The Admiralty Board directed the routine business of the Royal Navy and this class of records, ADM 1, reflect this activity. The Board through its secretary, corresponded with officers of squadrons on and off service as well as with other government departments and branches of naval administration. It also communicated with colonial governors on matters affecting the Royal Navy's role in Imperial affairs. After the elimination of the Navy Board (see MG 12 ADM 106) and the centralization of naval affairs under the Board of Admiralty in 1832, one or more members of the Board were involved in every matter requiring a policy decision. This resulted in the creation of many of the papers in the Secretary's Department. In addition, the Admiralty Record Office, part of the Secretary's Department, was used after the middle of the 19th century as the repository for other Admiralty departments.
Admiralty 1 is the major series of "in-letters" received, (and later subject files created) by the Secretary's department of the Board of Admiralty, 1660-1969. ADM 1 is arranged in over 50 series, including Admirals' Despatches, Captains' Letters, Letters from Lieutenants, Letters from Officers at Dockyards, Letters relating to the Colonies, Governors of Plantations, Secret Letters, Orders-in-Council, Reports of Courts Martial, and the New General Series. Each of these series has been included in the copying programme of the National Archives of Canada. Microfilm reel numbers for this material are located in either Finding Aid No. 90 or Finding Aid No. 2001, Microfilm Shelf Lists.
There is an oversized document: map of the land reserved by the Crown in New Brunswick, n.d., photostat. (Volume 5692, parts 1,2,3 and 4.)