The Navy in the War of William III 1689–1697 Its State and Direction

First published in 1953, this volume by John Ehrman traces the role played by the English navy during the years 1689?97, during which time England became the dominant sea power of Europe. The study is divided into two parts. The first focuses on the background of naval administration, considering ships of the line and their construction, shipyards and dockyards, naval personnel, provisions, finances, and the Lord Admiral's department at the end of 1688. The second part provides the context of the war, beginning with the legacy of Samuel Pepys and the initial mobilization in 1688, and then tracing the successive years of war to the eventual demobilization in 1697. Replete with numerous illustrations and fourteen detailed appendices, this volume will appeal to anyone interested in the naval history of England at the end of the seventeenth century.

List of illustrations; Preface; Notes on dates; List of abbreviations; Introduction; Part I. The Background of Naval Administration: 1. The ship and the line; 2. Material and supply; 3. Shipyards and dockyards; 4. Officers and men; 5. Victualling; 6. Estimates and accounts; 7. The Lord Admiral's department at the end of 1688; Part II. The War in Progress: 8. The Pepysian legacy and the mobilization of 1688; 9. The Board of Admiralty and the first year of the war, January 1689–April 1690; 10. Beachy Head and the disgrace of Torrington; 11. The middle years, 1691–4; 12. The fleet in the Mediterranean, July 1694–October 1695; 13. The Admiralty Office, 1690–7; 14. The last phase and demobilization, 1695–8; Appendices; Bibliography.