The office was created by King Charles II in 1660 and succeeded the earlier position of Clerk of the Navy (1546 to 1660).

[6] The ultimate origins of the office lie in the reign of King John, who developed a royal fleet and the earliest known administrative structure for the English Navy, through his appointment of William of Wrotham as Keeper of the King's Ports and Galleys in the early 13th century.

[citation needed] Murray (1935), Oppenheim (2014), Lloyd (1970) and Runyan (1987) support the view that his office continued until the creation of the Navy Board in 1546 and is therefore a direct predecessor of the later Clerk of the Acts and the Secretary of the Admiralty.

[2] However, a clear definition of Wrotham's office is not conclusive and has been viewed by other sources such as Turner (1994) to be similar to that of the First Lord of the Admiralty.

[7] King John's son and successor Henry III[8] continued to refine the administration the royal fleet.