The earliest items in this category are five documents signed by Philip II of Spain (1527-1598); two relate to the supplying of galleys in the Mediterranean, 1585 and 1586, and three to the provisioning of the Armada, 1588. There are two seventeenth-century documents, one of which is sailing and fighting instructions issued in 1687 by Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton (1663-1690) The twelve eighteenth-century items include sailing orders signed by Peter the Great (1682-1725), 1719; refitting and sailing orders from the Admiralty to Captain Edward Legge (1710-1747) of the SEVERN or, in his absence, Captain George Murray (later Admiral Lord Elibank) (1706-1785) of the PEARL at Rio following the separation from the CENTURIAN, 1741; and a document showing the disposition of the fleet in order of battle sent by Admiral Lord Hood to Captain (later Vice-Admiral) Horatio Nelson (q.v.) of the AGAMEMNON, 1793. Among the thirteen nineteenth-century documents are draft instructions for troops Admiral Lord Keith's (q.v.) landings in Egypt, by Captain (later Admiral Sir) Alexander Cochrane (1758-1832), 1801; and a series of five orders to William Yates, commander of the revenue cutter ROSE, operating in the English Channel, 1804. There are two twentieth-century documents; an Admiralty order to Vice-Admiral Sir John (Later Lord) Jellicoe (1859-1935) to supersede Admiral Sir George Callaghan (1852-1920) as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet, 31 July 1914; and a cyclostyled copy of Jellicoe's memorandum issued to the Grand Fleet after the battle of Jutland, 1916.

Administrative / biographical background
Royal Navy: Order Books and Orders - documents