Forms: 5 amyralte, amrelte, ameralte; 6 amraltie, amiraltye, admiraltie; 6– admiralty. [a. OFr. admiralté, amiraulé; see ADMIRAL and -TY.]
1. The office or jurisdiction of an admiral, or of the Lord High Admiral; admiralship.
1337–1485. Pol. Poems, II. 158. Cheryshe marchandyse, kepe thamyralté, That we bee maysteres of the narowe see.
1538. Leland, Itin., VII. 87. The Wyndowes be full of Rudders … his Badge or Token of the Amiraltye.
1600. Holland, Livy, XLIII. xi. 1162 k. The admiraltie of the navy.
1668. Pepys, Diary (1877), V. 386. The Duke of York’s regiment is ordered to be disbanded, and more, that undoubtedly his Admiralty will follow.
1846. Prescott, Ferd. & Isab., II. xvi. 117. Exclusive right of jurisdiction over all commercial transactions within his admiralty.
† 2. The department under command of the admiral; the naval branch of the public service; the navy. Obs.
1465. Manners & Househ. Exps. Eng., 473. My master hathe receyvid of doctor Aleyn, sen he ocupyd in the Ameralte, but xxxiij.s. iiij.d.
a. 1626. Bacon, Union of Eng. & Scot., Wks. 1730, IV. 224 (T.). For admiralty or navy I see no great question will arise.
3. That branch of the Executive that superintends the navy; the power or officers appointed for the administration of naval affairs; now in England the Lords Commissioners of Admiralty.
1459. Brackley, in Paston Lett., 341, I. 497. The bokys of regystre of the amrelte [were] takyn a wey from my Lord Scalys men.
1679. Dk. York, in Pepys, V. 131. It is Mr. Pepys, who now, upon this change in the Admiralty, is like to suffer.
1758. in Phil. Trans., LI. 461. Sir Charles Wager, first lord of the admiralty.
1833. Marryat, Peter Simple (1863), 435. His case was strongly recommended to the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 233. Meanwhile the admiralties of the allied powers had been active.
4. That branch of the administration of justice that deals with maritime questions and offences. Court of Admiralty: the tribunal for the trial and decision of such causes, formerly presided over by the Lord High Admiral, whose jurisdiction is now transferred to the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice; also elliptically called The Admiralty.
1589. Marprel. Tr., Hay any Work. (1844), 46. Yea but Civilians liue by the court of Amraltie.
1666. Pepys, Diary, IV. 131. Sir R. Ford would accept of one-third of my profit of our private man-of-war, and bear one-third of the charge, and be bound in the Admiralty. Ibid. (1667), IV. 281. This Judge of the Admiralty, Judge Jenkins.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., IV. xix. The high court of admiralty, held before the lord high-admiral of England, is not only a court of civil, but also of criminal jurisdiction.
1853. Encycl. Brit., II. 145. By the 6th and 7th Will. IV. c. 53, the admiralty jurisdiction is extended to Prince of Wales’ Island, Singapore, and Malacca.
5. The building where the Admiral or Lords of the Admiralty transact business.
1617. Minsheu, Admiraltie … the place where the Admirals office is kept.
1661. R. Burney, Κέρδ. Δῶρον, 66. He takes the Flag down from the main Top-mast head, when he pleases at the Admiralty.
1879. Whitaker’s Almanac, 302/2. Public and Private Buildings … Admiralty, Horse Guards, Treasury, War Office.
† 6. A station for ships of war in charge of an admiral. Obs. rare.
1677. Yarranton, Eng. Improvem., 40. Ships for the Royal Navy may … be kept either in an Admiralty at Wexford, or in some Port near.
† 7. A sailing in company (originally for mutual defence against pirates). Obs. rare. [PARDESSUS Coll. Lois Maritimes, II. 548 ‘Toutes les lois et coutumes anciennes de la Hollande, de la Basse Saxe et de la Baltique, emploient le mot admiralitas, amirauté, pour désigner les voyages de conserve.]
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 180. When ships do enter into Admiraltie one with another, whosoeuer breaketh the Admiraltie is bound to answer the damage which shall happen thereby. Ibid., Laws of Hanse Towns, 24. When ships do enter into admiralty one with another, they shall be bound to keep together, and to stay for each other.
