ADMIRAL, a great officer or magistrate, who has the government of a navy, and the hearing of all maritime causes.
Anciently there were generally three or four admirals appointed for the English seas, all of them holding the office durante beneplacito, and each of them having particular limits under his 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. We sometimes find that one person had been admiral of the fleets to the southward, northward, and westward; but the title of Admiralis Angliæ 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 mentioned in the reign of Richard II. Before the use of the word admiral was known, the title of custos maris was made use of.
Of the rank of admiral there are three degrees; admiral, vice-admiral, rear-admiral. Each of these degrees consists of three divisions, which are distinguished by as many different colours or flags; hence all admirals assume the common title of flag-officers, and take rank and command in the following order:—
Admirals of the Red, of the White, of the Blue Squadrons, bearing their respective flags at the main-top-gallant-mast head; Vice-admirals of the Red, of the White, of the Blue Squadrons, bearing their respective flags at the fore-top-gallant-mast head; Rear-admirals of the Red, of the White, of the Blue Squadrons, bearing their respective flags at the mizen-top-gallant-mast head.
It may be remarked, that for nearly a century we had no Admiral of the Red Squadron; that flag, according to a vulgar error, having been taken from us by the Dutch in one of those arduous struggles for naval superiority which that nation was once able to maintain against the naval power of England. But the fact is, the red flag was laid aside on the union of the two crowns of England and Scotland, when the Union flag was adopted in its place, and usually hoisted by the admiral commanding in chief. The red flag, however, has recently been revived, on an occasion worthy of the event; namely, on the promotion of naval officers which took place in November 1805, in consequence of the memorable victory off Trafalgar. (See NAVY.)