REPORT OF THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY COUNCIL – JULY 2026
Meeting our Patron
Our highlight this year was the visit of HRH Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, Society Patron since November 2024, to the National Archives in April. She had requested to meet leading members of the Society and around 50 members and supporters attended a very successful event. Our host was Dr Philippa Hellawell, until recently a Society Vice-President, who introduced Professor Andrew Lambert to give an overview of the Society’s history and achievements and Dr Marianne Czisnik to outline how she prepared her 2020 volume, Nelson’s Letters to Lady Hamilton and Related Documents, a special copy of which she presented to our Patron.
Members’ Meeting Arrangements
The Society is again grateful to King’s College London for hosting our hybrid Council and AGM meetings. This combined face-to-face and virtual format is clearly more compatible with the increasing, welcome geographical spread of our membership. We are aware, however, that there is always room for improvement and we welcome any feedback or suggestions members may have.
Society Overview
The Society has had another successful year and remains financially robust, generating a small operating surplus despite unavoidable cost increases. Membership numbers have continued to increase gradually, currently just over 800.
The Website remains popular, with a healthy level of worldwide access from both members and non-members. However, the existing platform was developed in 2015 and is showing its age. In continued co-operation with the Burlington Partnership, the Society has commissioned a major upgrade, expected to start this summer with anticipated completion by the end of 2026. Clearly, the cost of this necessary work will adversely affect the financial outcome for 2026/7 although Council is confident the outlay will prove well worthwhile.
Highlights in the Year
This year’s Volume (No 173) by Captain Jeremy Stocker, The Postwar Fleet, Volume 2; 1950 – 1957, has been published by Boydell & Brewer (B&B). Initial distribution to members started in May.
Full members have unlimited online access to PDF versions of all regular Volumes published to date. Parts of Occasional Publication 1, Commissioned Sea Officers, are now available online and we hope to digitise OP2, The Anthony Roll, in the future.
The Index Project is complete. The Society is most grateful to the Philip Nicholas Charitable Trust, for generous funding, and to Nicholas Blake who performed most of the work. The new indexes facilitate increased access to NRS material through online search.
The pipeline of future Volumes remains healthy. The 2027 slot has been allocated to John (Jack) Grainger for Papers and Correspondence of Admiral Sir John Duckworth. Vol 2: The Napoleonic War, 1801-1810 .
Several prospective authors are in discussion with the General Editor about a range of projects. They include: established authors looking to publish further volumes in series that have already started; new projects being suggested by authors already well known to us; and authors we will be dealing with for the first time to whom appropriate guidance will continue to be offered.
The Society Archive has been integrated and is now housed permanently at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. A comprehensive archive of appropriate, formal meeting records to end2024 together with notable past correspondence and papers relating to significant Society events is available for public access. The Museum has agreed in principle to accept future, similar material periodically. The Society is most grateful to Roger Knight, former Deputy Director of the National Maritime Museum and a former Senior Vice-President, who greatly assisted the Hon Sec in achieving this highly satisfactory conclusion.
Publishing Arrangements
The Society’s relationship with B&B as our publisher continues to be excellent. The number of volumes available as ePDFs and reflowable ebooks has increased significantly, generating welcome additional royalties. Henceforth, all new volumes will be available immediately in ePDF and ebook formats. Further titles from the volume archive will be similarly digitised as resources permit.
Members should note that in order to receive a hard copy volume, they MUST have paid the appropriate subscription AND provide a valid e-mail address and destination phone number.
2028 will see publication of the Society’s 175[th] volume. We intend to mark this milestone by publishing the 175[th] as an additional volume in the year, so members entitled to a hard copy will receive two books simultaneously. The plan is to compile an anthology of selected past online magazine articles, together with the original author’s commentary, suitable illustrations and any subsequent online discussion. The volume will be completed by an overview of the Society from Professor Andrew Lambert and an Introduction by the joint editors, Sam Willis and Nicholas Blake.
Policy Document Library
Council members have acknowledged the need for the Society to develop formal Policy Documents to guide appropriate governance now and into the future. These will be posted to the website as they are approved and/or updated and will be available for access by members. The first in a new series relates to social media and a final draft of this Policy Document will have been submitted to Council at the meeting immediately prior to the 2026 AGM.
The rationale for a social media policy reflects the need to make best use of a worldwide platform that is high profile, easily accessed, largely unstructured, unfamiliar to many and, above all, subject to sudden surges of attention. Our intention is to establish and maintain an appropriate balance between members’ freedom to express themselves and the need to protect the Society’s reputation from inappropriate content that may purport or be interpreted to represent the views of the Society.
Changes to Council Membership
Appointments to Council are for four years so there is some rotation of membership at each AGM. The following proposals are commended to members for their approval. Council members are always happy to deal with any queries any member may have.
The role of Senior Vice-President also rotates. It is proposed that Professor Richard Harding should succeed Dr Catherine Beck as Senior V-P. It is further proposed that Dr Matthew Heaslip will replace Catherine as a V-P and Richard as Chair of Publications Committee.
In October 2025, due to pressure of work, Dr Philippa Hellawell regrettably tendered her resignation as Vice-President and Chair of the Finance Committee. In line with Rule 15, the remaining VicePresidents appointed Dr Tim Dougall to replace Philippa, with effect from 1[st] January 2026. Members
are encouraged to make Tim’s interim appointment, as V-P and Chair of FC, permanent, subject to the normal parameters.
Nicholas Blake, Mike Duffy, Michael Crumplin, Andrew Bond, Lee-Jane Giles, Matt Willis and Kevin Rowlands have all reached the end of their current terms as Council members. Council colleagues wish to express their appreciation to all these individuals.
The changes provide an opportunity to propose Chris Minty and Rachel Blackman-Rogers to join and Matthew Seligmann and Chris Ware to re-join Council. Brief bios for these prospective members are included with these papers.
Imminent New Project
In 1908 the Society published Professor Charles Firth’s Naval Songs and Ballads (Vol 33). It has remained one of our most popular titles even though these ballads about (and in many cases by) sailors and their exploits, from the fourteenth century to the nineteenth, have only named tunes, without music. This new project intends to fill that gap. We are looking for volunteers to help source original scores and ideally record as many of these pieces as possible. After 120 years, we look forward to reviving these traditional ballads in a format our forebears would recognise.
Bthn¢e Sheet * at318t Oeceml)w 21ll6 Balance 3181 Dthxmb 21Y24 8uWsl(Dity forthe yBar 112,240 f1.772 23.137 8818nco at3151 2tr25 t 133.6OS É 110.4e6 R¢p¥Bsented ty.. 9onk baknws Bèrclaya - Cot•mwffly aLWi - HIW Interes1 ¥xounP 1&374 29,595 1,67S 9,625 29.210 72 FSxod A¥Be¢ InVlmh 83,981 £ IJJ, É 110.48b Not•S W thB a¢EouN• forth• y•areThJ•d 31t D•¢•mbgr 2025 The pthdpal Un9 wl¢ie• a( tho prOPknn of# S$ accounts ar4 a2Ffrlbwg Stan(Jatd$ Ift 8¢£ortse ¥Alh Tr Ch¥ffjSrf Ae. 2C11. The SocMy'5 lu Fewi'rE to l)e wtspwe(S 8 truè ¥ndl8lr viDw ol hs &slo o18ff81ry1 ,.?tsl DOrer.r25 a.-,d tsf &id 3¥meI s for Ihe yEor trien Thè stY Is respDfLSible for keep¥w PfQPWfthYltry reD)r(ts fksck7Se Dved ay Pretident
Balance She•t as at 31st Decemb8r 202S Aecum Tated fund Balance at 31st Dernber 2024 SurplusllDeficrt) lor the year 110A68 23.137 112,240 1,7721 Bal8ntÈ al 31st Dmber 2W25 £ 133,605 £ 110.468 Rspre8ented by.. Bank balances Bardays Bank 18.374 29,5 1.675 49.644 9,625 29,210 - High Interest 8¢count - IncoTh cOunt Coutts 38,7 Flxod A•••t Invtrontr - al value 83,961 71.561 £ 133.60 £ 110,488 Nots8 to th• •c¢ounts for tho y•ar •nd¢d 31•t DIc•mr 2025 tbn The prlncipal a¢¢ountiThJ Wkaes vthlth a adopted In the pr¥pgr80n ofthe Society8 aCUnIS a as follryK.' The financial st8tements have been Prepared on a going concem basis under the histodcol ¢o$l convenb'on and in C(danCe with Appli¢ablo AccountirvJ Stand8rd$. The inve5tmgnl$ have l)een induded kn the a¢{nts at mark•t valu• In accordance %bith The Charili8s Act 2011. nt ot Socl nslbllltl The sOcty's rules requi¥e 8ccoun15 to be prepared g& a true and falr vlew of rts slate of affairs at 31st December 2025 and ol its receipts and paymènts for the ye8¥ then ended. These SMements are wuired lo be examlned by an indepeftdenl examiner and cc¥)ie8 made avalLgble to menets. The Society is responsible also for keepltvj proper (%)Ub.n9 records wknich disclose th reasonable accuracy finanoal position of the Srxiety and for saf8gu8rding its assets. Approved by the Councl on: Presldenl Treasurer
Navy RKords Soclety R•eèlpts and Payments A¢¢ourt includlng Unrtrali¥ed Galn8 and LOS for the Yèar onded 31st D•e•mbw 2025 cel Subscriptions Paypal subsL¥iPtions- full Paypavstripe subsuiptions- $tudenl Stripe subscriplion5 Instrtutional subwplbJn8 Gwt aid Donations PNCT fvndlng Divid&nds and interest Royallles 12.510 8.603 1.985 10.490 3.790 3.021 185 11,036 6,385 670 12,489 3.711 2,937 137 6.508 2.870 3.304 £ $3,982 41,592 General edltorfs costs Upkeep of membership records gnd admirtslratlon fee Prfnting, publishing, distribution and edito84 expensès Ornline edrtor The Burtinglon Partner8hlp Shipwn'ght •xpèns¥$ Indexing projo Sundry expen 3,828 13.460 7,080 7,220 3,828 13,020 7,080 3,789 2,458 3,127 2,194 3,503 £ 43,225 45,182 £ 10,737 3,590 Gainllkjssl on change In m•kel ¥¥¢ on investments 12,400 1,818 re¢0 nlsed and unr•e usl deficit for the £ 23,137 11,7721 èar
IndéwKlent Examlnerf$ R¢wt to the Tnffjté•8 oft Record• Soclety I report to the charity trustees on the acc(NJnts oftt S(Kaety th& y•ar ended 31st Dmber 2025, which are set OLrt on Ihè pages attached. R•ponsibllll•s and baBIB of report As the Societys trustées you are respOnWb loi the preparation of thè ac¢ounts,' you consider that the audit requirewnent of section 144 of Ihe Charities Act 2011 Ilhe Att) does not apply. Havlng satisfied rryseN that the accounts of the Soclety are not required to be audit and are eligible for Independent examin8bon. I report in respect of my examinats.on ol your charivs accounts as carried OLrt under Sacllon 145 of the Charities Act 2011 fthe 2011 Ad). In Carrying out my examination I havè ftsllowed the Dire(#K•ns given by the Chaiity Conwntssion under Section 145151 Ibl of the 2011 Act. Independ•nt ex•mln•rf •tatn0nt I have completed my examination. I confim) thal no mattws have me to attention In c?nelOn ¥th the examination giving me cause to bÈlie.. l. accounilng records were not kept In r•$ps¢t of Company a6 requlr&l by Sothn 386 of th• 20C6 Act.. or 2. the accoun13 do not accord vAth those reconls.. c 3. the accounts do not compty yth lh& •1ting requirements of Sedlon 396 of the 2[m Ac4 other than any reqtslf•m&nl that the accounts gfve a true 8nd fail view is not a matter consldered as part of an indèpendent examinalion., or 4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordan¢g th Ihe mtrthods #nd w5nciples ol the Stat&m8nl of Recommendad Pra¢ll¢e for accounting and reportlng by ¢h8nties lapplicae to chantses pmparing thèlr accounts In a¢¢Ndance the Flnandol Rfjporung Standard apICable In the UK and Rèpubllc ol Ireland IFRS 102}1. I have no Conm8 and have Come aLw8s no othw mattern In ¢onnth ith th& oxamlnallon lo ¥thl¢h attention should t drawn In this reF¥)1 In orJof to enable a proper understandlng ofth8 ac£ounts to bo reached. Name." M Robinson FCA Relevant profe3sional quallficatbn or b(ty. Chartered Accountant Address". 223 South Coast Road, Poa¢ehaven. Easl Sussex. BN10 8LB Dal•. 01. >16
Navy R•¢ord* Socl•ty Statsm•nt ol Invoslments at 31st Do¢¢mber 2025 Cost at IAark•t v•lutr Market value 37.12.25 al 31.112025 at 31.12.2024 4.860.176 M & G Charrlund IncoTh Unlts 8.491 83.961 71,561 6.491 £ 83,961 71,$61 Market Value M&G 18 16 14 12 io PA&G 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 21T13 2024 2025