Charles Inglis (died 27 February 1833) was an officer of the

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 ...

who saw service during the

French Revolutionary The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are consider ...

and

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, rising to the rank of

post-captain Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of Captain (Royal Navy), captain in the Royal Navy. The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from: * Officers in command of a naval vessel, who were (and still are) ...

. Inglis was born into a naval family, the son of an officer who would die a

rear-admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarded ...

, and followed his father into the navy. He rose through the ranks, and was a lieutenant aboard a

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

by 1798, when his ship fought an action against a French frigate, and succeeded in capturing it. Inglis had to take over command during the battle when his captain was injured, and was subsequently highly praised for his efforts. He then went to the Mediterranean, serving on a frigate forming part of Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson's squadron. He again acquitted himself well in battle, when his ship attacked a much larger French warship, delaying her enough for more British ships to arrive on the scene and force her surrender. Nelson himself congratulated Inglis for his part. Promoted to commander, and then captain, Inglis commanded several small cruisers, before becoming

flag captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First ...

to 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 ...

. It was the start of an enduring relationship, with Martin retaining Inglis to be his flag captain on all his

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

s. He served in several further engagements with the French fleets in the Mediterranean during the war, and also off the coast of Portugal during Martin's time in command there. He returned to Martin's side as late as 1824, when Martin became Commander-in-Chief at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

, flying his flag aboard , and with Inglis once more his flag captain. Stepping down on the expiration of Martin's post in 1827, Inglis died several years later, in 1833.

Family and early career

Inglis was born the son of

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 ...

Charles Inglis, a distinguished officer who had served in the navy since 1745, and who rose to the rank of

before his death in 1791. He followed his father in embarking on a career in the navy, and was serving off the French coast as first lieutenant of the 32-gun frigate in 1798. While patrolling off the

Penmarks Penmarch (, ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany, northwestern France.''Seine''. The ''Seine'' had crossed the Atlantic from the West Indies and was bound for a French port. The British squadron manoeuvred to cut her off from land, but the ''Mermaid'', under Captain

James Newman-Newman Captain James Newman-Newman (1767–1811) of the British Royal Navy was an officer who served in numerous actions with distinction during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars before his death in the wreck of his ship of the line HMS ''He ...

, soon lost contact, leaving the ''Pique'' under Captain David Milne and the ''Jason'' under Captain

Charles Stirling Charles Stirling (28 April 1760 – 7 November 1833) was a vice-admiral in the British Royal Navy. Early life and career Charles Stirling was born in London on 28 April 1760 and baptised at St. Albans on 15 May. The son of Admiral Sir Walter ...

, to chase down the Frenchman. After a chase lasting the entire day, all three ships ran aground on the French coast, but continued to bring their guns to fire upon each other, until HMS ''Mermaid'' returned to the scene, forcing the French to surrender. ''Seine'' was brought into the navy as HMS ''Seine''. Stirling had been wounded early in the engagement and was forced to go below to seek treatment, leaving Inglis in command. Inglis acquitted himself well, prompting Stirling to write in his official report to

Lord Bridport Admiral Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport, KB (2 December 17262 May 1814), of Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Origins He was a younger son of ...

that 'no man could have filled my place with more credit to himself, and benefit to the state, than my First Lieutenant, Mr. Charles Inglis, whom I beg leave to recommend in the strongest manner for his bravery, skill and great exertions.' Guillaume Tell PU5634

Inglis then went out to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

, taking part in the blockade of Malta as a lieutenant aboard the 36-gun , serving under Captain Sir Henry Blackwood. He was present at the action of 31 March 1800, when the 80-gun French ''Guillaume Tell'' attempted to escape Malta under Rear-Admiral

Denis Decrès Denis Decrès (18 June 1761 – 7 December 1820) was an officer of the French Navy and count, later duke of the First Empire. Early career Decrès was born in Châteauvillain, Haute-Marne on 18 June 1761 and joined the Navy at the age of 18, ...

. The French ship's departure was observed by lookouts on ''Penelope'' and the frigate harassed the fleeing French ship until the larger ships under Captain

Manley Dixon Admiral Sir Manley Dixon, KCB (3 January 1757; 8 February 1837) was a prominent Royal Navy officer during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Born into a military family in the late 1750s or early 1760s, Dixon joined the Navy an ...

, and under Captain

Sir Edward Berry Rear Admiral Sir Edward Berry, 1st Baronet, KCB (17 April 1768 – 13 February 1831) was an officer in Britain's Royal Navy primarily known for his role as flag captain of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson's ship HMS ''Vanguard'' at the Battle of ...

, could come up and join the engagement. Worn down, the ''Guillaume Tell'' was forced to surrender after being dismasted. Rear-Admiral

Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

wrote personally to Inglis after the capture;

"My dear Sir, how fortunate I did not allow you to quit the Penelope to be junior Lieutenant in the Foudroyant! You will now get your promotion in the pleasantest of all ways, by the gallant exertions of yourself and those brave friends who surrounded you on that glorious night. What a triumph for you - what a pleasure for me! What happiness to have the Nile Fleet all taken, under my orders and regulations! Blackwood's coming to me at Malta, and my keeping him there, was something more than chance. Ever my dear Sir, believe me your truly sincere friend, Nelson and Bronte."

Command

Inglis was promoted to commander after this event, and was given command of the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

in October 1800, which was then lying at

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...

. She went on to take part in operations against the French forces in Egypt. He was given command of the 10-gun cutter in February 1801, and continued in the Mediterranean. He received the temporary captaincy of the 74-gun in November 1801, during the brief absence of her captain, Sir Thomas Williams, and commanded her in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

. Inglis was promoted to

on 29 April 1802 and commissioned the 32-gun in June 1802. HMS Canopus (1798)

In 1807 he began a long association with Rear-Admiral

, when he took over command of the 98-gun and became Martin's

. He followed Martin when he shifted his flag to the 80-gun in 1808 and remained in command for the next four years, during which time Martin oversaw the capture of the Italian islands of

Ischia Ischia ( , , ) is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about from Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures approximately east to west ...

and

Procida Procida (; nap, Proceta ) is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. With its tiny satellite island of Vivara, it is a ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City ...

in June 1809. In October Martin was dispatched with a small squadron to chase several French ships that had escaped from

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

under Rear-Admiral

François Baudin François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King o ...

. Martin and his force discovered the French and chased them to the harbour of Cette at the mouth of the Rhone, where two ships, the 80-gun ''Robuste'' and the 74-gun ''Lion'' ran aground. Martin made plans to attack them, but their crews abandoned and burnt them on 26 October before he could carry them out. After a promotion to vice-admiral on 31 July 1810 Martin took command of the naval forces at

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

, which had been tasked with supporting Sir John Stuart's forces in

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. Martin returned to England and went ashore on striking his flag on 14 October 1810, while Inglis remained with ''Canopus'', which became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Boyles between 1811 and 1812, and was paid off into

Ordinary Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (Every Little Thing album) (2011) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016) * "Ordinary" (Wayne Brady song) (2008) * ...

in February 1812. Martin returned to sea command of the forces off Lisbon in 1812, flying his flag aboard the 78-gun HMS ''Impetueux'', once again with Inglis in command as his flag captain. Martin remained in this role for the next two years, shifting his flag to and then in 1813. Martin struck his flag on 24 June 1814, though Inglis's career at sea continued, taking command of the 104-gun in May 1815, though by October he had been succeeded by Captain Edmund Boger.

Later life

He was captain of between 31 January 1824 and 30 April 1827, during Martin's time as Port Admiral and Commander-in-Chief at

. He died at

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

, on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

, on 27 February 1833. He had at least one son, also called Charles, who followed his father into the navy and had reached the rank of post-captain by 1829.

Notes

a. ''Cruelle'' was a former French ship, which had been captured off

on 1 June 1800 by , and registered in the navy on 13 October of that year.

Citations

References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Inglis, Charles 1833 deaths Royal Navy officers Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Year of birth unknown