A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Haydon, Charles
HAYDON. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 17; h-p., 27.)
Charles Haydon was born 30 June, 1793, at Shute House, near Axminster, Devon, the seat of Sir John Wm. Pole, Bart.
This officer entered the Navy, 16 Oct. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Northumberland 74, Capt., afterwards Rear-Admiral, Hon. Alex. Inglis Cochrane, with whom he was for several months employed in watching a French squadron in the port of Ferrol. He then accompanied the same officer to the West Indies, where, in 1805, he joined Lord Nelson in his celebrated pursuit of the combined fleets. Removing, in Sept. of the latter year, to the Ramillies 74, Capt. Eras. Pickmore, he witnessed, as Midshipman of that ship, the capture, 13 March, 1806, of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule; after which, on being transferred, in 1807, to the Epervier brig, Capts. John Bowker and Thos. Tudor Tucker, he saw a good deal of boat-service, and assisted at the reduction of the islands of St. Thomas and Ste. Croix. While next employed with Capt. Tucker, as Master’s Mate and Acting-Lieutenant, from Nov. 1808 to Sept. 1809, in the Cherub 18, Mr. Haydon, besides contributing to the cutting-out of an American sloop protected by a very heavy fire from the enemy’s batteries at Martinique, and participating in the destruction of one of those means of defence, served on shore at the capture of the above island, and was present in the Cherub’s yawl in a frustrated attempt made, in May, 1809, to annihilate the French frigates Furieuse and Félicité, lying in Basseterre, Guadeloupe. On leaving the Cherub, our officer, whose conduct in that sloop had been marked by a very conspicuous degree of gallantry, zeal, and energy, became successively Master’s Mate of the Neptune 98, and Pompée 74, bearing each the flag of his old Commander, Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, under whom, previously to sharing in the operations which led to the surrender of Guadeloupe, he beheld the destruction, 18 Dec. 1809, of the 40-gun frigates Loire and Seine, laden with stores and provisions, moored in Ance la Barque, and defended by numerous batteries. Being ultimately obliged, from the impaired state of his health, to return to England in the Curieux sloop, Capt. Colin Campbell, Mr. Haydon had the satisfaction, on his arrival, of being presented, as a reward for his services, with a commission bearing date 28 Dec. 1810. He almost immediately afterwards sailed, in the Stately 64, Capt. Edw. Stirling Dickson, for Cadiz, where, with a view to, assisting in its defence, he joined the flotilla, and was for nearly two years incessantly employed in a gun-boat. During that period, one of more than ordinary fatigue and excitement, he frequently landed for the purpose of storming the enemy’s batteries, under whose immediate fire he appears to have been not less than 16 times personally in action. For many days at a time he was compelled to subsist upon raw salt meat; and, although an extraneous fact, it may not be uninteresting to add that he was instrumental to the embarkation of the mortar which now stands, an object of curiosity, in St. James’ Park. Proceeding, in Dec. 1812, to the Mediterranean, in the Barfleur 98, Capt. Sir Edw. Berry, Mr. Haydon was there successively appointed, in the course of 1813, to the Tremendous 74, Capt. Robt. Campbell, Prince of Wales 98, Capt. John Erskine Douglas, and Guadeloupe 16, Capts. Arthur Stow, Chas. Hole, and Chas. Pengelly; which latter vessel, after having served as her First-Lieutenant at the reduction of Genoa and its dependencies, he left in Aug. 1814. His subsequent appointments were – 26 June, 1815, to the Cephalus 18, Capt. John Furneaux, under whom, during the war of 100 days, he was employed in co-operation with the Royalists, on the coast of France and up the Gironde – 6 Nov. 1815, to the Ramillies 74, flag-ship at Leith of Sir Wm. Johnstone Hope – and, 5 June, 1818, to the Carron 20, commanded by his former Captain, J. Furneaux, at whose especial request, it appears, he was selected to fill the office of First-Lieutenant. He proceeded in the latter vessel to the East Indies, escorting en route Sir Ralph Darling, Governor of the Mauritius, and continued to serve on that station until wrecked, in the Bay of Bengal, and with difficulty saved, 6 July, 1820. He then, after encountering many perils, Inflictive of serious injury to his health, returned to England, and has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Haydon has for many years resided at Axminster, and there discharged, with credit, the various duties of Churchwarden, Overseer, Collector of Taxes, Assessor, Guardian, &c. He married, 12 March, 1822, Miss Sarah Lincoln, of Crin Chard, Chard, co. Somerset, and by that lady has issue two sons and three daughters. Agents – Messrs. Chard.