Misplaced Pages

Downs Station

Article snapshot taken from[REDACTED] with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Commander-in-Chief, the Downs)

Downs Station
Active1626–1834
CountryUnited Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeNaval formation
Part ofRoyal Navy
Garrison/HQDeal, Kent, England
Military unit

The Downs Station also known as the Commander-in-Chief, the Downs or Admiral Commanding at the Downs was a formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain and then the United Kingdom's Royal Navy based at Deal. It was a major command of the Royal Navy from 1626 until 1834.

The Downs is a roadstead (area of sheltered, favourable sea) in the southern North Sea near the English Channel off the east Kent coast. It is primarily known in naval history for the Dutch defeat of the Spanish in the Battle of the Downs in 1639.

History

The Downs served as permanent base for naval vessels operating out of Deal, Kent.

It served as a base for warships patrolling the North Sea. The command generally covered an area in the southern North Sea near the English Channel off the east Kent coast. The station lasted until 1815, when it was absorbed into the Commander-in-Chief, The Nore's control, whose role and geographic area of responsibility was re-defined by the Admiralty.

Commanders in chief

Incomplete list includes:
NoN = died in post

Station not active 1782 to 1790

Station not active 1791 to 1793

Temporary command in absence of senior officer *

Notes

  1. Clarke, James Stanier; McArthur, John (2 September 2010). The Naval Chronicle: Volume 27, January-July 1812: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects. Cambridge University Press. p. 43. ISBN 9781108018661.
  2. ^ Papers, Relative to Correspondence between Sir Home Popham and the Admiralty, between 1 January 1787 and 31st December 1792. Oxford University. 1808. p. 198.
  3. ^ Charnock 1794, pp. 29–31.
  4. Lee, Christopher (20 November 2014). Nelson and Napoleon: The Long Haul to Trafalgar. Faber & Faber. pp. Chapter 7. ISBN 9780571321681.
  5. Robson, Martin (2005). The Battle of Trafalgar. Conway Maritime Press. pp. 29, 36, 158. ISBN 0-85177-979-4.
  6. Hiscocks, Richard (1 February 2016). "Downs commander-in-chief 1777-1815 - more than Nelson". more than Nelson. Richard Hiscocks. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  7. ^ Schomberg 1802, p. 224.
  8. Harrison, Simon. "Stafford Fairborne (d.1716)". threedecks.org. Simon Harrison 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  9. ^ Harrison, Simon (2010–2018). "Commander-in-Chief at The Downs". threedecks.org. S.Harrison. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  10. Schomberg 1802, p. 243.
  11. Marshall, John (18 November 2010). Royal Naval Biography: Or, Memoirs of the Services of All the Flag-Officers, Superannuated Rear-Admirals, Retired-Captains, Post-Captains, and Commanders. Cambridge University Press. p. 10. ISBN 9781108022712.
  12. O’Byrne, William R. (6 February 2012). A Naval Biographical Dictionary - Volume 1. Andrews UK Limited. p. 38. ISBN 9781781502778.
  13. Archives, The National. "Admiral Skeffington Lutwidge, Commander-in-Chief in the Downs, Order to Captain Portlock of the Arrow. Copy. Paper No 6". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, 1799 May 26, HO 69/5/6. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  14. Burke, John (1838). A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain and Ireland. Henry Colburn, London. p. 302. Rear-Admiral Edward Thornbrough Downs Station.
  15. O’Byrne, William R. (6 February 2012). A Naval Biographical Dictionary - Volume 2. Andrews UK Limited. p. 875. ISBN 9781781502792.
  16. Goodman, Alfred Edwin (1916). Goodman, a Family History. A.H. Timms, Printer. p. 404.
  17. Urban, Sylvanus (1811). Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle. E. Cave, London. p. 586.
  18. The Annual biography and obituary. A & R Spottiswoode, London. 1827. p. 448.
  19. Marshall, John (1823). "Foley, Thomas" . Royal Naval Biography. Vol. 52.6.5. London: Longman and company. pp. 363–372.
  20. Laughton, John Knox (1889). "Gage, William Hall" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 20. p. 357.
  21. Marshall, John (1823). "Gage, William Hall" . Royal Naval Biography. Vol. 52.7.1. London: Longman and company. pp. 836–840.

References

Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office
Direction and control
Naval affairs
Under the offices
of Direction and control
Direction of
Military Units
Military units
Admiralty Departments
Under
Lord High Admiral/Board of Admiralty
Civil Departments
Under
Council of the Marine & Navy Board
Autonomous Civil Departments
Arms and Ordnance
Direction of Naval Finance
Departments under the
Treasurer
Direction of Naval Administration
Branches and offices under the
Secretary to the Admiralty
Legal Services
Legal under
Judicial Department
Department of Admiralty
Direction and control
of Admiralty and Naval affairs
Boards and offices under
the First Lord
Direction of
Admirals
Naval/Sea Lords
War and Naval Staff
Secretariat and staff under
the First Sea Lord
Operational planning, policy
strategy, tactical doctrine
requirements
Divisions and sections
under the War and
Naval Staff
Offices of the Sea Lords
Admiralty civil departments
and organisations
under the Sea Lords
Direction/Command of the Fleet
Naval formations after 1707
Naval formations before 1707
Direction of Naval Finance
Departments under the
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary
Direction of Naval Administration
and the Admiralty Secretariat
Branches and offices under the
Permanent Secretary
Civil Administration
Departments under the
Civil Lords
Legal
United Kingdom Historic fleets and naval commands of the Royal Navy
North and Irish Seas and English Channel
Atlantic Ocean
Baltic, Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean Seas
Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean
Categories:
Downs Station Add topic