First Sea Lord
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the British Royal Navy. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS. The current First Sea Lord is Admiral Sir Jonathon Band (appointed 7 February 2006)
[edit] History
Between 1795 and 1827 the head of the Royal Navy was known as the Admiral of the Fleet. This office later became a rank.
- Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe 1795–1799
- Sir Peter Parker 1799–1811
- Prince William, Duke of Clarence 1811–1827
Prior to 1809 naval officers had occasionally served as First Lord of the Admiralty, or president of the Board of Admiralty. However, between 1809 and 1828 the office was invariably held by a civilian politician. This fact is the basis for the character Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore.
The title of First Sea Lord was first given to the senior naval officer on the Board of Admiralty in 1828. The First Sea Lord was a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and in rotation with the representatives of the other services (the Chief of the Imperial General Staff and Chief of the Air Staff) would serve as the chairman of that committee and head of all British armed forces (from 1956 the post was known as the Chief of the Defence Staff).
The title was retained when the Board of Admiralty was abolished in 1964 and its functions integrated into the Ministry of Defence.
[edit] First Sea Lords, 1828–present
- Sir George Cockburn 1828–1830
- Sir Thomas Hardy 1830–1834
- The Hon. George Heneage Dundas 1834
- Sir Charles Adams 1834
- Sir George Cockburn 1834–1835
- Sir Charles Adams 1835–1841
- Sir George Cockburn 1841–1846
- Sir William Parker 1846
- Sir Charles Adams 1846–1847
- Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas 1847–1852
- The Hon. Maurice Fitzhardinge Berkeley 1852
- Sir Hyde Parker III 1852–1854
- The Hon. Maurice Fitzhardinge Berkeley 1854–1857
- Sir Richard Dundas 1857–1858
- William Martin 1858–1859
- Sir Richard Dundas 1859–1861
- Sir Frederick Grey 1861–1866
- Sir Alexander Milne 1866–1868
- Sir Sydney Dacres 1868–1872
- Sir Alexander Milne 1872–1876
- Sir Hastings Yelverston 1876–1877
- Sir George Wellesley 1877–1879
- Sir Astley Cooper Key 1879–1885
- Sir Arthur Hood 1885–1886
- Lord John Hay 1886
- Sir Arthur Hood 1886–1889
- Sir Vesey Hamilton 1889–1891
- Sir Anthony Hoskins 1891–1893
- Sir Frederick Richards 1893–1899
- Lord Walter Kerr 1899–1904
- Sir John Fisher 1904–1910
- Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson VC 1910–1911
- Sir Francis Bridgeman 1911–1912
- Prince Louis of Battenberg 1912–1914
- John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher 1914–1915
- Sir Henry Jackson 1915–1916
- John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe 1916–1917
- Rosslyn Erskine-Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss 1917–1919
- David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty 1919–1927
- Sir Charles Madden 1927–1930
- Sir Frederick Field 1930–1933
- Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield 1933–1938
- Sir Roger Backhouse 1938–1939
- Sir Dudley Pound 1939–1943
- Andrew Cunningham, 1st Baron Cunningham of Hyndhope 1943–1946
- Sir John Cunningham 1946–1948
- Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape 1948–1951
- Sir Rhoderick McGrigor 1951–1955
- Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma 1955–1959
- Sir Charles Lambe 1959–1960
- Sir Caspar John 1960–1963
- Sir David Luce 1963–1966
- Sir Varyl Begg 1966–1968
- Sir Michael Le Fanu 1968–1970
- Peter Hill-Norton, Baron Hill-Norton of South Nutfield 1970–1971
- Sir Michael Pollock 1971–1974
- Sir Edward Ashmore 1974–1977
- Terence Lewin, Baron Lewin of Greenwich 1977–1979
- Sir Henry Leach 1979–1982
- John Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse 1982–1985
- Sir William Staveley 1985–1989
- Sir Julian Oswald 1989–1993
- Sir Benjamin Bathurst 1993–1995
- Sir Jock Slater 1995–1998
- Sir Michael Boyce 1998–2001
- Sir Nigel Essenhigh 2001–2002
- Sir Alan West 2002–2006
- Sir Jonathon Band 2006–
