User:Navops47/draft/Admiral of Patrols

John Hopton (c. 1470-13731524), was an English naval officer and naval administrator who was appointed Clerk Comptroller of the Navy (1512-1524) one of the Clerks of His Majesty's Kings Marine who served under King Henry VIII of England.

Career
John Hopton was a gentleman usher of chamber of King Henry VIII whom he served as both a naval officer and naval administrator. The King had ordered the construction of new dockyards at both Erith and Limehouse in Kent, England as the Navy Royal was expanding. The Clerk of Kings Ships Robert Brygandine workload was becoming too much for one official to handle this led to the creation of a new office. In February 1512 Hopton was appointed Clerk Comptroller of the Navy. In addition the King ordered the contruction of new storehouses both Deptord and Erith In 1513 Hopton was also appointed Keeper of the Kings Storehouse at Deptford Dockyard and Keeper of the Kings Storehouse at Erith Dockyard]. Sharing responsbility with Brygandine he looked after ships and stores for the Thames and Medway area whilst Brgandine was responsble for Portsmouth and Southampton he held all these offices simoultensouly until 1524. Hopton was not only a naval administrator on 26 May 1513 Henry VIII appointed him Captain of the Fleet to carry the King's army to Calais which later led to the [[Battle of the Spurs at which he commanded the troop ships.

During the Tudor period from 1512 and until his death in 1524 Hopton became the most prominent person in Naval Administration responsible for almost all naval expenditure.