A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Claxton, Christopher
CLAXTON. (Commander, 1842. f-p. 14; h-p., 29.)
Christopher Claxton entered the Navy, 28 Nov. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Melampus 36, Capt. Stephen Poyntz, and, continuing in that frigate until the close of 1806, assisted at the capture of two armed brigs, four luggers, and a Spanish privateer, the Hydra, of 28 guns and 192 men, as also at the destruction, off Cape Henry, of L’Impétueux, a French 74. He then joined the Cambrian 38, Capt. John Poo Beresford, and, next, the Leopard 50, Capt. Salusbury Pryce Humphreys, on the North American station, where he beheld the surrender to that ship, on 22 June [errata 1], 1807, of the United States frigate Chesapeake. After a further servitude of a few months in the Triumph 74, Capt. Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy, Mr. Claxton, in May, 1809, joined Vice-Admiral Berkeley, off Lisbon, in the Barfleur 98, of which ship he was created a Lieutenant 9 Dec. 1810. During the latter year he appears to have been much employed on detached service in the Tagus, where he rendered appreciated co-operation to the troops occupying the lines of Torres Vedras, and had command of the gun-boats attached to the army. On the retreat of the French from Santarem he crossed the river, and communicated the intelligence to Lord Wellington; after which be seized, on his return, three rough-built pontoons, two rafts, and 12 .or 14 heavy cannon, the relics of the enemy.[1] While belonging next, from Oct. 1812, to March, 1815, to the Ramillies 74, Capt. Sir T. M. Hardy, Lieut. Claxton distinguished himself in command of the small-arm men at the attack upon Baltimore in Sept. 1814; and was likewise present at the capture of the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay, and the bombardment of Stonington. He returned home on board the Nymphe 36, Capt. Hugh Pigot, in Aug. 1815; and afterwards commanded, on the Yarmouth station, from May, 1816, until 24 May, 1819, the Tartar Revenue-cutter, the first vessel of the kind given to a naval officer. He has not since been afloat. His present rank was conferred on him 20 June, 1842.
Commander Claxton (who has been the means on several different occasions of saving the lives of others, and has in consequence received numerous medals) was appointed in 1834 Harbour-Master of Bristol, and is the officer under whose surveillance were built those celebrated steam-vessels the Great Western and Great Britain. He is married and has issue seven children. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 573.