Admiral of the North and West

Office of the Admiral of the North and West
Admiralty North and West
Reports to	Privy Council of England
Nominator	Monarch of England
Appointer	Monarch of England Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed , (usually for life)
Inaugural holder	Sir Ralph Spigurnell
Formation	1364-1414

The Admiral of the North and West or Admiral of the North and Western Fleets was a former senior appointment of the English Navy. The post holder was Commander-in-Chief of the English navy's North and Western Fleets operating in the North Sea, the English Channel, the Southern Irish Sea and Atlantic from 1364 to 1414.

History

The origins of the office Admiral of the North and West dates back to 7 July 1364 with appointment of Sir Ralph Spigurnell, originally styled Admiral of the North and West Sea The office was styled by different names from its establishment such as Admiral of the North and West Stations. From 28 April 1369 to 24 November 1377 there was no further appointments until the post was revived with the appointment of Michael, Lord Wingfield he held the office very briefly until December 1377 when it once again ceased. On 10 December 1386 it was revived again with the appointment of Richard FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel he held the post until 18 May 1389. There would be a further four appointments from May 1389 to April 1400 before the office ceased again. It was established for the final time on 23 December 1406 the command being given to John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset. The last Commander-in-Chief was Thomas Beaufort, Earl of Dorset, from 1408 until 1414. It was considered one the English Navy's most important Naval Commands from the mid-14th century until the beginning of the 15th century.

Two of the office holders Sir John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Thomas Beaufort, Earl of Dorset both retained the title for life.

Admirals of the North and West

Includes:

• Admiral Sir Ralph Spigurnell, Baron Spigurnell — 7 July 1364 - 28 April 1369.

No appointments

• Admiral Michael, Lord Wingfield — 24 November 1377 - 5 December 1377.

No appointments

• Admiral Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel — 10 December 1386 - 18 May 1389.
• Admiral Sir John Roches — 21 May 1389 - 22 June 1389
• High Admiral Edward, Earl of Rutland and Duke of Abermarle — 29 November 1391 - 9 May 1397.
• High Admiral Sir John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset — 9 May 1398 - 15 November 1399. (was bestowed title for life)
• Admiral Sir Thomas Percy, 1st Earl of Worcester — 15 November 1399 - 21 April 1400.

No appointments

• Admiral Sir John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset — 23 December 1406 - 8 May 1407.
• Admiral Sir Thomas Beaufort, Earl of Dorset — 21 September 1408 - 3 June 1414, (was bestowed title for life)

Note: The office was amalgamated within a single office of the Lord High Admiral of England in 1414.

See also

• Admiral of the North
• Admiral of the West
• Admiral of the South
• Admiral of the Fleet

References

Citations

Sources

• Beatson, Robert (1788). A Political Index to the Histories of Great Britain and Ireland: Or, A Complete Register of the Hereditary Honours, Public Offices, and Persons in Office, from the Earliest Periods to the Present Time. G. G. J. & J. Robinson.
• Everingham, Kimball G. ed. (2011). Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families, 2nd Edition. Douglas Richardson. ISBN 9781461045137.
• Haydn, Joseph (1851). The Book of Dignities: Containing Rolls of the Official Personages of the British Empire ... from the Earliest Periods to the Present Time ... Together with the Sovereigns of Europe, from the Foundation of Their Respective States; the Peerage of England and Great Britain ... Longmans, Brown, Green, and Longmans.
• Houbraken, Jacobus; Thoyras, Paul de Rapin; Vertue, George (1747). The History of England, A List of Admirals of England, 1228-1745. J. and P. Knapton.