Samuel Pepys and the World He Lived In

by Henry B. Wheatley

From the middle of the 16th to the end of the 17th century, Chatham was by far the most important of the English naval stations, and the Commissioner resident there had from the first a seat and vote at the Board in London—a privilege which was not extended to his colleague at Portsmouth until a much later date. The rise of the latter port dates from the alliance with the Dutch, and war with France which followed the accession of William and Mary, and which made it necessary to establish a first-class naval yard at a less distance from the French coast than Chatham. The same cause led to the construction of a dry dock at Plymouth. See “Edmund Dummer,” in the list of Surveyors of the Navy.

The figures in the first column represent the year of appointment, when that can be ascertained. The prefix “circ.” implies that the person named in the second column is known to have held the office at the time stated, although the date of first appointment is not known. In some cases the only date that can be found is that of an order to the Attorney-General to prepare letters patent; sometimes that of the patent itself; sometimes of a warrant to execute the office, notwithstanding that the patent is not yet passed; and occasionally that of a letter from some person at Court informing his correspondent that the King or Queen has signed such and such a patent. It has been thought better, therefore, to state only the year of appointment, as the insertion in lists of this kind of the month and day tends to give them a delusive appearance of accuracy.

The scantiness of MS. records before the Revolution arises from the practice which existed of retiring Officers taking away with them their office books and papers, which they regarded as their own property. This was put a stop to in the Dockyards by a Navy Board Order of the 18th August, 1692. Unless otherwise stated, the manuscripts in the following lists are in the British Museum.

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SECRETARIES OF THE ADMIRALTY,

From the first placing of the Office of Lord High Admiral in Commission to the commencement of the 18th century.

Note.—An asterisk (*) before the name of a titled office-holder signifies that the title (knighthood or other) was conferred upon him during his tenure of that office.

Date of Appointment.	Name.	Authority.	Lord High Admiral.
1628	Edward Nicholas.	Cal. Stte Papers (Domestic Series).	In Commission.
Nicholas had been Secretary to Lord Zouch,Warden of the Cinque Ports, and afterwards tothe Duke of Buckingham, Lord High Admiral.On the assassination of the latter, in 1628, theoffice of Lord High Admiral was for the first timeentrusted to a body of commissioners instead ofto an individual, and Nicholas was appointedSecretary of the Admiralty. When the Earl ofNorthumberland was appointed Lord High Admiral,ten years later, Nicholas ceased to hold anyoffice immediately connected with the Navy, butretained the post of Clerk of the Council. Hewas afterwards knighted, and became Secretaryof State to Charles I., and (after the Restoration)to Charles II.
1638	Thomas Smith.	Cal. St. Pap.	Earl of Northumberland.
1643	——?		Earl of Warwick.
1645	——?		A Committee of both Houses of Parliament.
1648	——?		Earl of Warwick again.
I have not met with any record of the names ofthe Secretaries during the period from 1643 to1649.
1649	Robert Coytmor.	Cal. St. Pap.	A Committee of the Council of State.
1652	Robert Blackborne.	Cal. St. Pap.	Commissioners appointed by Act of Parliament.
Blackborne had previously held the office of Secretaryto the “Navy Committee,” a Committee ofthe House of Commons. The precise relationsexisting between the numerous committees andcommissions at this period are not very clear.
1653	Robert Blackborne.	Cal. St. Pap.	Commissioners appointed by Act of the Convention.
1654	Robert Blackborne.	Addit. MS. 18,986, fo. 150 (Letter to Blackborne from Commissr. Pett).	Do. by Patent of the Protector Oliver.
1658	Robert Blackborne.	Admiralty Orders and Instructions, 1656 to 1658 (Admiralty Library MS.).	Do. by Patent of the Protector Richard.
1659	Robert Blackborne.	Addit. MS. 9,302, fo. 183 (List of Officers and Salaries of the Admiralty and Navy before the Restoration)	Commissioners appointed by the Rump.
Blackborne continued to hold the office of Secretaryuntil the appointment of the Duke of Yorkas Lord High Admiral in July, 1660. He is frequentlymentioned by Pepys.
1660	*Sir William Coventry.	From “Mr. Hewer’s account of the Secretaries of the Admiralty fromKing Charles II.’s restoration to King James II.’s withdrawing, December, 1688. (MS. in Pepysian Collection, “Naval Minutes.”)	Duke of York.
1667	Matthew Wren.		Duke of York.
1672	Sir John Werden.		Duke of York.
1673	Samuel Pepys.		King Charles II, with a Commission.
1679	Thomas Hayter.		In Commission.
1680	John Brisband.		In Commission.
1684	Samuel Pepys.		King Charles II. (assisted by the Duke of York).
1685	Samuel Pepys.		King James II.
1688	Samuel Pepys.		Prince of Orange.
1689	Phineas Bowles.		In Commission.
1690	James Sotherne.	Luttrell, ii p. 10.	In Commission.
1694	William Bridgman.	Luttrell, iii. p. 341.	In Commission.
1695	William Bridgman and Josiah Burchett, joint Secretaries	Haydn’s “Book of Dignities.”	In Commission.
The date of the joint appointment is taken fromHaydn, but the fact is proved by Admiralty lettersin the Chatham Dockyard Records, which aboutthis time bear the signature sometimes of Bridgmanand sometimes of Burchett as Secretary.
1698	Josiah Burchett, alone.	Luttrell, iv. 396.	In Commission.
1702	Josiah Burchett.		Earl of Pembroke.
1702	Josiah Burchett, George Clark, joint.	Luttrell, v. 176.	Prince George of Denmark.
1705	Josiah Burchett, alone.	Luttrell, v. 605.	Prince George of Denmark.
1708	Josiah Burchett.		Earl of Pembroke.
1709	Josiah Burchett.		In Commission.
Note.—Mr. Burchett continued to hold thisoffice until 1742, when he retired. (“British Chronologist,”29th Oct., 1742.)