Russell's appointment as Admiral of the Fleet in December 1690 made him the Royal Navy's senior admiral. The terminology was less fixed than a modern rank list suggests. An earlier equivalent appointment gave one officer responsibility for the king's southern, northern, and western fleets. The common feature was overall naval seniority, even when the title differed.
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Admiral of the Fleet meant overall naval seniority
Russell's 1690 appointment placed him at the head of the Navy's admirals, although the title had not always taken its later form.