A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Carter, Samuel Thomas
CARTER. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 13; h-p., 34.)
Samuel Thomas Carter, born 28 May, 1785, is eldest son of the late Sam. Carter, Esq., of Sudbury, Suffolk, and of Twinsted Lodge, Essex.
This officer entered the Navy, 31 Jan. 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Juno 32, Capt. Geo. Dundas, on the Jamaica station, where he attained the rating of Midshipman, 7 July, 1800, and continued in the same ship, and in the Elephant 74, commanded also by Capt. Dundas, until Dec. 1804. During that period he served in the Juno’s large cutter at the cutting out from Campeachy Bay, after a bloody conflict, in Oct. 1800, of a Spanish schooner of 12 guns and 96 men; and, while attached, in 1803, to the Elephant, he was much employed in detached service at the blockade of Cape François, where he witnessed the surrender of the French squadron with the remains of General Rochambeau’s army on board. He next in succession joined the San Josef 110, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Cotton in the Channel, Elephant, again, in the West Indies, and Royal William, flag-ship at Spithead of Admiral Geo. Montagu; passed his examination in Oct. 1807, and was confirmed, 14 Jan. 1808, to the rank of Lieutenant in the Intrepid 64, Capts. Rich. Worsley and Christ. John Williams Nesham, in which ship he had previously beheld the surrender of Madeira. He afterwards, on proceeding to the West Indies, efficaciously served on shore at the reduction, in Feb. and April, 1809, of Martinique and the Saintes; and, on 5 June in the latter year, joined the Castor 32, Capt. Wm. Roberts, under whom we find him contributing to the destruction, in the ensuing Dec, of the 44-gun frigates Loire and Seine, and, in Feb. 1810, to the capture of Guadeloupe. His last appointments were, 25 Sept. 1810, to the Donegal 74, Capt. Pulteney Malcolm, in the Channel, and, 7 Aug. 1811, to the Sophie 18, Capt. Nich. Lockyer, on the coast of North America. He was placed on half-pay in Aug. 1813, and, on 19 Oct. 1844, he accepted his present rank.
Commander Carter, until lately, held for many years the honorary command at Lowestoft of the Suffolk Humane Society’s life-boat, and was thus instrumental in saving the lives, at different periods, of 124 persons. He married, 9 April, 1814, his cousin, Laura Catherine, second daughter of the late Rev. Wm. Chapman, Vicar of Margate, co. Kent, by whom he has living a son and four daughters. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.