A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bosanquet, Charles John
BOSANQUET. (Captain, 1846.)
Charles John Bosanquet, born 5 May, 1807, is fifth son of the late Sam. Bosanquet, Esq., F.R.S., of Forest House, co. Essex, and Dingestow Court, co. Monmouth, a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for those shires, by Laetitia Philippa, youngest daughter of Jas. Whatman, Esq., of Vinters, co. Kent; brother of Mr. Bosanquet, the banker of Lombard-street; and nephew of the late Sir John Bernard Bosanquet, P.C., one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas.
This officer, who entered the Navy 5 May, 1821, we first find serving on the coast of Africa, as Senior Mate of the Black Joke tender, of 2 guns, 18-pounders, and 48 men, in which he particularly signalised himself, 25 April, 1831, at the capture, after an action of about four hours and a half, of the slave-brig Marinereto, mounting five 24-pounders, with a crew of 75 men, of whom 13 were killed and 15 wounded. The Black Joke had only 1 killed and 5 wounded, including, however, Mr. Bosanquet, who received a cutlass-wound in the neck while in the act of boarding, and was for his conduct made Lieutenant, 15 Aug. following, into the Dryad 42, Capt. John Hayes. His next appointments were, 19 July, 1833 Pallas 42, Capt. Wm. Walpole – 16 July, 1834, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant, to the President 52, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Cockburn on the North America and West India station -and, 11 Sept. 1835, to the command of the Leveret brig, of 10 guns. Finding on his arrival, in the latter vessel, at Mozambique, in Sept. 1836, that that place was in a state of insurrection and all the authorities under arrest, Mr. Bosanquet, by a bold coup de main, restored public tranquillity and re-established the ascendancy of the Queen of Portugal. Landing at night with his ship’s company, supported by a party of the well-affected, he took the insurgents by surprise, seized an 84-gun battery, obtained possession of the Custom and Government Houses, released the authorities, and in three days re-embarked, his energetic promptness having been attended with the most complete success. For this important service he was made a Commander of the Portuguese order of Christo, and presented with a handsome letter of thanks from the Mozambique government. Three months after the latter event, Mr. Bosanquet fell in with, chased for 800 miles, and ultimately captured by hoarding, a slave-vessel, the Diogenes, of five 24-pounders and 70 men, within musket-shot distance of a Portuguese frigate and of the battery above alluded to. He continued in the Leveret until the summer of 1839, on 10 May in which year he was promoted for his services to the rank of Commander. He next, from 28 July, 1843, until June, 1846, commanded the Alert sloop on the coast of Africa; and, on 9 Nov. following, was advanced to his present rank. He is now on half-pay.
Commander Bosanquet married, 5 June, 1832, his cousin, Charlotte Eliza, youngest daughter of the late Jacob Bosanquet, Esq., of Broxbournbury House, Herts, 45 years an East India Director, and has issue two daughters. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.