A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Chamier, Frederic
CHAMIER. (Commander, 1826. f-p., 17; h-p., 21.)
Frederic Chamier, born in 1796, is son of the late John Chamier, Esq., Member of Council for the Madras Presidency, by Georgiana Grace, eldest daughter of Admiral the late Sir Wm. Burnaby, Bart., of Broughton Hall, co. Oxford; grand-nephew of Anthony Chamier, Esq., who represented the borough of Tamworth in several Parliaments, and was Under Secretary of State; brother of Henry Chamier, Esq., Secretary to the Government at Madras; and brother-in-law of the late Col. Thos. Duer Broughton.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 June, 1809, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Salsette 36, Capt. Walter Bathurst, with whom he attended the ensuing expedition to Walcheren; and afterwards served, as Midshipman of the Fame 74, on the Mediterranean station, until April, 1811. He then cruized for a few months off the coast of Africa in the Arethusa 38, Capt. Fras. Holmes Coffin; and was next employed for three years and a half in the Menelaus 38, Capts. Sir Peter Parker and Edw. Dix. As Aide-de-Camp to the former of those officers, Mr. Chamier landed, 30 Aug. 1814, with a party of 134 seamen and marines at Bellair, near Baltimore, and assisted in routing a very superior body of Americans – an achievement, however, that cost the British a loss of 14 killed, including Sir Peter Parker, and 27 wounded. On 6 July, 1815, the subject of this sketch, while serving at Portsmouth on board the Caledonia 120, Capt. Sir Arch. Dickson, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant; after which he appears to have been successively appointed – 18 Sept. 1815, to the Euphrates 36, Capt. Robt. Preston, in the Mediterranean – 7 April, 1818, to the Bulwark 74, Capt. Sam. Warren, lying at Sheerness – 4 Nov. following, to the Arab 18, Capt. Chas. Simeon, on the Cork station – 20 Sept. 1820, to the Lee 20, Capt. Stewart Blacker, employed at Plymouth – and, 20 Sept. 1824, and 3 Aug. 1825, as First, to the Scylla 18, Capt. Geo. Russell, and Lively frigate, Capt. Wm. Elliott, both in the West Indies. He there assumed command, 9 Aug. 1826, of the Britomart sloop; but since the autumn of 1827, when he returned home, has been unemployed.
Commander Chamier, a magistrate for the counties of Essex and Hertford, is the well-known author of ‘Ben Brace,’ the ‘Life of a Sailor,’ and other books of fiction; and, as editor of James’s ‘Naval History,’ has continued that able work from the Algerine era to the year 1827, including, during the period, the details of the Burmese war, and of the battle of Navarin. He married, in June, 1832, Elizabeth, daughter of the late John Soane, Esq., of Chelsea, and grand-daughter of the celebrated Sir John Soane. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.