The admiral-superintendent[1] was the Royal Navy officer in command of a larger Naval Dockyard. Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham all had admiral-superintendents, as did some other dockyards in the United Kingdom and abroad at certain times. The admiral-superintendent usually held the rank of rear-admiral. His deputy was the captain of the dockyard (or captain of the port from 1969).
Some smaller dockyards, such as Sheerness and Pembroke,[2] had a captain-superintendent[3] instead, whose deputy was styled commander of the dockyard. The appointment of a commodore-superintendent[4] was also made from time to time in certain yards.
The appointment of admiral-superintendents (or their junior equivalents) dates from 1832 when the Admiralty took charge of the Royal Dockyards. Prior to this larger dockyards were overseen by a commissioner who represented the Navy Board.
In the Royal Naval Dockyards, admiral-superintendents ceased to be appointed after 15 September 1971, and existing post-holders were renamed port admirals.[5] This followed the appointment of a (civilian) Chief Executive of the Royal Dockyards in September 1969[6] and the creation of a centralised Royal Dockyards Management Board.[7]
Admiral-superintendents
editList of admiral-superintendents by first appointment date. Appointed by the Navy Board until 1832 and the Board of Admiralty thereafter.
- Admiral-Superintendent, Plymouth, 1707–1712, 1832–1966[8]
- Admiral-Superintendent, Chatham, 1879–1951[9]
- Admiral-superintendent, Malta, 1832–1897[10]
- Admiral-superintendent, Portsmouth, 1832–1996[11][12]
- Admiral-Superintendent, Naval Reserves, 1875–1903[13]
- Admiral-Superintendent, Devonport, 1846–1970
- Admiral-Superintendent, Gibraltar, 1898–1945
- Admiral-Superintendent, Rosyth Dockyard, 1915–1944
- Admiral-Superintendent of Esquimalt Dockyard (Victoria, British Columbia)
- Admiral-Superintendent of Halifax Dockyard
- Admirals-Superintendent on the Clyde
Commodore-superintendents
editList of commodore-superintendents by first appointment date. All appointed by the Board of Admiralty.
Captain-Superintendents
editList of captain-superintendents by first appointment date. Appointed by the Navy Board until 1832 and the Board of Admiralty thereafter.
- Captain-Superintendent, Sheerness, 1799-1934
- Captain-Superintendent, Pembroke, 1882-1926
- Captain-Superintendent, Haulbowline, 1869-1923
- Captain-Superintendent, Woolwich, 1512-1869
References
edit- ^ "Royal Naval dockyard staff". nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, UK, 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Carradice, Phil (2013). The Ships of Pembroke Dockyard. Stroud, Gloucs.: Amberley.
- ^ "Royal Naval dockyard staff". nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, UK, 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Stewart, William (2009). Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 47. ISBN 9780786438099.
- ^ "Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust".
- ^ "House of Commons 15 October 1969". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 15 October 1969.
- ^ "House of Commons 27 July 1971". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 27 July 1971.
- ^ "Naval Biographical Database". navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Naval Biographical Database". navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Naval Biographical Database". navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Admirals Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard". The Dreadnought Project, 26 September 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ "1832 - First Admiral Superintendent Appointed". portsmouthdockyard.org.uk/. Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Naval Biographical Database". navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ Mayne, Richard O. (2011). Betrayed: Scandal, Politics, and Canadian Naval Leadership. UBC Press. p. 117. ISBN 9780774840132.
- ^ The Navy List 1834. Originally H.M. Stationery Office, Digitized by University of Michigan. 26 Sep 2006. p. 137.