The provision of Victualling to the Royal Navy was originally done using specialist food and beverage
subcontractors, 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. 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, 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. 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. ==Administration==