A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pears, Charles Wethered
PEARS. (Lieut., 1829. f-p., 20; h-p., 7.)
Charles Wethered Pears entered the Royal Naval College 3 Feb. 1820; and embarked 20 Feb. 1822, as a Volunteer, on board the Ranger 28, Capt. Peter Fisher; under whom, in 1824, he served at the blockade of Algiers. Joining, in Nov. of that year, the Boadicea frigate, Commodore Sir Jas. Brisbane, he united, in Sept. 1825, in the hostilities in progress against the Burmese, and until the end of the war was employed in command of a gunboat on the river Irawady. On leaving the Boadicea he was received, in Aug. 1826, on board the Warspite 76; in which ship, in the summer of the following year, he returned to England. After having further served, as Mate, in the Éclair 18, Capt. Spencer Lambert Hunter Vassall, Victory 104, Capt. Hon. Geo. Elliot, Asia 84, Capt. Edw. Curzon, and Raleigh 18, Capts. John Burnet Dundas, Geo. Haye, and Sir Wm. Dickson, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 27 June, 1829, and appointed to the Alacrity 10, Capt. Joseph Nias, on the Mediterranean station. He afterwards joined – 30 April, 1830, the Talbot 28, Capt. Rich. Dickinson, fitting for the Cape of Good Hope, whence he returned at the close of 1831 – 1 May, 1832, the Vernon 50, Capt. Sir Francis Augustus Collier, employed, until the close of the same year, on particular service – 28 Oct. 1833, a second time, the Vernon, bearing then the flag of Sir George Cockburn in North America and the West Indies – 29 April, 1834, as First-Lieutenant, the Arachne 16, Capts. Jas. Burney and John Sam. Foreman, on the same station, where he remained until 1835 – 1 Feb. 1838, the Hastings 72, Capts. Francis Erskine Loch and John Lawrence, under the former of whom he escorted the Earl of Durham to Quebec, and the Queen Dowager to the Mediterranean and back – and, 17 Sept. 1845, after five years of half-pay, to the command, which he still retains, of a station in the Coast Guard. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.