ADMIRAL, a great officer or magistrate, who has
the government of a navy, and the hearing of all mari-
time causes.
Authors are divided with regard to the origin and
denomination of this important officer, whom we find
established in most kingdoms that border on the sea.
But the most probable opinion is that of Sir Henry
Spelman, who thinks, that both the name and dignity
were derived from the Saracens, and, by reason of the
holy wars, brought amongst us; for admiral, in the
Arabian language, signifies a prince, or chief ruler,
and was the ordinary title of the governors of cities,
provinces, &c. and therefore they called the com-
mander of the navy by that name, as a name of dignity
and honour. And indeed there are no instances of
admirals in this part of Europe before the year 1284,
when Philip of France, who had attended St. Lewis in
the wars against the Saracens, created an admiral. Du
Cange assures us, that the Sicilians were the first, and
the Genoese the next, who gave the denomination of
admiral to the commanders of their naval armaments;
and that they took it from the Saracen or Arabic emir,
a general name for every commanding officer. As for
the exact time when the word was introduced among
us, it is uncertain; some think it was in the reign of
Edward I. Sir Henry Spelman is of opinion that it
was first used in the reign of Henry III. because nei-
ther the laws of Oleron, made in 1266, nor Bracton,
who wrote about that time, make any mention of it;
and that the term admiral was not used in a charter in
the eighth of Henry III. where he granted this office
to Richard de Lacy, by these words Maritimum Anglie;
but in the 36th year of the same reign, not only the
historians, but the charters themselves, very frequently
used the word admiral.
Anciently there were generally three or four admi-
rals appointed in the English seas, all of them holding
the office durante bene placito; and each of them having
particular limits under their charge and government;
as admirals of the fleet of ships, from the mouth of the
Thames, northward, southward, or westward. Besides
these, there were admirals of the Cinque Ports, as in the
reign of Edward III. when one William Latimer was
styled admiralis quinque portuum: and we sometimes
find that one person has been admiral of the fleets to
the southward, northward, and westward: but the title
of admiralis Anglie was not frequent till the reign of
Henry IV. when the king's brother had that title given
him, which in all commissions afterwards was granted
to the succeeding admirals. It may be observed, that
there was a title above that of admiral of England,
which was, locum tenens regis super mare, the king's
lieutenant general of the sea; this title we find men-
tioned in the reign of Richard II. Before the use of
the word admiral was known, the title of custos maris
was made use of.