Warmington, Robert

Robert Warmington was Admiralty Agent for the port of Great Yarmouth. Although Great Yarmouth was not a naval base as such, from the Middle Ages onwards it had been a naval port of some importance, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars, when the fleet assembled in Yarmouth Roads and sailed from here for the Battle of Copenhagen. As an Admiralty Agent, Robert Warmington would have been the person on whom all Royal Naval ships would rely for their supplies when they came into port, or were laying offshore in the Roads. Any ship coming into a home port would require re-provisioning.  For example, food, water, sail-cloth, ropeage, anchors and armaments would be provided. 

Armaments would be supplied from the Naval Armoury in Southtown. The agent would supply all other requirements from local farmers and merchants.  Ship’s captains entrusted agents to settle their salvage claims and to sell any ships that they had captured. Agents then paid the prize-money into the captain’s accounts and made any re-imbursements or distributed any charitable giving on their behalf. As such an agent, Robert Warmington had contacts with Nelson. In 1800, Nelson arranged for Robert Warmington to pay monies to the town of Great Yarmouth, including five guineas to the Town Clerk, one guinea to the Mayor, and £50 to feed the poor. As well as being an Admiralty Agent, Robert Warmington was the Agent for the Cuxhaven Packets and was also the Honourable Vice-Consul in Great Yarmouth for Prussia, Denmark, Sweden and the United States.  He was the Mayor of Great Yarmouth in 1780 and 1808. He lived in a house on the site of the Salvation Army Citadel from 1785, and died in 1812.