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Office of the Admiral of the Narrow Seas
Flag of England.svg
Flag of the Kingdom of England
Reports to Lord High Admiral, Board of Admiralty
Nominator Monarch of England, First Lord of the Admiralty
Appointer Monarch of England
Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term length Not fixed (usually for life)
Inaugural holder Vice-Admiral Sir John Pendagrast
Formation 1412-1688
A chart of ye narrow seas newly corrected RMG F8061f
"A chart of ye narrow seas," 1675

The Admiral of the Narrow Seas also known as the Admiral for the guard of the Narrow Seas was a senior Royal Navy appointment. The post holder was chiefly responsible for the command of the English navy's Narrow Seas Squadron also known as the Eastern Squadron that operated in the two seas which lay between England and Kingdom of France (the English Channel particularly the Straits of Dover) and England and the Spanish Netherlands later the Dutch Republic (the southern North Sea) from 1412 to 1688. His subordinate units, establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Command of the Narrow Seas.

History

The first royal commission as Admiral to a naval officer was granted in 1303. By 1344 it was only used as a rank at sea for a captain in charge of a fleet or fleets.

In the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Kingdom of England claimed sovereignty over certain bodies of water close to the British Isles: those between the Kingdom of France and England (the English Channel particularly the Straits of Dover) and the Spanish Netherlands later the Dutch Republic and England (the southern North Sea). As a result of England's claim of these territorial waters there was an enforceable requirement placed on any foreign ships passing through the area to acknowledge all English warships. England also exercised control over all fishing rights within the same waters.

Among the most important naval postings during these times was the Admiral of the Narrow Seas, sometimes called the Vice-Admiral of the Narrow Seas to denote that he was junior to the Lord Admiral of England. These flag officers were formally appointed by the crown. His responsibilities were to guard the narrow seas from foreign threats, protect English fishing vessels and enforce English sovereignty over said waters.

Claims to the narrow seas lasted until the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, along with other European countries, agreed to set a new three-mile limit in 1822.

Office holders

Admiral/General at Sea/Vice-Admiral/Rear-Admiral Narrow Seas
rank name date/s notes ref
Vice-Admiral Sir John Pendagrast 1412 Commanding the Narrow Seas
office is presumed vacant (1413 – 1522)
Vice-Admiral William FitzWilliam 1523 – 1524 also vice-admiral channel squadron/fleet
Vice-Admiral Sir John Dudley 1537
Vice-Admiral Sir Rhys Mansell June 1543
Vice-Admiral Sir William Woodhouse 1544 – 1545
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Cotton May. 1549
Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Dudley 26 March, 1552
Admiral William Driver December, 1552 – January, 1553
Vice-Admiral Sir John Malen 1557 – 1558
Vice-Admiral Sir Ralph Chamberlain September, – October, 1558
Vice-Admiral Sir John Malyn November, 1558 – January, 1559
Admiral Sir John Malen February, 1563 – April, 1563 lost with his ship off Rye
Vice-Admiral Sir John Hawkins May – July, 1563
Vice-Admiral Sir William Holstocke August, 1562 – October, 1563
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Cotton August, – September, 1563
Rear-Admiral Henry Palmer 1587
Vice-Admiral Lord Henry Seymour 1588
Vice-Admiral Sir Martin Frobisher September, 1589 – 1590
Admiral Luke Warde 1590 – 1591
Admiral Sir Richard Leveson 1598 – 1601
Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Mansell c. 1599
Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Mansell 1602 – 1604
Vice-Admiral Sir William Monson August, 1604 – 1613
Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Howard 1613 – 13 January, 1616
Admiral Sir Francis Howard 14 January, 1616 – 1618
Admiral Sir Henry Mervyn 1619 – 1623
Rear-Admiral Sir John Penington 1623 – 1626 as Rear-Admiral for the Guard of the Narrow Seas
Rear-Admiral Sir John Penington 1631 – 1634 as Rear-Admiral for the Guard of the Narrow Seas
Vice-Admiral Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey 1635 – 1639
Vice-Admiral Sir John Penington 1641 – 1642
Admiral Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick 1643
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Rainsborough 1643 – 1644 also vice-admiral in the channel
General-at-Sea Sir Robert Blake 1652 – 1657 Commanding in the channel, and at the Downs
Vice-Admiral Sir John Lawson 1665
Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Montagu, 1st Earl Sandwich July 1657 – 1658
Admiral Sir Edward Montagu 1st Earl Sandwich June 1661 – 1665
Vice-Admiral Sir John Kempthorne 1678
Vice-Admiral Sir William Poole 1679
Vice-Admiral Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton 1685 – 1687
Admiral Sir Roger Strickland 1687 – 1688 rank as Admiral of the Blue

See also

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