A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bolton, Charles
BOLTON. (Lieut., 1825. f-p., 16; h-p., 18.)
Charles Bolton, born, 11 Sept. 1798, at Akenham Hall, near Ipswich, is nephew of the late Thos. Bolton, Esq., of Wells, co. Norfolk, who married Susannah, eldest sister of Lord Nelson; first cousin of the present Earl, and of the late Capt. Sir Wm. Bolton, R.N.; and second cousin of Lieut. Augustus Bolton, R.N. This officer entered the Navy, 15 July, 1813, as Midshipman, on board the Forth 40, commanded by his relative Sir Wm. Bolton, with whom he served for upwards of two years in the North Sea and off the coast of North America. During the first three years of the peace he appears to have been employed with Capt. Jas. Walker in the Albion, Queen, and Northumberland 74’s, on the Home station, where, and in the West Indies, he afterwards joined the Tribune 36, Capt. Nesbit Josiah Willoughby, Sapphire 26, Capt. Alex. Montgomerie, Hussar 38, Capt. Geo. Harris, and, as Mate, the Isis 50, Capt. Thos. Forrest. Having passed his examination in Sept. 1819, he obtained command, 29 Oct. 1824, of the Speedwell schooner, also stationed in the West Indies, whence, shortly after his confirmation to a Lieutenancy in the Pylades 18, Capt. John Leith, which took place 27 Aug. 1825, he returned home. His subsequent appointments were, again on the same station – 10 Dec. 1829, to the North Star 26, Capts. Lord Wm. Paget and Hon. Geo. Rolle Walpole Trefusis – 15 Jan. 1832, to the Winchester 52, commanded by the same officers and Hon. Wm. Wellesley – and, 24 Feb. 1833, to the command of the Nimble schooner of 5 guns. During the short period of 20 months that he was in the latter vessel, Lieut. Bolton signalised himself by the ardour and success of his efforts against the supporters of the slave-trade, from whom he captured no less than six heavy vessels, having on board, in the aggregate, as many as 1902 negroes. For his conduct on one occasion in particular, 10 Nov. 1833, in taking the Joaquina, after a spirited action of 10 minutes, in which the latter lost her Captain and 2 men killed, and was reduced to a sinking state, with four feet water in her hold, he received a letter of thanks from the Admiralty. In Nov. 1834, the Nimble, in charge at the time of a pilot, was unfortunately wrecked on her way to the Havana in running through the Old Bahama Channel. At the subsequent court-martial held at Port Royal her Commander was not only fully acquitted of all blame in the unfortunate occurrence, but was complimented with the high encomiums of the President, Sir Watkin Owen Pell. He has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Bolton married, 27 Oct. 1835, Anne Elizabeth, fourth daughter of the late T. Howard, Esq., of London,