Jump to content

A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Jones, Charles

From Wikisource
1772649A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Jones, CharlesWilliam Richard O'Byrne

JONES. (Retired Commander, 1837.)

Charles Jones died 19 Jan. 1847, aged 65.

This officer entered the Navy, in Nov. 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Monmouth 64, Capt. Jas. Walker, under whom – if we except an attachment, from Oct. 1798 until April, 1800, to the Victor sloop, Capt. Jas. Bennie, part of the force employed under Sir Andrew Mitchell in the expedition to the Texel – he continued to serve in the Veteran 64, Braakel 56, Prince George and Prince 98’s, Isis 50, Tartar 32, and Vanguard 74, until Jan. 1804. He was in consequence wounded, in the Isis, at the battle of Copenhagen 2 April, 1801;[1] and was on board the Vanguard, in 1803, at the capture, besides a variety of smaller vessels, of le Duquesne 74, and La Créole of 44 guns, with the French General, Morgan, and 530 troops on board; as also in the same ship at the surrender of the town of St. Marc, St. Domingo; the garrison of which place, amounting to about 1100 men, were brought off by the Vanguard and her prizes to rescue them from the vengeance of the black General Dessalines. He left the Vanguard, which had been latterly commanded by Capt. Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, in Oct. 1804; and on 5 April, 1805, after having acted for four months as Lieutenant of the Goelan sloop, and Desirée 36, Capts. Wm. Templar and Henry Whitby, was confirmed into the Theseus 74, Capt. Fras. Temple. Returning to England with convoy in the following Sept., he next, between that period and Dec. 1807, served, on the Home and Baltic stations, in the Powerful 74, Capt. Robt. Plampin, Boadicea 38, Capt. John Maitland, and Vanguard 74, Capt. Alex. Fraser, under whom he accompanied Admiral Gambier’s expedition against Copenhagen. He was then employed for two months in command of a cartel on the coast of Holland; after which he had charge, from May, 1808, to Feb. 1810, and from Aug. in the latter year to Aug. 1814, of the Indignant and Rebuff gun-brigs, on the North Sea and Mediterranean stations – participating, in the Indignant, in the operations of 1809 against Walcheren. His last appointment was, 1 April, 1822, to the Ordinary at Sheerness. The rank of Retired Commander was conferred upon him 23 Oct. 1837. He was married, and has left issue.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1801, p. 404.