A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Patey, Charles
PATEY. (Retired Commander, 1825. f-p., 40; h-p., 28.)
Charles Patey, born 31 Dec. 1770, is brother of Commander Joseph Patey, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1779, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Ocean 98, Capt. Geo. Ourry, stationed in the Channel; where, in 1781, he joined the Nonsuch 64, Capt. Wm. Truscott. Becoming attached, next, to the Warrior 74, Capts. Sir Jas. Wallace and John Symonds, he served in that ship in Rodney’s actions of 9 and 12 April, 1782, and was present in her at the ensuing capture, by Sir Sam. Hood, of the Caton, Jason, &c., in the Mona Passage. Paid off at the peace in 1783, he did not go afloat until 1785; between which period and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 22 Nov. 1790, we find him alternately employed, at Plymouth, in the Crown 64 and Bombay Castle 74, under Capts. Sam. Reeve, Robt. Fanshawe, Chas. Morice Pole, Anthony Jas. Pye Molloy, and John Thos. Duckworth- His succeeding appointments were – 6 Sept. 1791, to the Carnatic 74, Capt. John Ford, lying at the port last mentioned – 22 Dec. 1792, to the Terrible 74, Capts. Skeffington Lutwidge, Geo. Campbell, and Sir Rich. Hussey Bickerton – 27 Sept. 1797, to the Zealand 64, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Lutwidge at the Nore – 29 June, 1798, to the command of the George cutter of 14 guns, employed, until Dec. 1800, on the Home and West India stations – and, in May, 1801, to the Semaphore service, in which he continued (with the exception of an interval between March, 1802, and May, 1803) until Nov. 1814. In 1793 Lieutenant Patey, then belonging to the Terrible, was present at the occupation and evacuation of Toulon; on the latter of which occasions he very narrowly escaped destruction, the boat he commanded being blown to pieces.[1] He afterwards took part, in the same ship, in the reduction of Bastia and Calvi; and also in Hotham’s partial engagements of 14 March and 13 July, 1795. During his command of the George he fought an action of two hours with a French cutter, whom he at length compelled to take refuge in the port of Cherbourg. In the same vessel he captured, 19 Nov. 1798, after a chase of four hours, the French privateer lugger Enterprise, mounting two swivels, with muskets, pistols, swords, halt-pikes, &c., and carrying 16 men.[2] The British on this occasion sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 2 wounded. From Jan. 1820 until 1830 Commander Patey (who was advanced to his present rank 20 July, 1825) officiated as a chief officer in the Coast Guard.
One of his sons, Chas. G. E. Patey, is a Captain, and another, George Edwin, a Commander, in the R.N.