A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Basden, Charles
BASDEN. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 20; h-p.,24.)
Charles Basden entered the Navy, 18 June, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal William, Capt. John Wainwright, bearing the flag at Spithead of Admiral Geo. Montagu; proceeded in 1805 to the East Indies as Midshipman of the Hindostan 50, Capt. Alex. Eraser; and, on joining the Spartan 38, commanded by the late Sir Jahleel Brenton, became an active participator, from 1807 to 1810, in all the dashing events which during the period marked that gallant officer’s career. He commanded on 14 May, 1807, off Nice, one of four boats in a valorous but unsuccessful attack on a polacre ship, in which the British suffered a loss, out of 70 picked men, of 63 killed and wounded, including 2 Lieutenants and 3 Midshipmen; assisted afterwards at the destruction, 23 April and 2 May, 1809, of the castles of Pesaro and Ceseratico; witnessed, on 10 of the latter month, the reduction of the island of Lossini, on the coast of Croatia; was present, early in Oct. following, at the surrender of Zante and Cephalonia; contributed also, on 9 of the same month, to the capture of Cerigo, an island near the Morea, for which service, as well as for Lossini, the Spartan received the thanks of the Admiralty; commanded a gun-boat in March, 1810, and was severely wounded while destroying a vessel he had driven on shore on the coast of Calabria, under the heavy fire of a body of troops; had further charge, 25 April ensuing, of one of the boats employed in cutting out four vessels from under the castle and batteries of Terracina; and, on 3 May, although nominally a Master’s Mate, performed the duties of Lieutenant on the occasion of the Spartan’s brilliant defeat, in the Bay of Naples, after an action of two hours, and a loss to the British of 10 men killed and 22 wounded, of a Franco-Neapolitan squadron, whose united force amounted to 95 guns and about 1400 men. On leaving the Spartan, in Dec. 1810, Mr. Basden proceeded to join the flotilla employed at the defence of Cadiz, and while so engaged was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, by commission dated 2 May, 1811. Assuming command, on 9 July in the same year, of the Fearless gun-brig, he continued to be very actively employed on the coast of Spain until 1812, particularly at the defence of Tarifa in Jan. of that year, for his meritorious services on which occasion he was especially noticed in the despatches of the senior officer, Capt. Edw. Stirling Dickson. While next attached, from Dec. 1812, to Oct. 1815, to the Tremendous 74, Capt. Robt. Campbell, we find him assisting at the capture of Trieste, co-operating also with the Austrian forces in the reduction of Venice, and frequently employed on boat service. In 1825 he became Agent for Transports afloat, but resigned that appointment 25 Oct. 1827, and on 31 May, 1828, was ordered to join, as First-Lieutenant, the Windsor Castle 78, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, on the Mediterranean station. He was there promoted to the command, 17 Feb. 1829, of the Weazle sloop, and, having paid that vessel off in 1830, was next employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard from 18 March, 1834, until 1837. He attained Post-rank 23 Nov. 1841, and is at present on half-pay.
Capt. Basden married, 22 April, 1817, Lydia, daughter of the late J. Pereira, Esq., and niece of the late Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes, Bart., of Maristow, co. Devon, by whom he has an only daughter, married to Lieut. C. P. Coode, R.M., son of Capt. John Coode, R.N., C.B. Agents – Messrs. Chard.