A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hamilton, Charles
HAMILTON, Bart, K.C.B. (Admiral, of the Red, 1830. f-p., 36; h-p., 35.)
Sir Charles Hamilton, born 25 May, 1767, is eldest son of Capt. Sir John Hamilton, R.N. (who was created a Baronet 6 July, 1776, for the important part he had borne, as Commander of H.M.S. Lizard, at the defence of Quebec in the preceding year), by Cassandra Agnes, daughter of Edw. Chamberlayne, Esq., of Maugersbury, co. Gloucester. He is brother of the present Admiral Sir Edw. Hamilton, Bart., K.C.B.; first-cousin of Commander John Chamberlayne, R.N.; and a relation of the Marquess of Abercorn. He succeeded his father in the Baronetcy 24 Jan. 1784.
This officer entered the Navy, in the summer of 1776, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Hector 74, commanded by his father, from which ship he was transferred, about the middle of 1777, to the Royal Academy at Portsmouth, where he remained for a period of two years. He then rejoined Sir John Hamilton, as Midshipman, in the Hector, and, after sharing with him in Cornwallis’ action in 1780, removed in succession to the Pelican and Lowestoff, both commanded by Capt. Haynes, Ramillies 74, Capt. Cooling, and Hinchinbrook, flag-ship of Sir Peter Parker – all stationed in the West Indies, where he became Lieutenant, in Oct. 1781 and Feb. 1782, of the Tobago, Capts. Mark Robinson and Geo. Martin, and Badger, Capt. Hill. On his return to England in the latter year in the Flora, Capt. Sam. Marshall, Mr. Hamilton was appointed to the Grafton, commanded by his father; which ship, being dismasted on her passage to the East Indies, he left in March, 1783. In Dec. 1789, having been the last two years re-employed in the West Indies, on board the Jupiter 50, Commodore Wm. Parker, he there obtained command of the Scorpion sloop; and, on 22 Sept. 1790, he was advanced to Post-rank. Sir Chas. Hamilton’s succeeding appointments were — in April, 1793, to the Dido 28 — in July and Sept. 1794, to the St. Fiorenzo 36, and Romney 50 — in April, 1795, to the Melepomène 38 — in Nov. 1803, to the Illustrious 74 — in July, 1805, to the Sea Fencibles at Harwich — and in March, 1807, and Dec. 1809, to the Téméraire 98, and Tonnant 80. While in the first-named of those ships, he acquired, after cruizing in the North Sea, the official acknowledgments of Lord Hood for his meritorious conduct and steady perseverance in maintaining, under manifest difficulties, the station assigned him off Calvi,[1] during the operations of 1794 against Corsica, where he commanded the Dido and Aimable, in unison with 300 of the natives, in attack on the out-post of Girilata, which surrendered at the close of a siege of 10 days. During the nearly seven years and a half of his continuance in the Melpomène, Sir Chas. Hamilton captured upwards of 40 of the enemy’s vessels, including La Revanche of 18 guns and 167 men, L’Espiègle armed lugger of 3O men, and Le Zélé privateer of 16 guns and 69 men. He also, as second in command under Sir Andw. Mitchell, accompanied the expedition to the Helder in 1799, on which occasion he had charge of a division of about 80 sail of transports, the whole of which he conducted in safety to a place of debarkation, although encountered by many severe difficulties. He was then for seven weeks employed in the blockade of Amsterdam, where, owing to the insufficiency of water for so large a ship as the Melepomène, his officers and crew were all removed into schuyts and boats.[2] On his return to England he was presented with the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. In April, 1800, having assumed the command on the coast of Africa, Sir Chas. Hamilton, with only his own frigate, the Ruby 64, and Magnanime, of 48 guns, under his orders, contrived, by a bold front, and the stratagem of dressing the crews of several merchantmen in his charge with red shirts, for the purpose of imparting to the latter the appearance of transports, to obtain possession of the island of Gorée. He afterwards, in the same ship, captured the French letter-of-marque Auguste, of 10 guns and 50 men; and prior to the peace he acted for some time as Commissioner of the Naval Yard at Antigua. The Illustrious, Téméraire, and Tonnant were commanded by Sir Chas. Hamilton on the Home, West India, and North American stations. In 1809 he was nominated a Colonel of Marines; and from the period of his promotion to Flag-rank, 31 July, 1810, until his receipt of a Vice-Admiral’s commission bearing date 4 June, 1814, we find him officiating as Commander-in-Chief on the river Thames with his flag in the Thisbe 28. His last employment was that of Governor and Commander-in-Chief at Newfoundland, the duties of which office he filled from 13 May, 1818, until 5 July, 1824. During that period he had the gratification of receiving a very flattering address from the principal inhabitants of St. John’s. He became a full Admiral 22 July, 1830, and a K.C.B. 29 Jan. 1833.
Prior to the French revolutionary war Sir Chas. Hamilton held a seat in Parliament for the borough of St. German’s, co. Cornwall; and he was afterwards returned for Honiton in Devonshire, and Dungannon, co. Tyrone. He married, 19 April, 1803, Henrietta Martha, only daughter of the late Geo. Drummond, Esq., of Stanmore, co. Middlesex, the well-known banker, of Charing Cross, London. His only son, Chas. John Jas., is a Captain in the Scotch Fusileer Guards. Agents — Messrs. Stilwell.