senior Commissioner of the board from 1564-1660<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thrush|first1=Andrew D.|title=The Navy Under Charles I, 1625-1640|url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1317789/1/284540.pdf|website=discovery.ucl.ac.uk|publisher=University College London, Ph.D. Dissertation, p.68, June 1990|access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref>
* the [[Surveyor of the Navy]], originally called ''Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy'' (1546-1660)
* the [[Clerk of the Acts|Clerk of the Navy]], originally called ''Clerk of the Kings Ships'' (1546-1660)<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thrush|first1=Andrew D.|title=The Navy Under Charles I, 1625-1640|url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1317789/1/284540.pdf|website=discovery.ucl.ac.uk|publisher=University College London, Ph.D. Dissertation, p.68, June 1990|access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref>
* the [[Surveyor of Marine Victuals]] (1550-1679) (against protocol he was added under monarchs, Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thrush|first1=Andrew D.|title=The Navy Under Charles I, 1625-1640|url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1317789/1/284540.pdf|website=discovery.ucl.ac.uk|publisher=University College London, Ph.D. Dissertation, p.68, June 1990|access-date=28 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Sainty|first1=J.C.|title=Surveyor of Marine Victuals 1550-c. 1679 Institute of Historical Research|url=http://www.history.ac.uk/publications/office/navymarine|website=history.ac.uk|publisher=Historical Research Institute, University of London, 2003|access-date=26 March 2017|language=en}}</ref>
* the [[Comptroller of the Navy (Navy Board)|Comptroller of the Navy]], originally called the ''Clerk Comptroller of the Navy'' was in charge of Naval spending he also acted as Chairman of the Board from 1660.  
* the [[Keeper of the Storehouses]], also called ''Clerk of the Storehouses'' he was briefly a member in (1546–1560) his duties were later merged with the treasurers.
* the [[Master of Naval Ordnance]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Archives|first1=The National|title=accounts as master of naval Ordnance|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/N13726196|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|publisher=Gloucestershire Archives, 1561-69|access-date=13 June 2017}}</ref> specifically assigned officer from the Ordnance Board was briefly a member from (1546–1589).
Instrumental in the early administration of the Navy Office were between four and seven "Principal Officers" though some were styled differently prior to 1660. [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] added a fifth between 1625 and 1640 they included:{{Sentence fragment|date=December 2021}}.<ref>{{cite book|title=FOURTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS FOR Revising and Digesting the Civil Affairs of His MAJESTY'S Navy|date=1806|publisher=Digitized, Oxford University, 2006|page=7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MC9bAAAAQAAJ&q=Commissioner%2C+Clerk+of+the+Accounts+Navy+Board&pg=PA7|language=en}}</ref> 
As defined by a set of [[wikt:ordinances|Ordinances]] drawn up under Henry VIII's successor, [[Edward VI]], the Navy Board was given a high degree of autonomy, yet remained subordinate to the [[Lord High Admiral of England|Lord High Admiral]] until 1628. This – at times ambiguous – relationship with [[The Admiralty]] was an enduring characteristic of the board, and was one of the reasons behind its eventual demise in 1832.<ref name=Hamilton1896>{{cite web|last1=Hamilton|first1=Sir Vesey|title=Naval Administration (1896)|url=http://www.pdavis.nl/NA01.htm|access-date=11 September 2015}}</ref>

===Commonwealth and Restoration period===
During the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]] the business of both Navy Board and Admiralty was carried out by a committee of Parliament. Following the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]], [[James, Duke of York]] (as Lord High Admiral) oversaw the reconstitution of the Navy Board. Alongside the aforementioned "Principal Officers" further officials were appointed to serve as "Commissioners" of the Navy, and together these constituted the board. By tradition, commissioners were always Navy officers of the rank of [[post-captain]] or captain who had retired from active service at sea.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rodger|first=N.A.M.|title=The Wooden World: An Anatomy of the Georgian Navy|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1986|location=Annapolis, Maryland|page=34|isbn=0870219871}}</ref>

''List of Principal Officers and Commissioners 1660-1796 included.''<ref name="University of London, 1978">{{cite web|last1=Collinge|first1=J. M.|title=Principal officers and commissioners British History Online|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol7/pp18-25|website=www.british-history.ac.uk|publisher=University of London, 1978|access-date=28 February 2017|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Comptroller of the Navy (Navy Board)|Comptroller of the Navy]] (chaired meetings of the board{{efn|In the mid-eighteenth century, and particularly during the [[War of Jenkins' Ear]] from 1739 to 1748, the Navy Board was chaired by Surveyor Jacob Acworth, because the Controller, Richard Haddock, was considered by his peers to be too old and feeble to carry out the role. The chairmanship reverted to the Controller after Haddock was superannuated in February 1749.<ref>{{cite book|last=Baugh|first=Daniel A.|title=British Naval Administration in the Age of Walpole|url=https://archive.org/details/britishnavaladmi0000baug|url-access=registration|year=1965|pages=[https://archive.org/details/britishnavaladmi0000baug/page/47 47–48]|publisher=Princeton University Press|oclc=610026758}}</ref>}} and liaised with the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]])
* [[Surveyor of the Navy]]
* [[Treasurer of the Navy]]
* [[Clerk of the Acts|Clerk of the Acts of the Navy]]
''Additional Commissioners added after 1666, who were soon given specific duties (so as to lessen the administrative burden placed on the Controller.''
* [[Controller of Treasurer Accounts]], (1667–1796)
* [[Controller of Victualling Accounts]], (1667–1796)
* [[Controller of Storekeepers Accounts]], (1671–1796)
* [[Commissioners for Old Accounts]], (1686–1688)
* [[Commissioners for Current Business]], (1686–1688)
* [[Commissioners for Examining Accounts (Incurred)]], (1688–1689)
* [[Deputy Comptroller of the Navy (Navy Board)|Deputy Comptroller of the Navy]], (1793–1813)

===Hanoverian period===
In 1796 the board was reconstituted: the post of Clerk of the Acts was abolished, as were the three controllers of accounts. Henceforward, the board would consist of the controller and a deputy controller (both of whom were normally commissioned officers), the surveyor (usually a master [[shipwright]] from one of the dockyards) and around seven other commissioners (a mixture of officers and civilians) to whom no specific duties were attached.

The treasurer, though still technically a member of the board, was (like the dockyard commissioners) seldom in attendance.<ref name=Collinge78 /> In fact the post of treasurer was by this stage little more than a sinecure; the main work of his department was carried out by its senior clerk, the Paymaster of the Navy.

Following the abolition of the office of Clerk of the Acts, the post of secretary to the board was created; as well as overseeing the administrative department, the secretary attended meetings of the board and took minutes; but he was not himself a commissioner and did not therefore have a vote.

''List of Principal Officers and Commissioners 1796-1832 included:''<ref name="University of London, 1978"/>
* [[Comptroller of the Navy (Navy Board)|Comptroller of the Navy]]
* [[Surveyor of the Navy]]
* [[Treasurer of the Navy]]
* [[Deputy Surveyor of the Navy]]
* [[Pay Commissioner]], (1796–1814).
* [[Surveyor of Buildings (Royal Navy)|Inspector-General of Naval Works]], (1807–1808), ''from 1796 to 1807 post holder reported to the Board of Admiralty''
* [[Surveyor of Buildings (Royal Navy)|Civil Architect and Engineer of the Navy]], (1808–1812)
* [[Surveyor of Buildings (Royal Navy)|Surveyor of Buildings]], (1812–1832)
* [[Surveyor of Dockyards]], (1813–1832).
* [[Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy|Accountant-General of the Navy]], (1829–32)
* [[Storekeeper General of the Navy]], (1829–32)<ref>{{cite book|last1=Admiralty|first1=Great Britain|title=The Navy List|date=1834|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|page=136|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jg8YAAAAMAAJ&q=Storekeeper+General+of+the+Navy&pg=RA1-PA136|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Deputy Comptroller of the Navy (Navy Board)|Deputy Comptroller of the Navy]], (1829–1832)
* [[Superintendent of Transport]], (1829–1831)

===Commissioners of the Navy===
To all of these lists must be added the '''Commissioners of the Navy''' with oversight of the [[Royal Navy Dockyards]]. Normally resident at their respective dockyards and thus known as '''resident commissioners''', these commissioners did not normally attend the board's meetings in London; nevertheless, they were considered full members of the Navy Board and carried the full authority of the board when implementing or making decisions within their respective yards both at home and overseas.<ref name=Collinge78>{{cite web|last1=Collinge|first1=J.M.|title=Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 7, Navy Board Officials 1660-1832.|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol7/pp18-25|website=British History Online|publisher=University of London, 1978|access-date=5 September 2015}}</ref> Not every Dockyard had a resident commissioner in charge, but the larger Yards, both at home and overseas, generally did (with the exception of the nearby Thames-side yards of [[Deptford Dockyard|Deptford]] and [[Woolwich Dockyard|Woolwich]], which were for the most part overseen directly by the board in London, although Woolwich did have a Resident Commissioner for some years). [[Chatham Dockyard]], [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]], [[Portsmouth Dockyard]], [[Sheerness Dockyard]], [[Trincomalee Dockyard]] and the [[Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda#Resident commissioners|Bermuda Dockyard]] all had Resident Commissioners.

After the abolition of the board in 1832 the duties of these commissioners were taken over by commissioned officers: usually an [[admiral-superintendent]] at the largest yards, or a captain-superintendent at smaller yards.