In 1588, the superior officers who served against the Armada had daily pay as follows: —[1]
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£ s. d.
The Lord High Admiral 3 6 8 Lord Henry Seymour, as his Vice-Admiral 2 0 0 Sir John Hawkyns, as his Rear-Admiral 0 15 0 Sir Henry Palmer Sir William Wynter commanding under Lord Henry Seymour 1 0 0 Sir Martin Frobiser Thomas Gray, "Vice-Admiral" under Lord H. Seymour (while in command of a detached force) 0 6 8 Sir Francis Drake, "Captain and Admiral" 0 10 0 Thomas Fenner, his "Vice-Admiral" 0 15 0 Nicholas Gorges, "Admiral" of the merchant coasters, for him and his lieutenant 0 13 8
It would appear from the above that both rule and consistency were lacking in the apportionment of the pay of these officers; and the fact is that the rate depended quite as much upon the social rank and title of the recipient as upon his position in the fleet. In all these cases there were allowances, though of unknown amount in addition. In the Armada period, it may be added, the master in a flagship was virtually her captain in all senses; and the Thomas Gray, who is mentioned above as having commanded an independent or detached squadron with the temporary rank of vice-admiral, had previously held, and may have reverted to, the position of master of the Ark.
The instructions of Howard of Effingham and Essex to the officers under their command for the Cadiz Expedition of 1596 are so interesting, and throw so much light upon the naval customs of a very important period in English history, that they are here printed at length, so far as they can be deciphered from the damaged manuscript[2] in which they are contained. They are among the earliest instructions extant, and seem to have served as a basis for many subsequent regulations of the same sort.
