A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Carter, Robert (a)
CARTER, K.W. (Lieut., 1801. f-p., 1 7; h-p., 34.)
Robert Carter (a) died 14 Oct. 1845.
This officer entered the Navy, 3 May, 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal George 100, Capt. Wm. Domett, bearing the flag of Lord Bridport, in whose ensuing action with the French fleet off Ile de Groix we find him bearing a part. On removing, as Midshipman, to the Mermaid 32, Capt. Jas. Newman Newman, he aided, 17 Oct. 1798, off the coast of Ireland, in that ship’s gallant conflict of two hours and thirty minutes with the French frigate La Loire, of 46 guns, on which occasion the former had 3 men killed and 13 wounded. After intermediately serving on board the Minorca, Capt. Miller, Loire 38, Capt. J. N. Newman, and Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship of Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, on the Mediterranean and Home stations, Mr. Carter, within a few weeks of passing his examination, was promoted, 14 Aug. 1801, to the rank of Lieutenant, and placed in command of the Ceres, a hired barge, on the coast of Essex, which he paid off in Oct. following. His subsequent appointments were – 5 April, 1803, to the Britannia 100, Capt. the Earl of Northesk, in the Channel – 22 Aug. 1804, to the Swiftsure 74, Capt. Wm. Geo. Rutherford, under whom he pursued the Franco-Spanish fleet to the West Indies and back, and then shared, as Third Lieutenant, in the battle of Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805 – 7 Nov. 1807, as First, to the Jamaica 28, Capt. Arthur Lysaght, employed off Guernsey, Newfoundland, and Lisbon – 24 Aug. 1810, to the Experiment, Capt. Jas. Slade, guardship at Falmouth – 15 June, 1812, to the Impress service, first in the Isle of Wight, and next in the River Thames – and, in 1829, to be one of the Naval Knights of Windsor.