CLERKS OF THE SHIPS, OF THE NAVY, OR OF THE ACTS,

To the commencement of the 18th century.

Date of Appointment.Name.Authority.
circ. 1482Thomas Roger, or Rogiers.Pepys’s “Miscellanies” (MS.) and Harleian MS. 433.
The office of “Clerk of the King’s Ships,” or ofthe Navy, afterwards “Clerk of the Acts of theNavy,” is in all probability a very ancient one; butthe first holder of the office whose name I havemet with is Thomas Roger or Rogiers, who seemsto have held it in the reigns of Edward IV., EdwardV., and Richard III. In the third volumeof Pepys’s MS. “Miscellanies,” p. 87, is an entry ofan order dated 18th May, 22nd Edward IV. (1482),to the Treasurer and Chamberlain of the Exchequerto examine and clear the account of “ourwell beloved Thomas Roger Esq. Clerk of ourShips.” Harleian MS. 433 (supposed to have belongedto Lord Burghley) is a register of grants,&c., passing the Privy Seal, &c., during the reignsof Edward V. and Richard III., with some entriesof other reigns. No. 1690 is the appointment of“Thomas Rogiers to be Clerc of all maner shippesto the King belonging.” It has no date, but isvery probably a reappointment by Richard III.on his assumption of the throne.
Temp. Henry VII.William Comersale.“Letters and Papers, Henry VIII.,” vol. i. p. 48.
Temp. Henry VII. 1509Robert Brigandyne, or Brikenden.
“Privy Seal 28 July 1509 for Robert Brikendento be Keeper or Clerk of the King’s Ships inthe Realm of England, with 12d. a day for himself,and 6d. a day for his Clerk, in the samemanner as William Comersale,—out of the customsof Exeter and Dartmouth.”
“Letters and Papers, Henry VIII.,” vol. iii. pt. 2, p. 1263.
“Grant 21 April 1523:—Rob. Briganden, of Smalhed, Kent, alias ofPortesmouth. Release, as Clerk of the King’s Ships to Henry VII.and Henry VIII., and purveyor of Stuffs and timber for the same.”
From these two documents it appears thatBrigandyne’s appointment as Clerk of the Shipsin 1509 was a reappointment on the accession ofHenry VIII., and that he had held the same officeunder Henry VII. after Comersale, who may veryprobably have succeeded Rogiers.
Brigandyne’s name appears very frequently inconnection with naval matters down to October,1525, after which there is no mention of him inthe Calendar of letters and papers.
1526Thomas Jermyn, or Germyn.“Letters and Papers, Henry VIII.,” vol. iv. pt. 1, p. 954.
Patent 1526, April 3rd. Thomas Jermyn, Yeomanof the Guard and Crown, to be Keeper orClerk of the Navy, and Keeper of the Dock atPortsmouth, with 12d. a day, and 6d. a day for aClerk, out of the issues of the Ports of Exeter andDartmouth.
From this date to 1530 there are numerousentries connected with Jermyn’s accounts as Clerkof the Ships.
circ. 1540Sir Thomas Spert.Pepys’s “Miscellanies,” vol. vii. (MS. at Magdalene College).
This volume of the “Miscellanies” includes acollection of payments made to the navy between1537 and 1541. Amongst these are regular half-yearlypayments at the rate of £33 6s. 8d. to “SirThomas Spert, Clerke of the King’s Ships.”
circ. 1563George Winter.Addit. MSS. vol. 5752.
This volume contains an order of Queen Elizabeth,dated 16th July, 1563, to Lord Clinton, LordHigh Admiral, to deliver certain stores to GeorgeWinter, “Clerk of our Ships.” I have been unableto find the date of his appointment to thisoffice, which he continued to hold till his death in1581. His epitaph in Dyrham Church, Gloucestershire,is printed in Bigland’s Collection. Hewas brother to Sir William Winter, Surveyor ofthe Navy and Master of Sea Ordnance.
circ. 1585William Borough.Lansdowne MS. 43, No. 33.
In February of this year Borough was Clerk andComptroller: see his letter of this date (Feb. 1584,meaning no doubt 1585 as years are counted now)to Lord Burghley (Lansd. MSS. 43, 33) beginning,“To the righte honnorable the L. Burghley LordHighe Treasourer of Englande—your suppliantWilliam Borough Clarke and Comptroller of herMatie Shippes,” &c. The paper is endorsed, “Adewtifull declaration, February Ano. 1584. ByWilliam Borough Clarke and Comptroller of herMatie Navie.” It is an original letter, the bodywritten in a very neat hand of the period, andsigned by Borough himself in a different, but alsovery neat, hand. As William Holstock was certainlyComptroller at this time, and had been sofor more than twenty years, it is probable that heand Borough held that office jointly, whilst Boroughalso performed the functions of Clerk ofthe Ships. ([See List of Comptrollers.]) As Winterdied in 1581, and Borough had certainly beenClerk for some time before the date of his letter,it is probable that he immediately succeededWinter.
circ. 1600*Sir Peter Buck.Phineas Pett’s Autobiography.
As Borough died in 1598 (Cal. St. Pap.), it is probablehe was succeeded about that time by PeterBuck; but the first occasion on which I find the nameof the latter mentioned as Clerk of the Ships is inthe year 1600, by Phineas Pett. Sir Henry Palmercertainly succeeded Borough in the Comptrollershipin 1598 (Cal. St. Pap.). Buck died in 1625.He had been for some years Clerk of the Chequeat Chatham before his appointment to the Board.He is mentioned by Pepys as one of his predecessors(“Diary,” 14 Dec. 1660), who was not alittle proud of his office having once been held bya knight. Lord Braybrooke, in his note to thisentry, says that Buck was Secretary to AlgernonPercy, Earl of Northumberland; but Buck wasClerk of the Navy at least two years before theEarl was born, and died when the latter was onlytwenty-three years of age.
1625Dennis Fleming.Cal. St. Pap.
1638Dennis Fleming and Thomas Barlow, joint.Cal. St. Pap.
1642In abeyance.Addit. MSS. vol. 9311 fo. 188.
A body of Commissioners appointed by Parliamentinstead of the principal officers.
1660Samuel Pepys.
Lord Braybrooke, in his note to the entry of the27th June, 1660, quotes Pepys’s patent, in whichFleming and Barlow’s joint patent is recited andrevoked, and Pepys was appointed Clerk of theActs at a salary of £33 6s. 8d. per annum. Butthis amount was only the ancient “fee out of theExchequer” which had been attached to the officefor more than a century. Pepys’s salary had beenpreviously fixed at £350 a year. Lord Braybrookesays, in a note to 9th Feb. 1664–65, that “Barlowhad previously been Secretary to Algernon, Earlof Northumberland, when High Admiral;” but hewas appointed Clerk of the Acts two months beforethe Earl became Lord High Admiral. Barlow had,however, been in his service at an earlier date, andhad been appointed by the Earl Muster-Master ofthe Fleet under his command in 1636. (Cal. St.Pap.)
1674Thomas Hayter and John Pepys, joint.Addit. MSS. vol. 9307.
When Pepys was promoted to be Secretary ofthe Admiralty, he was succeeded in the office ofClerk of the Acts by his clerk and his brotherjointly.
1677Thomas Hayter and James Sotherne, joint.Orders and Warrants, 1676–78 (MS. in Admiralty Library).
Sotherne was appointed “one of the Clerkes ofye Acts of our Navy Royall,” in the place of JohnPepys “lately deceased:” 12th March, 1676–77.
1679James Sotherne, alone.
Hayter was promoted to be Secretary of theAdmiralty when Pepys was thrown into prison.
1686In abeyance.Pepys’s Memoir.
Special temporary Commission appointed, andthe principal officers suspended.
1688James Sotherne, restored.Pepys’s Memoir.
Special Commission revoked.
circ. 1690Charles Sergison.
Sotherne was made Secretary of the Admiraltyin January, 1690, and it is probable that Sergisonimmediately succeeded him. The Letter-books ofthe Navy Board at Chatham show that he held theoffice in 1691, and held it until 1719.
1719Tempest Holmes.Byng Collection, vol. xiii. (MS. in Admiralty Library).

COMMISSIONERS OF THE NAVY APPOINTED TO RESIDE AT CHATHAM,

From the first establishment of that office in 1630 to the commencement of the 18th century.

Date of Appointment.Name.Authority.
1630Phineas Pett.Phineas Pett’s Autobiography (Addit. MS. 9298).
This interesting MS., in Pett’s own handwriting,contains full details of the life of thecelebrated builder of the “Royal Sovereign,” or“Sovereign of the Seas,” from his birth in 1570until 1637, when it breaks off abruptly. It isendorsed, in a much later handwriting: “The lifeof Comr. Pett’s father, whose place he did enjoy.”A few leaves are wanting, but their contents aresupplied by a complete transcript in the HarleianMS. 6279, in which, however (as well as in anothertranscript in the Pepysian Library), the orthographyis somewhat modernized, and the handwritingis that of the latter part of the 17th century.Extracts from a copy of the Harleian transcriptare printed in “Archæologia,” vol. xii.
Pett died in 1647, at Chatham. Having submittedto the Parliament in 1642, he retainedhis office until his death in 1647.[409]
1647Peter Pett.Addit. MSS. vol. 9306 (Navy Board Letter-book), shows that in Nov. 1648, Peter Pett held this office.
I have not met with Peter Pett’s original appointment,but I have no doubt that he immediately succeededhis father Phineas, on the death of the latterin 1647. He was continued in the same office afterthe Restoration. In 1667, in consequence of theDutch attack on Chatham, he was superseded,sent to the Tower, and threatened with impeachment.The threat was not carried out, but he wasnever restored to office.
1667Vacant.
No new appointment was made for nearly twoyears after Pett’s removal.
1669*Sir John Cox.Pepys’ Diary: Narborough’s Diary.
Cox was master of the Duke of York’s flagship,“Royal Charles,” in the victory over the DutchAdmiral Opdam, 3rd June, 1665. Was captain ofthe “Sovereign” in the three days’ battle with theDutch fleet in June, 1666. Master Attendant atDeptford in 1667. Resident Commissioner atChatham, March, 1669. Appointed, 15th Jan.1672, Flag-Captain to the Duke of York in the“Prince,” without vacating his office at Chatham.Knighted by King Charles II., on board the“Prince,” at the Nore, on the 27th April. Killedat the Battle of Sole Bay, on the 28th May in thesame year.
(See “Diary” of Captain John Narborough(afterwards Sir John), whilst serving as First Lieutenanton board the “Prince.” It is amongst thePepysian MSS. at Magdalene College, and there isa transcript in the Admiralty Library.)
1672Colonel Thomas Middleton.Duke of York’s Instructions (MS. in Admiralty Library).
Colonel Middleton was one of the Commissionersof the Admiralty appointed by the Rumpin January, 1660. Engaged in the West Indiatrade after the Restoration (see Duke of York’s“Memoirs,” p. 9). Appointed Commissioner atPortsmouth in 1664, and Surveyor of the Navy in1667. Removed to Chatham as Resident Commissionerin June, 1672. Died in December ofthe same year.
1672*Sir Richard Beach.Duke of York’s Instructions (MS. in Admiralty Library).
Captain of H.M.S. the “Crown” in February,1663. Served at sea till 1672, in which year hecaptured an Algerine man-of-war. Appointed ResidentCommissioner at Chatham in Dec. 1672,and transferred to Portsmouth in the same capacityin 1679. Removed to the Board in Londonas Comptroller of Victualling Accounts in 1690.Died in May, 1692.
1679*Sir John Godwin.Addit. MS. 9312.
Served in the navy as a lieutenant, and subsequentlyin the Victualling Department. AppointedCommissioner at Chatham in Dec. 1679;removed to the Board in London, March, 1686;died in 1689.
1686Sir Phineas Pett.Pepys’s Memoirs.
Son of Peter Pett, shipbuilder, of Ratcliffe, andgrand-nephew of Phineas Pett, the first Commissionerat Chatham. Appointed Master Shipwrightat Portsmouth in June, 1660, and transferred toChatham in the same capacity in the followingmonth. Dismissed for misbehaviour in office onthe 25th Sept., 1668, but restored three monthsafterwards on making submission and surrenderinghis patent. Promoted to the Board in London asComptroller of Victualling Accounts on the 5thAugust, 1680, and knighted by the King on thesame day. Transferred to Chatham as Commissionerin 1686. Dismissed on account of hispolitical opinions on the accession of William andMary.[410]
1689*Sir Edward Gregory.Admiralty Orders, 1688–9 (MS. in the Public Record Office).
Served as a purser in the navy in 1662–3. Succeededhis father as Clerk of the Cheque inChatham Yard in Feb. 1665, which office he resignedafter holding it nearly twenty years. AppointedCommissioner at Chatham on the 20thApril, 1689. Knighted by William III. in Jan.1691. Retired on a pension of £300 a year inJune, 1703. Died in 1713.
1703Captain George St. Lo.Chatham Records.
Attained the rank of captain in 1682. When incommand of the “Portsmouth,” in 1689, was capturedwith his ship, and taken into Brest severelywounded. In 1693 he published a tract, entitled,“England’s Safety or a bridle to the FrenchKing.” In the same year he was appointed amember of the Navy Board. Transferred to Plymouthas Commissioner in 1695, and from thenceto Chatham in 1703. Superseded on the accessionof George I., in 1714, by the omission of hisname from the new patent for the Navy Board.

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