A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Witham, Charles
WITHAM, Kt. (Lieut., 1818. f-p., 20; h-p., 19.)
Sir Charles Witham is third son of the late Wm. Witham, Esq. (of the ancient Yorkshire family of Witham, of Cliffe), by Dorothy, daughter of Thos. Langdale, Esq.; and brother of Lieut. Fras. Witham, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 May, 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Gibraltar 80, Capts. Henry Lidgbird Ball and Valentine Collard, stationed in the Channel. From June, 1810, until March, 1812, he served in the Baltic as Midshipman (a rating he had attained in the Gibraltar) in the Courageux 74, Capt. Wm. Butterfield; during the next 16 months he was employed at Gibraltar as Master’s Mate in the Cossack 22 and Druid 32, both commanded by Capt. Wm. King; he was then, in July, 1813, received as a Supernumerary on board the Namur 74, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Williams at the Nore; and in April, 1814, he joined, again as Master’s Mate, the Newcastle 60, Capts. Lord Geo. Stuart and Henry Meynell. In her, after serving on the coast of North America and in the West Indies, he proceeded with the flag of Sir Pulteney Malcolm to St. Helena; where he was nominated, 6 Aug. 1816, Acting-Lieutenant of the Phaeton 46, Capt. Fras. Stanfell. He was officially promoted on his return to England from the Cape of Good Hope, 6 March, 1818; and was subsequently appointed – 3 Oct. 1818, to the Camelion 10, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye, on the Portsmouth station – 15 Dec. 1821, to the Apollo yacht, Capt. Hon. Sir Chas. Paget – 3 Nov. 1824 (upwards of 12 months after he had left the Apollo), to the Britannia 120, bearing the flag of Sir Jas. Saumarez at Plymouth – 28 Dec. 1825, as First, to the Philomel 10, Capt. Lord Wm. Paget, fitting for the Mediterranean, whence he came home, we believe, at the close of 1826 – and, 29 May, 1828, in a similar capa^ city, to the Semiramis 24, flag-ship of Hon. Sir C. Paget at Cork. He has been on half-pay since 1831.
Sir Chas. Witham (who received the honour of Knighthood in 1830) married, 18 Nov. 1829, Jane, third daughter of John Hoy, Esq., of Stoke-by-Nayland, co. Suffolk, by whom he has issue.