 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1832 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Dissolved | 1964 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | Admiralty London |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent department | Admiralty |
The Victualling Department originally known as the Department of the Comptroller of Victualling and Transport Services or the Victualling Office,[1] also known as the Department of the Director of Victualling was the British Admiralty department responsible for civil administration of Victualling Yards and the storing and supply of Naval Victuals for the Royal Navy from 1832 to 1964.
The provision of Victualling to the Royal Navy was originally done using specialist food and beverage subcontractors,[2][3] it became the responsibility of the Surveyor-General of Victuals, who was a principal officer of the Navy Board from 1550 to 1679. In 1683, he was post replaced by a Board of Victualling Commissioners that was subordinate yet autonomous to the Navy Board.[4] The Victualling Board took over a number of functions, including medical services, from the Transport Board when it was abolished in 1817. When the Victualling Board itself was also discharged from its duties in the Admiralty reforms of 1832, victualling became the responsibility of the Board of Admiralty under a new Comptroller of Victualling and Transport Services,[5] under the superintendence of the Fourth Naval Lord. In 1862 the provision transport services passed to a newly created Transport Department and in 1869 the office of Comptroller of Victualling and his department was ended. Its former role was then divided between a new Contract and Purchase Department, that would managed by the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, their department became responsible for purchasing, following this re-organisation process a Superintendent of Victualling was created in 1870 until 1878 when it was renamed the Director of Victualling his department managed the store-keeping and supply functions of Navy Victuals for the Royal Navy. In 1961 the department was amalgamated within the Naval Stores Department but remained autonomous until 1964.[6] Victualling continued within the new Navy Department, Ministry of Defence that was created following the merger of the Department of Admiralty in April 1964 into an enlarged ministry.
Note:Each yard's victualling supplies were managed by either an Agent Victualler, Master Attendant Victualling, Victualling Contractor or Victualling Stores Officer.
