Charles Boyles (1756–1816) was a senior officer in the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. His conduct when commanding the ''

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

'', in the action of 22 July 1805, under Sir

Robert Calder Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, (2 July 174531 August 1818) was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. For much of his career ...

, with the combined French and Spanish fleets, was noteworthy.''The Naval Chronicle'', p. 265. He passed nearly half a century in the naval service of his country, rising to the rank of

Vice-Admiral of the Blue The Vice-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Vice-Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, re ...

Life

Charles Boyles was the son of Charles Boyles, Esq., Collector of the Customs at Wells, in Norfolk. In the year 1771, at the age of fifteen, he embarked with

Lord Nelson Vice-admiral (Royal Navy), Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British people, British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strate ...

, on board HMS ''Raisonable'', of 64 guns, commanded by Captain

Suckling Breastfeeding, or nursing, is the process by which human breast milk is fed to a child. Breast milk may be from the breast, or may be expressed by hand or pumped and fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that brea ...

, to whom he was recommended by

Marquis Townshend Marquess Townshend is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain held by the Townshend family of Raynham Hall in Norfolk. The title was created in 1787 for George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend. History The Townshend family descends from Rog ...

, and afterwards served the principal part of his time as midshipman and master's mate, with Captain

Sir Thomas Rich Sir Thomas Rich, 1st Baronet (c. 1601 – 15 October 1667) was an English merchant and politician who sat in House of Commons in 1660. He established Sir Thomas Rich's School, a grammar school.Enterprize'' frigate, on the

Mediterranean station The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a military formation, formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vita ...

. He was afterwards promoted, and served as lieutenant of the ''

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

'', of 98 guns, commanded by Captain (afterwards Lord) Gardner, in the defeat of Count de Grasse, by the fleet under

Lord Rodney Baron Rodney, of Rodney Stoke in the County of Somerset, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1782 for the naval commander Sir George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baronet. He had previously been created a Baronet, of Alresford i ...

, on 12 April, in the West Indies.''The Naval Chronicle'', p. 266. He remained on that station until he was promoted to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the ''

Barbadoes Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

'' sloop of war, in which ship he returned to England. The ''

Zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zeb ...

'' sloop having been selected to be stationed on the coast of Ireland, Captain Boyles was appointed to her, and continued in the command of her for three years, when she was paid off. He then commissioned the ''

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...

'' fireship, and out of that ship he was made a post captain. In 1792, Captain Bowles married Mary Dorothea, daughter of Captain James Hawker, of the Royal Navy. On the breaking out of the war in 1793, Captain Boyles was appointed to the ''

Pegasus Pegasus ( grc-gre, Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; la, Pegasus, Pegasos) is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as hor ...

'' frigate, of 28 guns, and shortly after, at the particular request of Admiral

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, to the '' Swiftsure'', of 74 guns, bearing his flag, and stationed on the coast of Ireland; the Admiral's residence being on shore at Cork, the ''Swiftsure'' usually cruised at sea, and being ordered to see a convoy, under the St. Alban's, a certain distance on their passage to the West Indies, on 5 May 1791 fell in with two French frigates, one of which, the '' Atalante'', of 38 guns, was captured by the ''Swiftsure'', after a chase of 38 hours. ln May 1795, the ''Swiftsure'', with the ''

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...

'', was put under the orders of the ''

Leviathan Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...

'', Captain

Duckworth Duckworth may refer to: * Duckworth (surname), people with the surname ''Duckworth'' * Duckworth (''DuckTales''), fictional butler from the television series ''DuckTales'' * Duckworth Books, a British publishing house * , a frigate * Duckworth, W ...

, and sailed for St. Domingo, and the Jamaica station. On their arrival, the commander-in-chief, Admiral

Parker Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado * Parker, Florida * Parker, Idaho * Parker, Kansas * Parker, Missouri * Parker, North Carolina *Park ...

, having his flag in the ''Raisonable'', of 64 guns, obtained leave of the Admiralty to remove it to the ''Swiftsure'', as a superior ship, by which arrangement Captain Boyles became commander of the ''Raisonable'', the ship he first entered when he commenced his career in the navy, and remained on this station until the month of September 1797, when he was sent home by Commodore Duckworth, and refitted, after one cruise with Lord

Bridport Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England, inland from the English Channel near the confluence of the River Brit and its tributary the Asker. Its origins are Saxon and it has a long history as a rope-making centre. On the coast and withi ...

, in quest of the French fleet, which attempted a descent upon Ireland. She sailed in March following, with an India convoy, to the Cape of Good Hope, being intended to join a squadron under

Lord Hugh Seymour Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour (29 April 1759 – 11 September 1801) was a senior British Royal Navy officer of the late 18th century who was the fifth son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford, and became known for being both a p ...

, on an expedition to the South Seas, but from its not taking place, she remained on the Cape of Good Hope station, occasionally cruising off the Isle of France, and Madagascar, till July 1799, when she conveyed a fleet of

Indiamen East Indiaman was a general name for any sailing ship operating under charter or licence to any of the East India trading companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries. The term is used to refer to vesse ...

to England, and then joined the Channel fleet under Lord Bridport.''The Naval Chronicle'', p. 267. In 1800, the ''Raisonable'' was repaired at Chatham, and then ordered to the North Sea, under Admiral Sir Archibald Dickson. In 1801, Captain Boyles was appointed to command the ''

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...

'', of 74 guns; and before he joined her, to the '' Belleisle'', 74 guns. In August he was removed into the ''

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

'', 74 guns, all employed in the Channel Fleet. After the

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

took place in October, the Captain was sent, with several other ships, to Jamaica, under Sir J. T. Duckworth, where she remained until January 1802. She then came home, and was paid off. After the war recommenced, Captain Boyles was appointed, in April 1804, to the '' Courageux'', 74 guns, and proceeded with an India convoy to St. Helena, bringing another convoy back in October. The ''Courageux'' afterwards joined the Channel Fleet. In January 1805, Captain Boyles was appointed to the ''

'', of 98 guns, and cruised with a detached squadron in the Bay of Biscay. Having joined Sir

's fleet in July, the ''Windsor Castle'' was particularly engaged in the action with the combined French and Spanish fleet on 22 January, when she had six officers and fifty men killed and wounded, and was so disabled as to be obliged to return to England with the two line-of-battle ships, prizes. Being repaired, the ''Windsor Castle'' joined the Channel Fleet under Admiral

Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

, and was detached with, a squadron under Sir Samuel Hood, off Rochfort, on 6 September, when a squadron of French frigates, with troops for their colonies, were chased, and four taken. The ''Windsor Castle'', in November, was ordered under

Lord Collingwood Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (26 September 1748 – 7 March 1810) was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as ...

, off Cadiz, and soon after to the Mediterranean, where Captain Boyles was for some time senior officer in Sicily and Malta.''The Naval Chronicle'', p. 268. In April 1808, the ''Windsor Castle'' joined the squadron under Sir J. T. Duckworth, which passed up the Dardanelles, and in the arduous contest of repassing, and engaging the Turkish batteries, besides other material damage which she sustained, her

main-mast The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall spar, or arrangement of spars, erected more or less vertically on the centre-line of a ship or boat. Its purposes include carrying sails, spars, and derricks, and giving necessary height to a navigation ligh ...

was shot two-thirds through, by one of the extraordinary masses of stone, which weighed upwards of 800 lb (363 kg), and was 26 in (66 cm) in diameter, that were fired at, and struck the ships of the squadron, and was in the possession of Sir J. T. Duckworth. On 28 April following, Captain Boyles was appointed a Colonel of Marines, and the ''Windsor Castle'' was paid off in November 1808. In the month of October 1809, Captain Boyles was promoted to the rank of

Rear-Admiral of the Blue The Rear-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-Admiral of the White. Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear admiral, vice admiral and adm ...

; and in May following received an appointment as commanding Admiral at Malta. On his arrival off that Island, on board the '' Lively'' frigate (in which ship he had taken his passage from Gibraltar), on 10 August, at 2 am, she struck on a reef of rocks, and was lost, the crew saving themselves by the masts which were cut away for that purpose. Admiral Boyles's flag remained on board the ''

Trident A trident is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology. The trident may occasionally be held by other marine ...

'' in Vallette harbour until September, when he was ordered to relieve Rear-admiral

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the B ...

, in command of the squadron at Sicily, and hoisted his flag in the ''

Canopus Canopus is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina (constellation), Carina and the list of brightest stars, second-brightest star in the night sky. It is also Bayer designation, designated α Carinae, which is Lat ...

'', at Messina. In February 1811, Admiral Boyles received an offer from the commander-in-chief, Sir

Charles Cotton Charles Cotton (28 April 1630 – 16 February 1687) was an English poet and writer, best known for translating the work of Michel de Montaigne from the French, for his contributions to ''The Compleat Angler'', and for the influential ''The Comp ...

, to be Captain of the Mediterranean Fleet (Sir Charles having communicated with the Admiralty on the subject), which he declined, preferring the active command at Sicily.''The Naval Chronicle'', pp. 268–269. In September, being again ordered to Malta, and finding it did not agree with his health, he applied to be superseded, returned to England in the ''

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

'' frigate, and struck his flag in February 1812.''The Naval Chronicle'', p. 269. He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 4 June 1814, and died on 10 November 1816, leaving a widow and an only son, having served in the Royal Navy, principally at sea, in many countries and climates, for forty-five years.

References

Sources

* Winfield, Rif (2008). ''British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates''. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Seaforth. .
"Biographical Memoir of the Late Charles Boyles, Esq. Vice Admiral of the Blue"
''

The Naval Chronicle The ''Naval Chronicle'' was a British periodical published monthly between January, 1799 and December, 1818 (Huntington). It contained information about the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, including biographies, histories, news, and essays on ...

''. Vol. 38. pp. 265–269.

Life

References

Sources

Further reading