Port Admiral was a positional rank, now apparently defunct, in the British Royal Navy.
A Port Admiral was not an actual Admiral, but typically a veteran Captain who served as the shore commander of a British Naval Port and was in charge of supplying, refitting, and maintaining the ships docked at harbour. As the Port Admiral technically had control of a fleet of ships, albeit mostly in drydock and layup, the position was granted the status of a Navy Admiral.
Port Admirals, Portsmouth
The most powerful Port Admiral of the 18th and 19th century British Navy was the Port Admiral of Portsmouth, considered the leading harbour of the Royal Navy.
