From 1512 until 1832, the Comptroller was mainly responsible for all British naval spending and directing the business of the Navy Board from 1660 as its chairman.

The Comptroller presided over the Board from 1660, and generally superintended the business of the Navy Office, and was responsible for the offices dealing with bills, accounts and wages[4] during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

By the eighteenth century the principal officer responsible for estimating annual stores requirements, inspecting ships' stores and maintaining the Fleet's store-books and repair-bills was the Surveyor of the Navy; however, the Surveyor's duties passed increasingly to the Comptroller of the Navy during the latter half this period.

In 1832 the Comptroller's department was abolished following a merger of the Navy Board with the Board of Admiralty and the Surveyor was made the officer responsible under the First Naval Lord for the material departments, and became an adviser to the Board of Admiralty.

In 1860, the name of the office was changed to Controller of the Navy, and in 1869 was merged with the office of the Third Naval Lord, then becoming known as Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy.