ADM 
Philip of France, who had attended St. Louis in the wars 
againft the Saracens, created an admiral. Du Cange af- 
fures us, that the Sicilians were the firft, and the Genoefe 
the next, who gave denomination of admiral to the com- 
manders 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; fome 
think it was in the reign of Edward I. Sir Henry Spelman 
is of opinion that it was firft ufed in the reign of Henry III. 
becaufe neither 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 ufed in a charter 
in the eighth of Henry III. wherein he granted this office 
to Richard de Lacey, by thefe words, Maritimam Anglia ; 
but, in the 56th year of the fame reign, not only the hif- 
torians, but the charters themfelves, very frequently ufe 
the word admiral.—Before the ufe of the word admiral 
was known, the title of cujloi marts was made ufe of. 
Lord High Admiral of England, in fome ancient re¬ 
cords called capitanus maritimarum , an officer of great an¬ 
tiquity and truft, as appears by the laws of Oleron, fo de¬ 
nominated from the place they were made at by Richard I. 
The firft title of admiral of England, exprefsly conferred 
upon a fubjeCt, was given by patent of Richard II. to 
Richard Fitz-Allen, jun. earl of Arundel and Surrey; 
for thofe who before enjoyed this office were limply term¬ 
ed admirals, though their jurifdiCtion feems at large, ef- 
pecially in the reign of Edward III. when the court of 
admiralty was firft erected. 
This great officer has the management of all maritime 
affairs, and the government of the royal navy, with pow¬ 
er of decifion in all maritime cafes both civil and crimi¬ 
nal : he judges of all things done upon or beyond the fea, 
in any part of the world ; upon the fea-coafts, in all ports 
and havens, and upon all rivers below the firft bridge 
from the fea. By him, vice-admirals, rear-admirals, and 
all fea-captains, are commiffioned; all deputies for parti¬ 
cular coafts, and coroners to view dead bodies found on 
the fea-coafts, or at fea: he alfo appoints the judges for 
his court of admiralty, and may imprifon, releafe, &c. 
All ports and havens are infra corpus comitatus, and the ad¬ 
miral hath no jurifdiCtion of any thing done in them. 
The lord high admiral has power, not only over the fea- 
men ferving in his ffiips of war, but over all other feamen, 
to arreft them for the fervice of the ftate; and, if any of 
them run away, without leave of the admiral, he hath 
power to make a record thereof, and certify the fame to the 
fheriffs, mayors, bailiffs, &c. who fliall caufe them to be 
apprehended and imprifoned. 
To the lord high admiral belong all penalties and 
amercements of all tranfgreffions at fea, on the fea-fhore, 
in ports and havens, and all rivers below the firft bridge, 
from the fea; the goods of pirates and felons condemned 
or enflaved, fea-wrecks, goods floating on the fea, or call 
on the fhore (not granted to lords of manors adjoining to the 
fea), and a fhare of lawful prizes; alfo all great fifties, 
commonly called royalfjhes,. except whales and fturgeons : 
with a falary of 7000I. a-year. 
In fhort, this is fo great an office, in point of truft, ho¬ 
nour, and profit, that it has been ufually given to princes of 
the blood, or the moft eminent perfons among the nobili¬ 
ty. We have had no lord high admiral for-fome years; 
the office being put in commifiion, or under the adminif- 
tration of the lords commiflioners of the admiralty, who 
by ftatutehave the fame power and authority as the lord 
high admiral. 
Admiral, alfo implies in general, any flag-officer, 
whatever. The commander gf a fleet carries his flag at 
the main-top-maft head. 
Vice Admiral, is the commander of the fecond fqua- 
dron, and carries his flag at the fore-top-maft head. 
Rear Admiral, is the commander of the third fqua- 
dron, and carries his flag at the mizen-top-maft head. 
Vice Admiral, is alio an officer appointed by the lords 
ADM 119 
commiflioners of the admiralty. There are feveral of 
thefe officers eftablifhed in different parts of Great Britain, 
with judges and marfhals under them, for executing jurif- 
diftion within their refpeCtive limits. Their decrees, how¬ 
ever, are not final, an appeal lying to the court of admiral¬ 
ty in London. 
Admiral is alfo an appellation given to the moft confi- 
derable fliip of a fleet of merchantmen, or of the veflels 
employed in the cod-fifhery of New foundland. This laft 
has the privilege of choofing what place he pleafes on the 
fliore to dry his fifh; gives proper orders, and appoints 
the fifhing-places to thofe who come after him; and, as long 
as the fifhing-feafon continues, he carries a flag on his 
main-maft. 
Admiral, in zoology, the Engliffi name of afpeciesof 
the voluta, a fliell-fifh belonging to the order of vermes 
teftacea. 
ADMIRALSHIP,/. The office or power of an admi¬ 
ral. 
ADMIRALTY,yi [ amiraulte , Fr.] The power, or of¬ 
ficers, appointed for the adminiftration of naval affairs, 
called lords of the admiralty. 
Court of Admiralty,- is a fovereign court, held by the 
lord high admiral, or lords of the admiralty, where cog¬ 
nizance is taken in all maritime affairs, whether civil or 
criminal. It was firft of all ereCted by king Edw. III. Its 
proceedings are according to the method of the civil law, 
and is ufually held at DoCtors’ Commons. 3 Blackjl. 69. 
This court hath power to try and determine all mari¬ 
time caufes, or fuch injuries which, though they are in 
their nature of common-law cognizance, yet being com¬ 
mitted on the high feas, out of the reach of the ordinary 
courts of juftice, are therefore to be remedied in a pecu¬ 
liar court of their own. Id. 106. 
Beneath the low'-water mark, the admiral hath foie and 
abfolute jurifdiCtion: but between the high-water mark 
and the low-water mark, the common law' and the admi¬ 
ral have jurifdidtion by turns; one upon the w r ater, the 
other upon the land. But, if the water is within a coun¬ 
ty, the common law hath the jurifdidtion. 5 Co. 107. 
Wreck of the fea ffiall be tried and determined by the 
law's of the land; but this cannot be extended to flotfam, 
jet fa m, or lagan, for they are in or upon the-fea, and there¬ 
fore cannot be tried and determined by the common law, 
but are to be determined before the admiral. Id. 106. 
For convenience of feamen, the admiralty hath been al¬ 
lowed to hold plea for mariners’ wages; but yet with this 
limitation, that if there be any fpecial agreement, by 
which the mariners are to receive their w'ages in any other 
manner than is ufual, or if the agreement be under feal, fo 
as to be more than a parole agreement, in fuch cafe they 
will be prohibited. This indulgence was permitted them, 
becaufe the remedy in the admiralty is eafier and better: 
eafier, becaufe they mu ft fever at the common law, where¬ 
as here they may join; and better, becaufe the.ftiip itfelf 
is anfwerable.. 1 Salk. 33. 
But although pure maritime acquifitions, which are 
earned and become due on the high leas, are one proper 
objeCt of the admiralty jurifdiCtion, even though the con¬ 
tract be made upon land; yet, in general, if there be a 
contraft made in England, and to be executed upon the 
feas, as a charter-party, or covenant, that a (hip ffiall fail 
to Jamaica, or Audi be in fuch a latitude, .by fuch a day ; 
or a contraCt made upon the fea to be performed in Eng¬ 
land, as a bond made on ffiip-board to pay money in Lon¬ 
don, or the like; thefe kinds of mixed contracts belong 
not to the admiralty jurifdiCtion, but to the courts of com¬ 
mon law. And it is not unfrequent for the.plaintiff to 
feign that a^contraCt, really made at lea, was madeatfome 
inland place, and thereby draw the cognizance of the fuit 
from the courts of admiralty to thofe of.Weftminfter-hall. 
3 Blackjl. 107. 
From the fentence of an inferior court of admiralty, an 
appeal lies to the court of the lord high admiral. And 
from the fentence of the admiralty judge, an appeal lies 
to 
