Controller of the Navy

The Controller of the Navy was an Admiralty official responsible for much of the Royal Navy's shipbuilding and other matériel needs. existed continuously from 1860 to 1912. From 1869 to 1872 he had a seat on the Board of Admiralty as Third Lord and Controller of the Navy before being removed, and from 1882 to 1904 as Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy and then from 1904 as Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy. In 1912 some of the office's duties were redistributed to other members of the Board, and the title of Controller of the Navy was dropped.

History

See also: Instructions for the Controller of the Navy

The office of Surveyor of the Navy had been one of the five Principal Officers of the Civil Departments of the Navy. By Order in Council of 23 January, 1860, the title of Surveyor of the Navy was changed to Comptroller of the Navy. In spite of the wording of the Order in Council the title was being rendered as Controller of the Navy within a month.

At the end of 1868, formalised by Order in Council of 14 January, 1869, the organisation of the Board of Admiralty was completely altered. The office of Controller of the Navy was merged with that of Second Sea Lord to become Third Lord and Controller of the Navy:

The Controller of the Navy being, as we have proposed, the Third Lord, to be responsible to the First Lord of the Admiralty for the administration of so much of the business as relates to the "Matériel" of Your Majesty's Navy, i.e., to the Building and Repairing of Ships, to Guns and to Naval Stores.

He and the First Naval Lord received £1,500 per annum, with residence, "to mark the special responsibilities" of their office (a 50% pay increase for the First Naval Lord).

Under the Order in Council of 19 March, 1872, it was laid down "That the office of Comptroller of the Navy be re-established, as an office to be held for a fixed period by an Officer not a member of the Board". His duties were defined:

The Comptroller to be responsible to the First Lord for the administration of so much of the business as relates to the Matériel of Your Majesty's Navy, the Comptroller to have the right to attend the Board, and to explain his views, whenever the First Lord shall submit to the Board, for their opinion, designs for ships or any other matters emanating from the Comptroller's Department.

The Controller remained a servant of the Board again until 1882, when the Admiralty obtained the Order in Council of 10 March, 1882 which decreed, inter alia, "That the officer filling the post of Comptroller of Your Majesty's Navy may, notwithstanding the said Order in Council [of 19 March, 1872], be appointed an additional Naval Lord of the Admiralty." In a distribution of business of 24 April of that year he is styled as Controller of the Navy, but as the Junior Naval Lord retained his title the Controller was already in effect Third Sea Lord. In subsequent distributions of business he was styled as Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy.

Under the Order in Council of 10 August, 1904, the office's title was altered to Third Sea Lord and Controller. By Order in Council of 21 December, 1906, the emoluments of his office were raised from £1,500 a year to £1,750 a year, in addition to Naval Half Pay. The Controller then became £250 a year better off than the Second Sea Lord.

Under the Order in Council of 19 July, 1912 the title of Controller of the Navy was dropped and the office became simply Third Sea Lord.

The office of Controller, established in 1917 as a wartime measure, was merged with that of Third Sea Lord on 25 June, 1918, which became once again Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy by Order in Council of that date.

Duties

Controller of the Navy

17 February, 1860.

Your duties consist in the control of all expenditure incurred for the building, the repair, and the outfit of vessels in Her Majesty's navy. These works, therefore, whether they be performed in the naval yards, or by contract, are placed under your direction and management. For the discharge of these important duties you are invested with such authority as will enable you, by the exercise of due vigilance, to regulate the numerous sources of expenditure for which you are responsible to the Board of Admiralty. You are to control the various services in the dock yards, which may be briefly classed under the following heads: Ships building; ‘ ‘ converting. ‘ ‘ making good defects of and refitting. ‘ ‘ fitting for sea. ‘ ‘ fitting for steam ordinary. ‘ ‘ fitting for the divisions of reserve. ‘ ‘ maintaining in ordinary. Yard craft. Construction and repairs of steam machinery and boilers. You are authorized to correspond with the Superintendents of the dockyards, who in all matters connected with your department will communicate with you, and receive orders from you. You are to prepare and submit to their Lordships before the commencement of each financial year a programme of the works relating to your department to be performed within the year. This programme must show the actual state of the ships then building, and also the state to which you propose they should be advanced by the end of the financial year, with the number of men to be employed on each ship, and the probable cost. The programme should contain similar information in reference to ships to be converted within the year. You will submit to their Lordships your suggestions as to the number and proportion of the various artificers and labourers to be employed in the several departments of the dockyard and factories under your control. You will regulate the numbers with reference to the vote for wages, and you will at all times recommend such alteration of the numbers employed, and such revision of expenditure as may best, in your opinion, contribute to the economy and efficiency of the dockyard. You will from time to time transmit a return of the names of those artificers and workmen who from age and infirmity are incapable of performing a proper day's work, with a statement of their age and time of servitude. You are, as often as your other duties will permit, to visit the dockyards, in order to inspect the works in progress, and to ascertain that your directions are carried out with promptitude and economy. Any orders which you may wish to give to the Superintendent should be in writing. You are to recommend such measures as you may think fit for the preservation of ships in the several divisions of steam ordinary, and you will ascertain the condition of the vessels, of the machinery and boilers, so that you may be enabled accurately to inform their Lordships of the time in which these vessels could be ready for service. You will see that the timber used in the dockyards for the building and repair of vessels is suitable, and duly seasoned, and if you should see occasion you will call their Lordships attention to the quantity and quality of timber in store. You will carefully observe the quantity of timber, and of other stores employed in the works under your control, and immediately direct their Lordships' notice to any defects in the supply, and to any waste in the expenditure. You will receive every month a scheme of works from the several dockyards, so that you may be able to watch the progress making in the approved programme, and have it in your power to modify the works whenever the alteration may be rendered necessary by the exigencies of the public service. A return is to be made from your office at the end of every three months, showing the general progress of work in the several dockyards, and the number of men employed. You will submit to their Lordships, when required, designs of vessels to be built either in the naval yards or by contract, as they may direct, and you will lay before them such details respecting the vessel, its estimated cost, the machinery, and the armament proposed, as may enable them to form a judgment in each case before they sanction the design. Whenever vessels, or machinery for vessels, or for dockyard purposes, are to be supplied by contract, you are to submit to their Lordships the names of persons qualified to tender, with such further information as may be necessary. The tenders are to be opened by you, and then submitted to their Lordships with your observations as to which may be most eligible for acceptance. When the tender has been accepted, you are to communicate with the person, and take steps for the due execution of the contract. While the work contracted for is in progress, you are to send an inspector as often as you think fit, who will report to you on the state of the work, and you will not give a certificate for the payment of any instalment until you are satisfied with the condition of the work, unless the circumstances of the case induce you to make a special submission to their Lordships. The examination of candidates for Chief Engineers of the Royal Navy will be conducted in your office, and you will from time to time recommend for promotion to that rank, and to subordinate ranks, such Assistant Engineers as may possess the requisite qualifications. You will also regulate all other examinations of Assistant Engineers, and of candidates for entry into the engineer branch of Her Majesty's navy; and you will recommend the Chief and other Engineers for appointment to Her Majesty's ships. When vacancies occur in the dockyards, whether for the superior or inferior officers, if they are such as require to be filled up, you are, after consultation with the Superintendent of the yard, to submit the names of the several candidates, in accordance with the regulation promulgated on the 13th March 1853. The examinations of candidates for the situations of Master Shipwrights Assistant will be conducted in your office, or in such manner as their Lordships may direct. All other examinations which take place in the dockyard departments under your control will be forwarded to your office for submission to their Lordships, and you will assist to the best of your ability in rendering these examinations just towards the candidates, and beneficial to the public service. You will, as heretofore, consult with the Senior Naval Lord upon all matters connected with the preparation of ships for commission, the repairs of ships in commission, the ships in the steam reserve, the state of work in the dock-yards, and generally with the business of your office. The foregoing instructions may not embrace the whole of your duties, but they will serve for your general guidance; and in the discharge of these duties if you should at any time see the means of introducing improvements or measures calculated to promote economy in any branch of Her Majesty's service connected with your department, it will be your special duty to submit it to the Board of Admiralty.

Third Lord and Controller

December, 1868.
As Third Lord and Controller.
Steam Reserve.
Dockyards.
Dockyard Craft.
Shipbuilding.
Constructor's Department.
Inventions and Experiments in Steam and Ships.
Gunnery and Returns.
Store Department.
Appointments of Engineers.

Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy

24 April, 1882.
Duties shared with Additional Civil Lord.
1.—Dockyards.
2.—Steam Reserves.—as regard Ships.
3.—Ship-building.
4.—Constructor's Department.
5.—Store Department.
6.—Dock-yard Craft.
7.—Inventions and Experiments in Ships and Steam.
8.—Gunnery as relates to Materiel.
9.—Promotions and transfers of Professional Officers and Workmen in the Dockyards.

7 July, 1885.
1.—Dockyards.
2.—Steam Reserves—as regards Matériel.
3.—Construction and repair of Ships and Machinery.
4.—Purchase and disposal of Ships.
5.—Loan of Ships, Tugs, &c.
6.—Inventions—relating to Ships, Machinery, Ordnance and Torpedo Matériel, &c.
7.—Models at Greenwich.
8.—Dockyard Craft, Personnel and Matériel.
9.—Dockyard Police.
10.—Dockyard and Victualling Yard Machinery and Caissons.
11.—Electric Lights.
12.—Ordnance and Torpedo Matériel and Stores.
13.—Gun Mountings.
14.—Naval Store Department at the Admiralty and Dockyards, including coals for Dockyards and Factories and Stores for the Fleet.
15.—Moorings.
16.—Royal Corps of Naval Constructors.
17.—Dockyard Foremen, Inspectors, and Subordinate Officers and Workmen—promotions, transfers and leave.

December, 1888.
1.—Dockyards.
2.—Steam Reserves—as regards Matériel.
3.—Construction and repair of Ships and Machinery.
4.—Purchase and disposal of Ships.
5.—Loan of Ships, Tugs, &c.
6.—Inventions—relating to Ships, Machinery, Ordnance and Torpedo Matériel, &c.
7.—Models at Greenwich.
8.—Dockyard Craft, Personnel and Matériel.
9.—Dockyard Police.
10.—Dockyard and Victualling Yard Machinery and Caissons.
11.—Electric Lights.
12.—Naval Ordnance Department (including Torpedoes)—matériel and Stores.
13.—Naval Store Department at the Admiralty and Dockyards, including coals for Dockyards and Factories and Stores for the Fleet.
14.—Moorings.
15.—Royal Corps of Naval Constructors.
16.—Dockyard Foremen, Inspectors, and Subordinate Officers and Workmen—promotions, transfers and leave.
17.—Armed Cruisers—Engagement of.

1890.
1. Dockyards.
2. Steam Reserves—as regards matériel.
3. Construction and repair of Ships and Machinery.
4. Purchase of Ships.
5. Loan of Ships, Tugs, &c.
6. Inventions—relating to Ships, Machinery, Ordnance and Torpedo matériel, &c.
7. Models at Greenwich.
8. Dockyard Craft, personnel and matériel.
9. Dockyard Police.
10. Dockyard and Victualling Yard Machinery and Caissons.
11. Electric Lights.
12. Naval Ordnance Department (including Torpedoes)—matériel and Stores.
13. Naval Store Department at the Admiralty and Dockyards, including coals for Dockyards and Factories and Stores for the Fleet.
14. Moorings.
15. Royal Corps of Naval Constructors—Promotions, Transfers and Leave (except Promotion of Officers above rank of Constructor).
16. Dockyard Foremen, Inspectors, and Subordinate Officers and Workmen—promotions, transfers and leave.
17. Armed Cruisers—Engagement and Fitting of.

Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy

16 April, 1908.
1.—The entire administration of the Dockyards and Dockyard Reserve, Dockyard Craft, control of the Departments of the Director of Naval Construction, Engineer-in-Chief, Director of Dockyards, Superintendent of Contract Work, Naval Stores, and Expense Accounts; also control of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors, and of all Dockyard Foremen, Inspectors, Subordinate Officers, and Workmen (except promotion of Officers above the rank of Constructor).
2.—Naval and Technical Inspecting Staff at Contractors' Works.
3.—Naval Ordnance Questions affecting Construction of Ships or involving Structural Alterations in Weights, &c.
4.—Purchase, disposal, salvage, or loan of Vessels, and engagement and fitting of Armed Merchant Cruisers.
5.—Inventions relating to Ships, Machinery, &c.
6.—Electric Lighting and Yard Machinery of all Departments, &c., other than those controlled by the Fourth Sea Lord.
7.—Naval Stores for building and repair of Ships and for maintenance of Dockyards, including moorings.

Bibliography

• The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. II. London: For Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1864.
• The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. III. London: For Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1873.
• The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. IV. London: For Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1884.
• The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. IX. London: For His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1908.
• The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. Vol. X. London: For His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1914.
• Briggs, Sir John Henry (1897). Naval Administrations 1827 to 1892: The Experience of 65 Years. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company.