A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Dilkes, Charles
DILKES, C.B. (Capt., 1809. f-p., 24; h-p., 33.)
Charles Dilkes was born 25 April, 1779, at Warden, co. Bedford, and died in 1846. He was son of Major Thos. Dilkes, of the 49th Regt., who served during the war in America, in 1776-7; and brother of the late Admiral John Dilkes, who died 18 Feb. 1827, as also of General Wm. Thos. Dilkes, who commanded the brigade of Guards at the battle of Barrosa, and died in 1841. His grandfather, Michael O’Bryen, a General, was Colonel of the 50th Regt. in 1744, and Commander-in-Chief in Ireland; and his great-grandfather, Sir Thos. Dilkes, was an Admiral in the reign of Queen Anne.
This officer entered the Navy, 3 April, 1790, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Bellona 74, Capt. Fras. Hartwell, on the Home station; where, during the two following years, he successively joined the Shark 16, and Royal Sovereign 100, both commanded by his brother, Capt. John Dilkes, the Hannibal 74, Capt. John Colpoys, the Princess Charlotte yacht, and the Lion 64. In the latter ship, under Sir Erasmus Gower, he accompanied Lord Macartney, as Midshipman, in his embassy to China, in 1793. On his return, in 1794, he next joined the Flora 36, Capt. Wm. Albany Otway, and, then, the London 98, bearing the flag of Sir John Colpoys, under whom he bore a part in Lord Bridport’s action off Ile de Groix, 23 June, 1795. Immediately on passing his examination, Mr. Dilkes was promoted, 6 Jan. 1797, to a Lieutenancy in the Kite 18, Capt. Wm. Brown; after which we find him appointed – 4 March following, to the Unicorn 32, commanded on the Irish and Channel stations by Capts. Jas. Young and Philip Wilkinson – 18 June, 1800, as Senior, to the Pique 36, Capt. Jas. Young, in which frigate he obtained a gold medal for his services in Egypt, in 1801 – and, 25 Oct. 1802, in a similar capacity, to the Juno 32, Capt. Henry Richardson, also in the Mediterranean, where he remained until advanced to the rank of Commander, 20 March, 1805. Capt. Dilkes – whose next appointment was, 7 Feb. 1806, to the Hazard 18 – commanded for several months in that year the blockading squadron in the Pertuis Breton, with so much vigilance that not one vessel belonging to the enemy was known to escape.[1] On eventually proceeding to the West Indies, he became, 8 Nov. 1808, Flag-Captain to Sir Alex. Cochrane in the Neptune 98; and on 18 Jan. 1809, he was confirmed to Post-rank. In the course of the following Feb. and April, Capt. Dilkes assisted at the reduction of Martinique, and at the capture of the French 74-gun ship D’Haupoult. After following Sir A. Cochrane into the Pompée 74, and Statira 38, and serving on shore in the operations against Guadeloupe, where his activity was most conspicuous,[2] he was next appointed, 20 Oct. 1810, to the Castor 32, which ship he continued actively to command, principally on the Jamaica and Mediterranean stations, until paid off in Sept. 1815. From that period he remained on half-pay.
On the reduction of Guadeloupe, in Feb. 1810, Capt. Dilkes (who died a Sub-Commissioner of the Trinity Board at Gloucester) was appointed Joint-Captain, with Capt. Volant Vashon Ballard, of the Port of Pointe-a-Pitre. He was awarded, without any solicitation on his part, the Good Service Pension, 14 Jan. 1839; and, on 4 July, 1840, he was nominated a C.B. He married, in Jan. 1818, Louisa, only sister of the Rev. Thos. Newenham, the present possessor of Coolmore, co. Cork, by whom he has left issue an only son. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.