Third Sea Lord

History

The office of Comptroller of the Navy was originally established in 1561 during the reign of Elizabeth I of England until 1832. In (1805), for the first time, specific functions were assigned to each of the 'Naval' Lords, who were described as 'Professional' Lords, leaving to the 'Civil' Lords the routine business of signing documents.

In the reorganisation of the Admiralty by Order in Council of 14 January 1869, the Comptroller of the Navy was given a seat on the Board of Admiralty as the Third Naval Lord and Comptroller of the Navy. The Comptroller lost the title of Third Naval Lord and the seat on the Board by an Order in Council of 19 March 1872, but regained them by a further Order of 10 March 1882.

In 1869, the post of Storekeeper-General of the Navy was abolished and its duties merged into those of the Comptroller of the Navy. The Third Naval Lord became known as the Third Sea Lord from 1905.

The appointment of Controller of the Navy was abolished in September 1912, although that of Third Sea Lord remained. In 1917 the post of Controller of the Navy was revived, but as a separate civilian position with a seat on the Board of Admiralty. In 1918, the post of Controller of the Navy was once again amalgamated with that of Third Sea Lord and in 1965 the post became simply Controller of the Navy.

Comptrollers of the Navy up to 1832

William Holstocke, 1561–1589

William Borough, 1580–1598

Sir Henry Palmer 1598–1611

Guylford Slingsby, 1611–1631

Sir Henry Palmer, 1632–1641

George Carteret, 1641–1642

Sir Robert Slingsby, 1st Baronet, 1660–1661

Sir John Mennes, 1661–1671

Sir Thomas Allin, 1671–1680

Captain, later Admiral Sir Richard Haddock, 1682–1686, 1688–1715

Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Wager, 1715–1718

Vice Admiral James Mighells, 1722–1733

Captain Richard Haddock, 1734–1749

Captain Savage Mostyn, 1749–1755

Captain Charles Saunders, 1755–1756

Captain Digby Dent, 1756

Captain George Cockburne, 1756–1770

Captain Sir Hugh Palliser, 1770–1775

Captain Maurice Suckling, 1775–1778

Admiral Charles Middleton, 1778–1790

Captain Sir Henry Martin, 1790–1794

Captain Sir Andrew Hamond, 1794–1806

Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Thompson, 1806–1816

Admiral Sir Thomas Byam Martin, 1816–1831

In 1832 the post of Controller of the Navy was abolished.

Third Naval Lords 1832–1868

Rear Admiral Sir Samuel Pechell 1832–1834

Rear Admiral Sir Charles Rowley 1834–1835

Rear Admiral Sir George Elliot 1835–1837

Rear Admiral Sir Edward Troubridge 1837–1841

Rear Admiral Sir Samuel Pechell 1841

Rear Admiral Sir George Seymour 1841–1844

Rear Admiral Sir William Bowles 1844–1846

Rear Admiral Sir Maurice Berkeley 1846–1847

Rear Admiral Lord John Hay 1847–1850

Rear Admiral Sir Houston Stewart 1850–1852

Rear Admiral Sir James Stirling 1852

Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Herbert 1852–1853

Rear Admiral Sir Richard Dundas 1853–1854

Rear Admiral Sir Peter Richards 1854–1857

Rear Admiral Henry Eden 1857

Rear Admiral Sir Alexander Milne 1857–1859

Rear Admiral Sir Henry Leeke 1859

Rear Admiral Sir Charles Eden 1859–1861

Rear Admiral Charles Frederick 1861–1865

Rear Admiral Sir Edward Fanshawe 1865–1866

Rear Admiral Henry Seymour 1866–1868

Controllers of the Navy 1859–1869

In 1859 the post of Surveyor of the Navy was changed to Controller of the Navy.

Rear-Admiral Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, 1859–1861

Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Robinson, 1861–1869

Third Naval Lords and Controllers of the Navy 1869–1872

Admiral Sir Robert Robinson, 1869–1871

Captain Robert Hall, 1871–1872

Controllers of the Navy 1872–1882

Captain Robert Hall, 1872

Rear-Admiral Sir William Stewart, 1872–1881

Vice-Admiral Thomas Brandreth, 1881–1882

Third Naval Lords and Controllers of the Navy 1882–1904

Third Naval Lords and Controllers of the Navy include:

Vice-Admiral Thomas Brandreth, 1882–1886

Vice-Admiral Sir William Graham, 1886–1888

Vice-Admiral John Hopkins, 1888–1892

Vice-Admiral Sir John Fisher, 1892–1897

Rear-Admiral Arthur Wilson, 1897–1901

Rear-Admiral William May, 1901–1905

Third Sea Lord and Controllers of the Navy 1904–1912

Rear-Admiral Sir Henry Jackson, 1905–1908

Rear-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, 1908–1910

Rear-Admiral Charles Briggs, 1910–1912

Rear-Admiral Gordon Moore, 1912

Third Sea Lords 1912–1918

Rear-Admiral Gordon Moore, 1912–1914

Rear-Admiral Frederick Tudor, 1914–1917

Rear-Admiral Lionel Halsey, 1917–1918

Controllers of the Navy 1917–1918

Vice-Admiral Sir Eric Geddes, 1917

Sir Alan Garrett Anderson, 1917–1918

Third Sea Lords and Controllers of the Navy 1918–1965

Third Sea Lords and Controllers of the Navy include:

Rear-Admiral Sir Charles de Bartolomé, 1918–1919

Rear-Admiral Sir William Nicholson, 1919–1920

Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Field, 1920–1923

Rear-Admiral Cyril Fuller, 1923–1925

Vice-Admiral Sir Ernle Chatfield, 1925–1928

Vice-Admiral Roger Backhouse, 1928–1932

Vice-Admiral Charles Forbes, 1932–1934

Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson, 1934–1939

Vice-Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, 1939–1942

Admiral Sir Frederic Wake-Walker, 1942–1945

Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Daniel, 1945–1949

Admiral Sir Michael Denny, 1949–1953

Admiral Sir Ralph Edwards, 1953–1956

Admiral Sir Peter Reid, 1956–1961

Admiral Sir Michael Le Fanu, 1961–1965

Controllers of the Navy 1965–present

Controllers of the Navy include:

Admiral Sir Horace Law, 1965–1970

Admiral Sir Michael Pollock, 1970–1971

Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin, 1971–1975

Admiral Sir Richard Clayton, 1975–1979

Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, 1979–1981

Admiral Sir Lindsay Bryson, 1981–1984

Admiral Sir Derek Reffell, 1984–1989

Admiral Sir Kenneth Eaton, 1989–1994

Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Walmsley, 1994–1996

Rear-Admiral Frederick Scourse, 1996–1997

Rear-Admiral Peter Spencer, 1997–2000

Rear-Admiral Nigel Guild, 2000–2003

Rear-Admiral Richard Cheadle, 2003–2006

Rear-Admiral Andrew Mathews, 2006–2007

Rear-Admiral Paul Lambert, 2007–2009

Rear-Admiral Amjad Hussain, 2009–2012

Rear-Admiral Henry Parker, 2012–2013

Rear-Admiral Duncan Potts, 2013–2014

Rear-Admiral James Morse, 2014–2016

Rear-Admiral Paul Bennett, 2016–