A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Carslake, John
CARSLAKE. (Lieut., 1805. f-p., 16; h-p., 32.)
John Carslake was born 12 Sept. 1785.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 Jan. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal George 100, bearing the flag of Lord Bridport in the Channel; attained the rating of Midshipman 14 Jan. 1800; and on removing, in April, 1800, to the Thames 32, Capts. Wm. Lukin and Aiskew Paffard Hollis, assisted at the capture of several privateers in the West Indies, was present, 12 July, 1801, in the battle fought by Sir Jas. Saumarez with the Franco-Spanish squadron near Cadiz, and was frequently in collision with the batteries on the French coast. During the peace he served on board the St. George 98, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Morice Pole, and Courageux 74, Capt. John Okes Hardy, on the West India and Home stations, and, at the renewal of hostilities in 1803, joined the Victory 100, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson. In the following year Mr. Carslake, by his individual exertions, extinguished an alarming fire which had broken out in the cockpit of that ship. He next accompanied Lord Nelson to the West Indies in pursuit of the combined fleets; and, for his subsequently meritorious conduct at the battle of Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805, was promoted, the very next day, to a Lieutenancy in the Bellisle 74, Capt. Wm. Hargood. On 17 Dec. in the same year he rejoined the St. George, Capt. Thos. Bertie, attached to the fleet in the Channel, where we find him intrepidly dashing overboard, at a time when the sea was boisterous in the extreme, and saving the life of a seaman and of the First-Lieutenant, Mr. Caulfeild. In consequence of this act of heroism he was appointed, 12 Sept. 1807, First of the Proserpine 32, Capt. Chas. Otter, with whom, after bringing home from Gottenborg Lord Leveson Gower, the British ambassador to the court of St. Petersburg, he proceeded to watch the port of Toulon. While thus employed the Proserpine was attacked on 28 Feb. 1809, and, in spite of a noble resistance, in which she sustained a loss of 1 man killed and 10 wounded, captured by the French 40-gun frigates Pénélope and Pauline; owing to which untoward circumstance Lieut. Carslake was detained a prisoner in France until May, 1814. On 4 April in the following year he became First of the Tartarus 20, bearing the flag in the Scheldt of Sir Pulteney Malcolm, in which ship he remained until paid off in Nov. following. Since that period he has neither been afloat nor been able to procure that promotion which, we believe, was freely granted at the conclusion of the war to every other First-Lieutenant of a ship that had been honourably captured.
Lieut. Carslake is a magistrate for the co. of Devon. He married, 30 Sept. 1817, Thomazin, youngest daughter of the late Wm. Leigh, Esq., of Slade House, near Sidmouth, and has issue a son and daughter. Agent – Frederick Dufaur.