Sir Charles Saxton, 1st Baronet
Sir Charles Saxton, 1st Baronet | |
|---|---|
 Saxton as commissioner at Portsmouth, c. 1794 | |
| Born | 1732 |
| Died | November 1808 (aged 75–76) |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Service/ | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1745–1806 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | HMS Magnanime HMS Pearl HMS Phoenix HMS Invincible |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | Baronetcy |
| Relations | Charles Saxton (son) |
Sir Charles Saxton, 1st Baronet (1732 – November 1808) was an officer of the
Born the son of a merchant, Charles Saxton entered the navy and served on a number of ships. He went out to the East Indies during the Seven Years' War, and shortly after his return to England was promoted to his first commands. He commissioned several frigates during the brief interlude of peace prior to the outbreak of the American War of Independence, before taking command of the ship of the line HMS Invincible. After a brief period in the English Channel, he sailed to North America, where he would a number of actions. A bout of illness after his arrival in the West Indies forced him to relinquish command for a time, but he went on to recover and to see action with Sir Samuel Hood's squadron at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781. He returned with Hood to the West Indies, and was again in action at the Battle of Saint Kitts in early 1782, before taking the Invincible into refit. The remainder of the war was spent cruising with squadrons off the North American coast.
A period of unemployment followed the end of hostilities, but in 1787 tensions with France brought Saxton a place on a commission into the impress service, and he spent the rest of his career as an administrator. He became commissioner at Portsmouth, the navy's principal dockyard, in 1789 and held the position until his retirement nearly twenty years later. During these years he oversaw operations during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, his career being rewarded with a baronetcy in 1794. Retiring finally with a pension in 1806, Sir Charles died in 1808, being succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son, Charles.
Family and early life
Charles Saxton was born in 1732, the youngest son of Edward Saxton, a merchant of London and
Saxton returned to England in 1760 and was briefly assigned as lieutenant to the 64-gun
Interwar years
Saxton remained in active employment after the war, commissioning the 32-gun
American War of Independence
Another period without active employment then passed for Saxton, before the outbreak of the American War of Independence. He commissioned the 74-gun HMS Invincible and in 1780 was part of the Channel Fleet under Francis Geary, and later George Darby.[1][5][9][a] Saxton sailed to the West Indies in November 1780 and there became part of Sir Samuel Hood's squadron.[1][9] He seems to have been present at the capture of Sint Eustatius on 3 February 1781, but a bout of ill-health compelled him to leave his ship for some months, and Invincible was under the temporary command of Captain Richard Bickerton at the Battle of Fort Royal on 29/30 April 1781.[1][5][9]
Invincible went on to form part of Francis Samuel Drake's squadron at the Invasion of Tobago in May 1781, after which time Saxton was well enough to resume command, and to sail with her to North America with Sir Samuel Hood's force.[9] He was with Hood's squadron, as part of the larger fleet under Sir Thomas Graves, at the Battle of the Chesapeake on 5 September, though Hood's force in the rear took little part in the action.[1][5] Saxton then returned to the West Indies with Hood's force and was present at the Battle of Saint Kitts on 25/26 January 1782. Again his ship was only lightly engaged, and suffered casualties of only two of her men wounded.[10] Hood then despatched Invincible to Jamaica to be refitted, after which Saxton sailed in July 1782 to join Admiral Hugh Pigot off the American coast.[9][10][b] He was off New York from September until October 1782, and in November took part in the blockade of Cape François. He was present with Edmund Affleck's squadron at Puerto Cavello in February 1783, and on 19 February Invincible retook the 44-gun HMS Argo, which two French frigates had captured shortly before.[9][11]
Post-war and administrative career
Saxton returned to England in mid-1783 and paid Invincible off. Again left without a ship, it was not until 1787 that he received another post. Tensions mounted with France that year, and Saxton was appointed to a commission with the purpose of examining the working of the
Saxton was created
Notes
a.
b. ^ Laughton instead suggests that Saxton remained at Jamaica until the end of the war.[1] Charnock and Winfield counter this, reporting on Saxton's and Invincible's movements up until 1783.
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Laughton. "Saxton, Sir Charles, baronet (1732–1808)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
- ^ a b c d Debrett. The Baronetage of England. Vol. 2. p. 929.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail. p. 118.
- ^ a b c Charnock. Biographia Navalis. Vol. 6. p. 461.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Charnock. Biographia Navalis. Vol. 6. p. 462.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail. p. 52.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail. p. 189.
- ^ Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail. p. 170.
- ^ a b c d e f g Winfield. British Warships of the Age of Sail. p. 63.
- ^ a b Charnock. Biographia Navalis. Vol. 6. p. 463.
- ^ Allen. Battles of the British Navy. Vol. 1. p. 355.
- ^ a b c Charnock. Biographia Navalis. Vol. 6. p. 464.
- ^ Richardson, William H. List of Some Distinguished Persons Educated at Abingdon School 1563-1855. Hughes Market Place (Abingdon). p. 550.
References
- Allen, Joseph (1852). Battles of the British Navy. Vol. 1. London: H.G. Bohn.
- Charnock, John (1798). Biographia Navalis; or, Impartial Memoirs of the Lives of Officers of the Navy of Great Britain from 1660 to the Present Time. Vol. 4. London: R. Faulder.
- Debrett, John (1819). The Baronetage of England: Containing Their Descent and Present State, Their Collateral Branches, Births, Marriages, and Issue. Vol. 2 (4 ed.). F.C. and J. Rivington.
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24759. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Winfield, Rif (2007). ISBN 978-1-84415-700-6.
