A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Chapell, Charles
CHAPELL. (Retired Commander, 1845. f-p., 16; h-p., 33.)
Charles Chapell was born 28 Feb. 1784; and has lost two brothers in the naval service of their country.
This officer entered the Navy, 9 Sept. 1798, as A.B., on board the Seagull 18, Capts. Henry Wray, Thos. Lavie, John Wainwright, and Henry Burke, in which he attained the rating of Midshipman, 14 April, 1799, and served on the Home station, latterly as Master’s Mate, until May, 1803. He next joined the Foudroyant 80, Capt. Peter Spicer, lying in Hamoaze; and, in Aug. following, removed to the Childers 14, Capt. Sir Wm. Bolton, in the Mediterranean. While in the latter vessel he captured, we presume in her boats, a French xebec, laden with wines, and mounting 4 guns; and likewise carried a battery, armed with 2 heavy guns, both of which were disabled and the magazine blown up. On his subsequent transference, in June, 1805, to the Guerrier 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Knight at Gibraltar, Mr. Chapell came into repeated collision with the Spanish gun-boats hovering about that port; after which he joined Lord Nelson in the Victory 100, in time to participate in the memorable action off Trafalgar, on which occasion, although accidentally omitted in the official return of the wounded, he received an injury in the face of which he has never recovered the effects. After a brief attachment to the Queen and Dreadnought 98’s, flag-ships respectively of Lords Collingwood and Northesk, he obtained, 11 June, 1806, a Master’s Mateship in the Chiffonne 36, Capt. John Wainwright; under whom, on 2 Jan. 1807, he aided in capturing a xebec laden with naval stores, from under the protection of a body of troops assembled on the coast of Morocco. On 15 of the following Aug. we further discover him, in command of a boat under the Chiffonne’s First-Lieutenant, the late Sir Robt. Hall, cutting out, from beneath the fire of some batteries, a Spanish brig and schooner, in face of an opposition which, though it cost the enemy a loss of 20 men, occasioned the British a casualty still more severe. Mr. Chapell was subsequently promoted, 18 Feb. 1808, to the rank of Lieutenant in the Achates 18, Capt. Hugh Cameron, on the West India station, where, on 18 Nov. 1808, and 8 June, 1809, he removed to the Vimiera 16, Capt. Edw. Scobell, and Jason 32, Capts. Chas. Napier and Hon. Jas. Wm. King. In the latter frigate he also served for some time off Newfoundland, whence he returned to England in Jan. 1813. His next appointment was, 24 Nov. in the same year, to the Duncan 74, in which ship, under Rear-Admiral Sir John Poo Beresford and various Captains, he served on the Mediterranean and Brazilian stations until Aug. 1815. Commander Chapell, who has been ever since on half-pay, accepted his present rank 18 Jan. 1845.
He is married, and has issue four children.