Navy Records Society

History

When the Navy Records Society was founded in 1893, Britain was a great naval power. The aim of the founders in publishing original materials on the history of the Royal Navy was to influence the development of naval policy and doctrine.

The Society combined the interests of professional, academic, political and non-specialist members to act as an intellectual pressure group and opinion former. By insisting on the highest scholarly standards the Society ensured that naval history was at the core of the newly emerging professional historical discipline.

As Britain's naval power declined, the Society's political role receded, but its commitment to scholarly publication remained as strong as ever. An article, written by Captain A B Sainsbury to celebrate the centenary of the NRS in 1993, describes the evolution of the Society. You may like to download a copy of the centenary article (PDF - 12 pages).Acrobat (PDF) format