Admiral of the Narrow Seas

The Admiral of the Narrow Seas also known as the Admiral for the guard of the Narrow Seas ^[1] was a senior Royal Navy appointment. The post holder was chiefly responsible for the command of the English navy's Narrow Seas Squadron ^[2] also known as the Eastern Squadron ^[3] 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.^[4] His subordinate units, establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Command of the Narrow Seas.^[5]

Office of the Admiral of the Narrow Seas
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
Abolished	1688

"A chart of ye narrow seas," 1675

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.^[6]

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.^[7] 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.^[8]

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	[9]
office is presumed vacant (1413–1522)
Vice-Admiral	William FitzWilliam	1523–1524	also vice-admiral channel squadron/fleet	[10]
Vice-Admiral	Sir John Dudley	1537		[11]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Rhys Mansell	June 1543		[12]
Vice-Admiral	Sir William Woodhouse	1544–1545		[13]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Thomas Cotton	May. 1549		[14]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Henry Dudley	26 March, 1552		[15]
Admiral	William Driver	December, 1552 – January, 1553		[16]
Vice-Admiral	Sir John Malen	1557–1558		[17]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Ralph Chamberlain	September, – October, 1558		[18]
Vice-Admiral	Sir John Malyn	November, 1558 – January, 1559		[19]
Admiral	Sir John Malen	February, 1563 – April, 1563	lost with his ship off Rye	[20]
Vice-Admiral	Sir John Hawkins	May – July, 1563		[21]
Vice-Admiral	Sir William Holstocke	August, 1562 – October, 1563		[22]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Thomas Cotton	August, – September, 1563		[23]
Rear-Admiral	Henry Palmer	1587		[24]
Vice-Admiral	Lord Henry Seymour	1588		[25]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Martin Frobisher	September, 1589 – 1590		[26]
Admiral	Luke Warde	1590–1591		[27]
Admiral	Sir Richard Leveson	1598–1601		[28]
Rear-Admiral	Sir Robert Mansell	c. 1599		[29]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Robert Mansell	1602–1604		[30][31]
Vice-Admiral	Sir William Monson	August, 1604 – 1613		[32]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Francis Howard	1613 – 13 January, 1616		[33]
Admiral	Sir Francis Howard	14 January, 1616 – 1618		[33]
Admiral	Sir Henry Mervyn	1619–1623		[citation needed]
Rear-Admiral	Sir John Penington	1623–1626	as Rear-Admiral for the Guard of the Narrow Seas	[34]
Rear-Admiral	Sir John Penington	1631–1634	as Rear-Admiral for the Guard of the Narrow Seas	[35]
Vice-Admiral	Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey	1635–1639		[36]
Vice-Admiral	Sir John Penington	1641–1642		[37]
Admiral	Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick	1643		[38]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Thomas Rainsborough	1643–1644	also vice-admiral in the channel	[39]
General-at-Sea	Sir Robert Blake	1652–1657	Commanding in the channel, and at the Downs	[40]
Vice-Admiral	Sir John Lawson	1665		[41]
Vice-Admiral	Sir Edward Montagu, 1st Earl Sandwich	July 1657 – 1658		[42]
Admiral	Sir Edward Montagu 1st Earl Sandwich	June 1661 – 1665		[43]
Vice-Admiral	Sir John Kempthorne	1678		[44]
Vice-Admiral	Sir William Poole	1679
Vice-Admiral	Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton	1685–1687		[45]
Admiral	Sir Roger Strickland	1687–1688	rank as Admiral of the Blue	[46]

See also

• Admiral of the South, North and West
• Admiral of the West
• Admiral of the North
• Admiral of the North and West
• Battle of the Narrow Seas