family of Drayton in 1339 as retainer to the Bassett manors of Moulton, Buckby, Olney and Walsall. Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Until now all lists state that the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports for the year 1361 was Sir Richard de Herle, this was however not the case and in fact the appointment was granted to Sir Robert Herle. No evidence has been found in this short study for the existence of a Richard, and I conclude this to be an age old error now rectified. "By November of 1360 he is described as the ‘king's lieutenant in Brittany’, whilst a year later he was referred to as the ‘king's admiral’, and was Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque ports." (see ref. below). In addition from November 1354, Robert Herle acted for the king as the steward of the lands and castles of the king's sons, Edmund and John. In addition to his long service to the earl of Warwick, during the later years of the 1340s Herle also became an important agent of the Crown and an officer of the king's household. He continued his service for, and close association with the earl of Warwick, who was instrumental in Herle's career, and is found named on a number of Warwick's most important charters between 1350–60. Senior naval command He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the English Navy from 2 December 1360 - 7 July 1364 with the title of Admiral of the Kings Southern, Northern and Western Fleets. References Footnotes Sources Nicolas, Sir Nicholas Harris (1847). A History of the Royal Navy: 1327–1422. London, England: R. Bentley. Rodger, N.A.M. (2004). The safeguard of the sea : a naval history of Britain 660 to 1649. New York: W.W. Norton. External links Barfield and the Beauchamp family. English admirals Herle, Robert de 14th-century English Navy personnel 1316 births 1364 deaths