Lawsuits brought for the breach of an obligation under a charterparty fall within admiralty jurisdiction. He carried a silver oar that represented the authority of the Admiralty. British merchant vessels receive weekly Notices to Mariners issued by the Admiralty. The first example of admiralty law also appears in the Levant. The customs officer immediately contacted the Admiralty in London. The vessels were under local and not Admiralty control. It was a joint undertaking by the Admiralty and the Colonial Office. Positional astronomy was one of the primary functions of Greenwich for the Admiralty. After he recovered, he was discharged and assigned to duties with the Admiralty in Whitehall. In October 1911, Asquith appointed Churchill First Lord of the Admiralty. During the 20th century, the ranks of the modern U.S. admiralty were firmly established. Chamberlain declined Gladstone's offer of the office of First Lord of the Admiralty. Churchill had only grudgingly been appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. The Board of Admiralty consisted of a number of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. After his recovery, he returned to his duties at the admiralty.