Admiral-superintendent

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

List 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

List of commodore-superintendents by first appointment date. All appointed by the Board of Admiralty.

• Commodore-Superintendent, Halifax, 1759-1905?^[14]
• Commodore-Superintendent, Bermuda, 1795-1834?^[15]

Captain-Superintendents

List 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

1. "Royal Naval dockyard staff". nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, UK, 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
2. Carradice, Phil (2013). The Ships of Pembroke Dockyard. Stroud, Gloucs.: Amberley.
3. "Royal Naval dockyard staff". nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, UK, 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
4. Stewart, William (2009). Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 47. ISBN 9780786438099.
5. "Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust".
6. "House of Commons 15 October 1969". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 15 October 1969.
7. "House of Commons 27 July 1971". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 27 July 1971.
8. "Naval Biographical Database". navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
9. "Naval Biographical Database". navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
10. "Naval Biographical Database". navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
11. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Admirals Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard". The Dreadnought Project, 26 September 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
12. "1832 - First Admiral Superintendent Appointed". portsmouthdockyard.org.uk/. Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
13. "Naval Biographical Database". navylist.org. Navylist.org, 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
14. Mayne, Richard O. (2011). Betrayed: Scandal, Politics, and Canadian Naval Leadership. UBC Press. p. 117. ISBN 9780774840132.
15. The Navy List 1834. Originally H.M. Stationery Office, Digitized by University of Michigan. 26 Sep 2006. p. 137.