# First Lord of the Admiralty

First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the title of 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 Glorious Revolution, during the reign of William and Mary, Parliament passed the Admiralty Act 1690 (2 Will. & Mar. Sess. 2. c. 2), 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 1832 (2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 40), 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 George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, whose father, Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe, 1st 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.

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

| First Lord of the Admiralty | Term of office | 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 | 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 | Term of office | Ministry | Monarch |
| Edward Russell 1st Earl of Orford | 1709 | 1710 | Godolphin–Marlborough (Tory–Whig) | Anne |
| Admiral of the Fleet John Leake MP for Rochester | 1710 | 1712 | Oxford–Bolingbroke | Anne |
| Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl of Strafford | 1712 | 1714 | Oxford–Bolingbroke | Anne |
| Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl of Strafford | 1712 | 1714 | Oxford–Bolingbroke | George I |
| Edward Russell 1st Earl of Orford | 1714 | 1716 | Townshend | George I |
| James Berkeley 3rd Earl of Berkeley | 1717 | 1727 | Stanhope–Sunderland I | George I |
| James Berkeley 3rd Earl of Berkeley | 1717 | 1727 | Stanhope–Sunderland II | George I |
| James Berkeley 3rd Earl of Berkeley | 1717 | 1727 | Walpole–Townshend | George I |
| James Berkeley 3rd Earl of Berkeley | 1717 | 1727 | Walpole–Townshend | George II |
| George Byng 1st Viscount Torrington | 1727 | 1733 | Walpole–Townshend | George II |
| George Byng 1st Viscount Torrington | 1727 | 1733 | Walpole | George II |
| Charles Wager MP for Westminster | 1733 | 1741 | Walpole | George II |
| Daniel Finch 8th Earl of Winchilsea | 1741 | 1744 | Walpole | George II |
| Daniel Finch 8th Earl of Winchilsea | 1741 | 1744 | Carteret | George II |
| John Russell 4th Duke of Bedford | 1744 | 1748 | Broad Bottom (I & II) | George II |
| John Montagu 4th Earl of Sandwich | 1748 | 1751 | Broad Bottom (I & II) | George II |
| George Anson 1st Baron Anson | 1751 | 1756 | Broad Bottom (I & II) | George II |
| George Anson 1st Baron Anson | 1751 | 1756 | Newcastle I | George II |
| Richard Grenville-Temple 2nd Earl Temple | 1756 | 1757 | Pitt–Devonshire | George II |
| Daniel Finch 8th Earl of Winchilsea | 1757 | 1757 | 1757 Caretaker | George II |
| George Anson 1st Baron Anson | 1757 | 1762 | Pitt–Newcastle | George II |
| George Anson 1st Baron Anson | 1757 | 1762 | Pitt–Newcastle | George III |
| George Montague-Dunk 2nd Earl of Halifax | 1762 | 1762 | Bute (Tory–Whig) | George III |
| George Grenville MP for Buckingham | 1762 | 1763 | Bute (Tory–Whig) | George III |
| John Montagu 4th Earl of Sandwich | 1763 | 1763 | Grenville | George III |
| John Perceval 2nd Earl of Egmont | 1763 | 1766 | Grenville | George III |
| John Perceval 2nd Earl of Egmont | 1763 | 1766 | Rockingham I | George III |
| John Perceval 2nd Earl of Egmont | 1763 | 1766 | Chatham (Whig–Tory) | George III |
| Charles Saunders MP for Hedon | 1766 | 1766 | Chatham (Whig–Tory) | George III |
| Edward Hawke MP for Portsmouth | 1766 | 1771 | Chatham (Whig–Tory) | George III |
| Edward Hawke MP for Portsmouth | 1766 | 1771 | Grafton | George III |
| Edward Hawke MP for Portsmouth | 1766 | 1771 | North | George III |
| John Montagu 4th Earl of Sandwich | 1771 | 1782 | North | George III |
| Augustus Keppel 1st Viscount Keppel | 1782 | 1783 | Rockingham II | George III |
| Augustus Keppel 1st Viscount Keppel | 1782 | 1783 | Shelburne (Whig–Tory) | George III |
| Richard Howe 5th Viscount Howe | 1783 | 1783 | Shelburne (Whig–Tory) | George III |
| Augustus Keppel 1st Viscount Keppel | 1783 | 1783 | Fox–North | George III |
| Richard Howe 5th Viscount Howe | 1783 | 1788 | Pitt I | George III |
| John Pitt 2nd Earl of Chatham | 1788 | 1794 | Pitt I | George III |
| George Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer | 1794 | 1801 | Pitt I | George III |

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

| First Lord of the Admiralty | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Ministry | Monarch (Reign) |
| John Jervis 1st Earl of St Vincent | 1801 | 1804 | Whig | Pitt I | George III |
| John Jervis 1st Earl of St Vincent | 1801 | 1804 | Whig | Addington | George III |
| Henry Dundas 1st Viscount Melville | 1804 | 1805 | Tory | Pitt II | George III |
| Charles Middleton 1st Baron Barham | 1805 | 1806 | Tory | Pitt II | George III |
| Charles Grey Viscount Howick MP for Northumberland | 1806 | 1806 | Whig | All the Talents (Whig–Tory) | George III |
| Thomas Grenville MP for Buckingham | 1806 | 1807 | Whig | All the Talents (Whig–Tory) | George III |
| Henry Phipps 3rd Baron Mulgrave | 1807 | 1810 | Tory | Portland II | George III |
| Henry Phipps 3rd Baron Mulgrave | 1807 | 1810 | Tory | Perceval | George III |
| Charles Philip Yorke MP for St Germans | 1810 | 1812 | Tory | Perceval | George III |
| Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville | 1812 | 1827 | Tory | Liverpool | George III |
| Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville | 1812 | 1827 | Tory | Liverpool | George IV |
| Prince William Henry Duke of Clarence Lord High Admiral | 1827 | 1828 | — | Canning (Canningite–Whig) | George IV |
| Prince William Henry Duke of Clarence Lord High Admiral | 1827 | 1828 | — | Goderich | George IV |
| Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville | 1828 | 1830 | Tory | Wellington–Peel | George IV |
| Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville | 1828 | 1830 | Tory | Wellington–Peel | William IV |
| James Graham MP for East Cumberland | 1830 | 1834 | Whig | Grey | William IV |
| George Eden 2nd Baron Auckland | 1834 | 1834 | Whig | Grey | William IV |
| George Eden 2nd Baron Auckland | 1834 | 1834 | Whig | Melbourne I | William IV |
| George Eden 2nd Baron Auckland | 1834 | 1834 | Whig | Wellington Caretaker | William IV |
| Thomas Robinson 2nd Earl de Grey | 1834 | 1835 | Conservative | Peel I | William IV |
| George Eden 2nd Baron Auckland | 1835 | 1835 | Whig | Melbourne II | William IV |
| Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound 2nd Earl of Minto | 1835 | 1841 | Whig | Melbourne II | William IV |
| Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound 2nd Earl of Minto | 1835 | 1841 | Whig | Melbourne II | Victoria |
| Thomas Hamilton 9th Earl of Haddington | 1841 | 1846 | Conservative | Peel II | Victoria |
| Edward Law 1st Earl of Ellenborough | 1846 | 1846 | Conservative | Peel II | Victoria |
| George Eden 1st Earl of Auckland | 1846 | 1849 | Whig | Russell I | Victoria |
| Francis Baring MP for Portsmouth | 1849 | 1852 | Whig | Russell I | Victoria |
| Algernon Percy 4th Duke of Northumberland | 1852 | 1852 | Conservative | Who? Who? | Victoria |
| James Graham MP for Carlisle | 1852 | 1855 | Peelite | Aberdeen (Peelite–Whig) | Victoria |
| James Graham MP for Carlisle | 1852 | 1855 | Peelite | Palmerston I | Victoria |
| Charles Wood Bt GCB MP for Halifax | 1855 | 1858 | Whig | Palmerston I | Victoria |
| John Pakington MP for Droitwich | 1858 | 1859 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli II | Victoria |
| His Grace Edward Seymour 12th Duke of Somerset | 1859 | 1866 | Liberal | Palmerston II | Victoria |
| His Grace Edward Seymour 12th Duke of Somerset | 1859 | 1866 | Liberal | Russell II | Victoria |
| John Pakington MP for Droitwich | 1866 | 1867 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli III | Victoria |
| Henry Lowry-Corry MP for Tyrone | 1867 | 1868 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli III | Victoria |
| Hugh Childers MP for Pontefract | 1868 | 1871 | Liberal | Gladstone I | Victoria |
| George Goschen MP for City of London | 1871 | 1874 | Liberal | Gladstone I | Victoria |
| George Ward Hunt MP for Northamptonshire North | 1874 | 1877 | Conservative | Disraeli II | Victoria |
| William Henry Smith MP for Westminster | 1877 | 1880 | Conservative | Disraeli II | Victoria |
| Thomas Baring 1st Earl of Northbrook | 1880 | 1885 | Liberal | Gladstone II | Victoria |
| Lord George Hamilton MP for Ealing | 1885 | 1886 | Conservative | Salisbury I | Victoria |
| George Robinson 1st Marquess of Ripon | 1886 | 1886 | Liberal | Gladstone III | Victoria |
| Lord George Hamilton MP for Ealing | 1886 | 1892 | Conservative | Salisbury II | Victoria |
| John Spencer 5th Earl Spencer | 1892 | 1895 | Liberal | Gladstone IV | Victoria |
| John Spencer 5th Earl Spencer | 1892 | 1895 | Liberal | Rosebery | Victoria |
| George Goschen MP for St George Hanover Square | 1895 | 1900 | Conservative | Salisbury (III & IV) (Con.–Lib.U.) | Victoria |
| William Palmer 2nd Earl of Selborne | 1900 | 1905 | Liberal Unionist | Salisbury (III & IV) (Con.–Lib.U.) | Victoria |
| William Palmer 2nd Earl of Selborne | 1900 | 1905 | Liberal Unionist | Salisbury (III & IV) (Con.–Lib.U.) | Edward VII |
| William Palmer 2nd Earl of Selborne | 1900 | 1905 | Liberal Unionist | Balfour | Edward VII |
| Frederick Campbell 3rd Earl Cawdor | 1905 | 1905 | Conservative | Balfour | Edward VII |
| Edward Marjoribanks 2nd Lord Tweedmouth | 1905 | 1908 | Liberal | Campbell-Bannerman | Edward VII |
| Reginald McKenna MP for North Monmouthshire | 1908 | 1911 | Liberal | Asquith (I–III) | Edward VII |
| Reginald McKenna MP for North Monmouthshire | 1908 | 1911 | Liberal | Asquith (I–III) | George V |
| Winston Churchill MP for Dundee | 1911 | 1915 | Liberal | Asquith (I–III) | George V |
| Arthur Balfour MP for City of London | 1915 | 1916 | Conservative | Asquith Coalition (Lib.–Con.–et al.) | George V |
| Edward Carson MP for Dublin University | 1916 | 1917 | Conservative | Lloyd George (I & II) | George V |
| Eric Geddes MP for Cambridge | 1917 | 1919 | Conservative | Lloyd George (I & II) | George V |
| Walter Long MP for Westminster St George's | 1919 | 1921 | Conservative | Lloyd George (I & II) | George V |
| Arthur Lee 1st Baron Lee of Fareham | 1921 | 1922 | Conservative | Lloyd George (I & II) | George V |
| Leo Amery MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook | 1922 | 1924 | Conservative | Law | George V |
| Leo Amery MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook | 1922 | 1924 | Conservative | Baldwin I | George V |
| Frederic Thesiger 1st Viscount Chelmsford | 1924 | 1924 | Independent | MacDonald I | George V |
| William Clive Bridgeman | 1924 | 1929 | Conservative | Baldwin II | George V |
| A. V. Alexander MP for Sheffield Hillsborough | 1929 | 1931 | Labour (Co-op) | MacDonald II | George V |
| Austen Chamberlain MP for Birmingham West | 1931 | 1931 | Conservative | National I (N.Lab.–Con.–et al.) | George V |
| Bolton Eyres-Monsell 1st Viscount Monsell | 1931 | 1936 | Conservative | National II | George V |
| Bolton Eyres-Monsell 1st Viscount Monsell | 1931 | 1936 | Conservative | National III (Con.–N.Lab.–et al.) | George V |
| Bolton Eyres-Monsell 1st Viscount Monsell | 1931 | 1936 | Conservative | National III (Con.–N.Lab.–et al.) | Edward VIII |
| Samuel Hoare MP for Chelsea | 1936 | 1937 | Conservative | National III (Con.–N.Lab.–et al.) | Edward VIII |
| Samuel Hoare MP for Chelsea | 1936 | 1937 | Conservative | National III (Con.–N.Lab.–et al.) | George VI |
| Duff Cooper MP for Westminster St George's | 1937 | 1938 | Conservative | National IV | George VI |
| James Stanhope 7th Earl Stanhope | 1938 | 1939 | Conservative | National IV | George VI |
| Winston Churchill MP for Epping | 1939 | 1940 | Conservative | Chamberlain War | George VI |
| A. V. Alexander MP for Sheffield Hillsborough | 1940 | 1945 | Labour (Co-op) | Churchill War (All parties) | George VI |
| Brendan Bracken MP for Paddington North | 1945 | 1945 | Conservative | Churchill Caretaker (Con.–N.Lib.) | George VI |
| A. V. Alexander MP for Sheffield Hillsborough | 1945 | 1946 | Labour (Co-op) | Attlee (I & II) | George VI |
| George Hall 1st Viscount Hall | 1946 | 1951 | Labour | Attlee (I & II) | George VI |
| Frank Pakenham 1st Baron Pakenham | 1951 | 1951 | Labour | Attlee (I & II) | George VI |
| James Thomas 1st Viscount Cilcennin | 1951 | 1956 | Conservative | Churchill III | George VI |
| James Thomas 1st Viscount Cilcennin | 1951 | 1956 | Conservative | Churchill III | Elizabeth II |
| James Thomas 1st Viscount Cilcennin | 1951 | 1956 | Conservative | Eden | Elizabeth II |
| Quintin Hogg 2nd Viscount Hailsham | 1956 | 1957 | Conservative | Eden | Elizabeth II |
| George Douglas-Hamilton 10th Earl of Selkirk | 1957 | 1959 | Conservative | Macmillan (I & II) | Elizabeth II |
| Peter Carington 6th Baron Carrington | 1959 | 1963 | Conservative | Macmillan (I & II) | Elizabeth II |
| George Jellicoe 2nd Earl Jellicoe | 1963 | 1964 | Conservative | Douglas-Home | Elizabeth II |
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:
* ↑ Baron Weston from 1628, created Earl of Portland in 1633.
* ↑ Lord High Admiral 1638–1642.
* ↑ Lord High Admiral 1689.
* ↑ MP for Portsmouth until 1734; MP for Westminster from 1734.
* ↑ As Lord High Admiral .
* ↑ MP for Cumberland until 1832; MP for East Cumberland from 1832
* ↑ MP for Oswestry
* ↑ MP for Evesham until 1935; thereafter created Viscount Monsell.
* ↑ MP for Hereford until 1955; thereafter created Viscount Cilcennin.

## Boards, departments and offices under the First Lord

* Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office, (1628–1709)
* Admiralty Department, (1709–1964)
* Board of Admiralty, (1628–1964)
* Navy Board, (1628–1832)
* Sick and Hurt Board, (1653–1806)
* Transport Board, (1690–1724, 1794–1817)
* Victualling Board, (1683–1832)
* Office of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty
* Office of the Senior Naval Lord, (1689–1771)
* Office of the First Naval Lord, (1771–1904)
* Office of the First Sea Lord, (1904–1917)
* Office of the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, (1917–1964)
* Office of the Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, (1800–1910)
* Office of the Naval Secretary, (1910–1964)
* Office of the Secretary to the Admiralty, (1660–1763)
* Office of the First Secretary to the Admiralty, (1763–1871)
* Office of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, (1871–1886)
* Office of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, (1886–1959)
* Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty, (1882–1964)

## Fictional First Lords

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. 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 Benjamin 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.