In early 1327, England, unofficially led by Mortimer and Queen Isabella, faced a number of problems. Not least of these was a lack of funds. The royal coffers were drained to pay off the Hainault mercenaries and sustain Mortimer and Isabella’s lavish lifestyle. Savings had to be found somewhere. Henry, Earl of Lancaster, president of the regency council, was quickly at odds with Mortimer over an appropriated inheritance. Meanwhile both the old king and the new king were open to manipulation. The deposed Edward was a focus for plots, while Mortimer’s rule relied on his ability to contain an increasingly precocious monarch. Another pressing issue was the defence of the realm. Mortimer’s invasion had been a shocking demonstration of the vulnerability of England’s coastlines. An invasion from overseas was now unlikely. Isabella’s brother, Charles IV of France, was likely to remain an ally and John of Hainault had participated in Mortimer’s invasion. The Flemings remained hostile, but the main danger was from Scotland. Robert Bruce had refrained from taking advantage of Mortimer’s invasion in return for promises to acknowledge Scottish independence. Bruce was sick, apparently with leprosy, and was determined to press his demands as fast as possible. He assembled an army in early 1327, hoping to force Mortimer to abide by his promise. In response Mortimer was forced to announce a fresh campaign against the Scots.

With Bruce threatening England, replacing the treacherous admirals became a priority. The word ‘admiral’ (from the Arabic ‘Prince of the Sea’) had been introduced earlier in the fourteenth century, prior to which English naval commanders had been called ‘captains’ like other subordinate military officers. In 1327 there were two of these, the Admirals of the North and West, although admirals of Ireland were also sometimes appointed. Each admiral had one or two sub-admirals or lieutenants. In the reigns of Edward I and Edward II admirals were experienced seamen of low social rank. John Perbroun owned his own ships, but was employed as a customs official and bailiff when not acting as admiral. Kings of England relied on admirals to interpret their instructions to their most difficult subjects, particularly the men of Great Yarmouth and the Cinque Ports. Their authority relied on their local credibility, and for this reason they were drawn from important ports in the appropriate admiralty.