Sir Charles Henry Knowles (2^nd Baronet)

Notes on Officer

This family is descended from Sir Thomas Knowles, who attended Richard I. in his wars to the Holy Land, where that Prince, in consideration of the many signal marks of Sir Thomas’s valour, granted him those arms which his family now bears; which are nearly the same as the Jerusalem arms, differing only in some few particulars. The subject of this memoir is the only son of the late Sir Charles Knowles, Bart., Admiral of the Blue, and Rear-Admiral of the Navies and Seas of Great Britain; formerly Governor of Jamaica, and afterwards Chief President of the Admiralty, and one of the Council to the Empress Catharine, of Russia, by his second wife, Maria-Magdalena-Theresa Bouquet, a lady of an old Lorraine family.

Our officer succeeded his father in the Baronetcy, Dec. 9, 1777; and attained the rank of Post-Captain, Feb. 2, 1780. In the same year, we find him commanding the Porcupine, a small frigate, on the Mediterranean station, where he was not long without an opportunity of distinguishing himself.

On the 22d July, in the same year, Sir Charles H. Knowles, being on a cruize on the coast of Valencia, at 4 A.M., saw two sail a-head, standing for the Porcupine. As the day advanced, he perceived they were Spanish ships, polacre rigged. About six o’clock, being within gun-shot, they hoisted their colours, and fired a gun to leeward; about eight minutes after Sir Charles gave the headmost vessel a broadside. A spirited action commenced, and was kept up until 7^h 20’, at which time the enemy sheered off. The largest ship carried 26 or 28 nine-pounders, and the smallest 22 or 24 guns of the same calibre; they were both full of men. A third vessel approaching, and the Porcupine being within half a mile of the Colebres Rocks, she made sail to the eastward; the enemy shortly after wore in pursuit. At 10^h 10’, another action began between the Porcupine and her former antagonists, which lasted until 11^h 3’, at which time they again hauled off, and did not afterwards attempt to renew the fight. In this unequal conflict the British ship had only four men wounded, and received but little damage.

Towards the conclusion of the American war, we find Sir Charles commanding the San Miguel, of 72 guns, and employed as senior officer of the naval force stationed at Gibraltar; to the garrison of which place he afforded the greatest assistance, by his active co-operation in repelling the oft-repeated attacks made by the enemy with a view of regaining possession of that important fortress. He sailed from thence on his return to England, March 22, 1783.

A few weeks after the commencement of hostilities against the French Republic, our officer commissioned the Daedalus, of 32 guns, in which frigate he proceeded to North America. In the early part of 1794, the Daedalus, on her passage to Halifax, received considerable damage, and sprung her main and mizen-masts, which obliged Sir Charles to put into Norfolk, in Virginia, where he took in new masts, and was about to sail, when a French squadron arrived, and blocked him up. On the 20th April the enemy put to sea with a large fleet of merchantmen, bound to France, leaving only the Clorinde frigate, and a corvette of 16 guns. Sir Charles was now determined to proceed to Halifax, and was making every arrangement to get under sail, and engage the French ships, should they attempt to molest him, when, on the morning of the 17th May, he was joined by the Terpsichore, of 32 guns, commanded by the late gallant Captain R. Bowen, who afterwards fell at Teneriffe. Notwithstanding this accession offeree, the French Commander shewed a disposition to follow the frigates, and bring them to action. Sir Charles Knowles stood off from Cape Henry four or five miles, and then hove to; upon which the Concorde tacked, and returned to her anchorage.

The Daedalus returned to England in the following summer, and Sir Charles was shortly after appointed to the Edgar, of 74 guns, stationed in the North Sea. From that ship he removed into the Goliath, of the same force, and was present in her at the memorable battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797; on which occasion the Goliath had 8 men wounded, and her Commander, in common with the other Captains, was afterwards honoured with a gold medal. In the same year he assisted at the solemn procession to St. Paul’s, when the colours taken from the enemy in the different naval actions were deposited in that cathedral.

Our officer was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Feb. 14, 1799; Vice-Admiral, April 23, 1804; and Admiral, July 31, 1810. On May 20, 1820, he was created an extra G.C.B.. He married Sept. 10, 1800, Charlotte, daughter of Charles Johnstone, of Ludlow, Esq.