Responsibility for the transportation of troops rested with the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, who in 1689 were required promptly to ship over 23,000 men and 4,000 horses (to be mustered in Liverpool) across the Irish Sea.

[4] They sought to devolve this responsibility; the Navy Board, however, was too busy with its statutory duties to take on additional work, so instead the Admiralty (by order of the King) designated three captains to serve as commissioners to make the necessary arrangements, supported by a small administrative team.

[3] Having different boards competing with each other for available vessels led to increased costs and reduced efficiency: problems which became particularly acute during the War of American Independence.

[8]The Board, which directly co-ordinated the work of the Transport service, initially consisted of three Commissioners: two naval captains (Hugh Cloberry Christian and Philip Patton) and one civilian (Ambrose Serle).

[5] They established a headquarters in Dover Square, Westminster (just off Canon Row), where the Board met daily (except on Sundays) to receive reports and accounts, issue instructions and plan operations.

Christian was replaced as chairman, in August 1795, by Captain Rupert George, who would remain in office for just under twenty-two years (he declined promotion to flag rank and continued to chair the Board until its dissolution).

[3] Those who served as Commissioners included future admirals John Schank (1795-1802), James Bowen (1803-1817), William Albany Otway (1795-1803), George Henry Towry (1806-1808) and Courtenay Boyle (1809-1817).

They were responsible for keeping track of the arrival and departure of transports at their station, for ensuring that the ships were duly prepared and provisioned, for supervising the embarkation and disembarkation of troops and horses, and for following the directions of the Board in any other regard.

[7] The Resident Agents were naval officers: Captains were posted at Deptford and Portsmouth; Lieutenants at most of the other stations (which in 1815 included Cork, Cowes, Deal, Dublin, Gravesend, Leith, Liverpool, Plymouth and Sheerness).

In the case of a large convoys, one vessel would carry a "Principal Agent" (Commander or Captain RN) with a "Blue Broad Pendant" at the main-top-mast head.

[7] The Board generally hired merchant vessels to fulfil its requirements (though smaller consignments of stores were sometimes sent as freight via established shipping routes).