Sergeant of the Admiralty

In each port and limb the Lord Warden, as Admiral, appointed a droit gatherer to notify his staff in Dover immediately a wreck occurred or flotsam or jetsam was recovered.

Droit gatherers would keep records of the goods recovered and expenses incurred by the salvors; so that the respective claims of the Lord Warden and the Ports could be determined. The Sergeant of the Admiralty was the principal droit gatherer and had responsibility for those functions within Dover, as well as for enforcing orders of the Admiralty Court.

The Admiralty Sergeant is, today, another purely honorary position whose main role is to bear the Admiralty Oar before the Lord Warden on ceremonial occasions. The current Admiralty Sergeant is Jon Bartholomew. 

Each year, the Lord Warden also appoints two sea cadets from units located within the area of his Admiralty. The Lord Warden’s Sea Cadets wear a special gold badge on their uniforms and carry drill canes, which are the symbols of their office.