ADMIRAL from ata.seccaioc, which is again derived from the Arabic word .thneer, a prince, and aAc, the sea, is a person who holds an office as a judge or president of a court for the trial of maritime causes, and the regu lation of maritime affairs ; and has the command, either of the whole navy, or of a portion of it.
Neither the antiquity nor the early history of this of fice is well ascertained. It has been thought by some writers, that the name is of eastern origin, and that it is derived from the Arabic word amir or emir, which signi fies a commander, whether on land or sea ; but without inquiring into the foundation of this conjecture, it is evident, that such an office will gradually arise in every state as a navy begins to be formed. Du Cange assures us, that the Sicilians were the first by whom the title of admiral was adopted ; and says, that they took it from the eastern nations, who often visited them: and he, far ther, gives the authority of Matthew Paris to show, that the Genoese were the next who applied the word to the commander of a squadron. This appears to have been done in the time of the crusaders, and about the year 1244.
History is silent with regard to the exact time when the name of this officer was introduced into England. Sir Henry Spelman, a learned antiquary, is of opinion, that it was not before the reign of Henry Ill : because it is not mentioned in the laws of Oleron, which were made in the year 1266, nor by Bracton, who was lord chief justice of England about the same time, in his treatise. De Legibus et Consuetudinibus It is likely, that a term synonymous with that of admiral, and of equal or perhaps of greater antiquity, was used iu remote pe riods: as in later times, win n the appellation ol admiral was not known, or not employed, the commander of the fleet appeals to have had the name ol ['UV OR 711(.1718 ; and sometimes that of ca/zitaneus maraimarum. There were anciently three or lour admirals of the English seas, who all held their offices during the pleasure of the king : and besides these, there were admirals of the Cinque Porte; one of whom (William Latimer) is described as
.1dmiralis quinque portaum, in the reign of Edward III. The title of .1dmiralis "bights, or high admiral of Eng land, was first given to the earl of Arundel and Surrey, by a patent of Richard II. in the year 1387: hut it was not a title of frequent application till the reign of his suc cessor Henry [V. The same title was afterwards con ferred upon other subjects, generally of the highest rank ; though it has now been discontinued for many years, and sunk in that of the lords commissioners of the admiralty. The king's lieutenant upon the high seas, locum tenens regis super mare, was an officer of superior dignity to the admiral of England.
It is always in the power of the king to appoint a high admiral ; and when that power is exercised, the officer who is thus appointed has always the sole direction of maritime affairs. The royal navy is under his govern ment and command : and he nominates the inferior ad mirals, captains, and, in general, all who serve in it, whether by virtue of commissions or of warrants. He has likewise a civil and criminal jurisdiction in all ma ritime cases ; including transactions which take place in arms of the sea, and on the rivers which flow into it, up to the first bridge. This power extends over all sailors ; both those who are in actual service, and those who may be living on shore : and, throughout the king dom, he may forcibly apprehend the latter, and employ them in the ships of war. Ile presides in the court of 'ad miralty : and *hen offenders are convicted of capital crimes, he has the appointment of every thing which relates to their execution. The emoluments of the lord high admiral arc very considerable. lie had for merly a right to the tenth part of all prize goods ; but that right was abolished by statute in the reign of George II. (13 Geo. II. c. 4.) He is still however, en titled to all fines or forfeitures in consequence of trans gressions at sea, in ports or havens, and within high water mark ; though between high and low water mark, the admiral and common law bear rule alternately, the one upon the land, and the other upon the water.