Sir Charles Saxton, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Charles Saxton, 1st Baronet
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Saxton as commissioner at Portsmouth, c. 1794
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| 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 a brave officer in the Royal Navy. He served during many important conflicts. These included the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, and the American War of Independence. He also served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks to become a Captain.
Charles Saxton was born to a merchant family. He joined the navy at a young age. He sailed to the East Indies during the Seven Years' War. After returning to England, he was given his first commands. He led several fast ships called frigates. Later, he took command of a large warship, HMS Invincible. He sailed to North America and fought in several battles there. He became ill in the West Indies and had to leave his ship for a while. But he recovered and fought with Sir Samuel Hood's fleet. This included the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781. He also fought at the Battle of Saint Kitts in 1782. After the wars, he worked as an administrator. He became the commissioner at Portsmouth, a very important naval base. He held this job for almost 20 years. He was given a special title, a baronetcy, in 1794. Sir Charles retired in 1806 and passed away in 1808.
Contents
Charles Saxton was born in 1732. He was the youngest son of Edward Saxton, a merchant from London. His family had a country home called Circourt Manor. Charles joined the navy in January 1745. He started as a captain's servant on the ship HMS Gloucester. This ship had 50 guns.
He spent three years on the Gloucester. Then he joined the 58-gun ship HMS Eagle. This ship was a guard ship at Plymouth. After that, he moved to the 60-gun HMS St Albans. On this ship, he served off the Guinea coast.
On January 2, 1757, he was promoted to lieutenant. He then went to the East Indies. There, he served in the fleets under Vice-Admiral Charles Watson and Vice-Admiral George Pocock. This was during the Seven Years' War.
Peacetime Missions
Saxton returned to England in 1760. He was briefly a lieutenant on the 64-gun HMS Modeste. On October 11, 1760, he was promoted to commander. He helped escort the HMY Royal Charlotte. This ship carried Duchess Charlotte to England. She was coming to marry King George III.
On January 28, 1762, Saxton became a post-captain. This was a higher rank. He was given command of the 74-gun HMS Magnanime. This ship was part of the fleet led by Sir Edward Hawke. The French navy had already been defeated in 1759. So, Saxton's time on the Magnanime was quiet. After the Seven Years' War ended, he finished his service on the ship.
Saxton continued to work for the navy after the war. In March 1763, he took command of the 32-gun HMS Pearl. He sailed her to the Newfoundland station in May. In 1764, he checked on French activities in the Gulf of St Lawrence. He stayed with the Pearl until 1766.
He did not have another command until October 1770. He then took charge of the 40-gun HMS Phoenix. This was during the Falklands Crisis. People feared a war with Spain. But the crisis passed, and Saxton left the Phoenix in January 1771. In July 1771, he married Mary Bush.
American War of Independence
Saxton did not have a ship for a while. Then the American War of Independence began. He took command of the 74-gun HMS Invincible. In 1780, his ship was part of the Channel Fleet. This fleet was led by Francis Geary and later George Darby.
In November 1780, Saxton sailed to the West Indies. His ship joined Sir Samuel Hood's fleet. He was likely at the capture of Sint Eustatius on February 3, 1781. But he became ill and had to leave his ship. Captain Richard Bickerton temporarily commanded the Invincible. This was during the Battle of Fort Royal in April 1781.
The Invincible then joined Francis Samuel Drake's fleet. They were at the Invasion of Tobago in May 1781. After this, Saxton was well enough to return to his command. He sailed with Sir Samuel Hood's force to North America. He was with Hood's fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake on September 5. Hood's ships were at the back and did not fight much.
Saxton then returned to the West Indies with Hood's force. He was at the Battle of Saint Kitts on January 25-26, 1782. His ship was only lightly involved in this battle. Only two of his men were wounded. Hood then sent the Invincible to Jamaica for repairs. In July 1782, Saxton joined Admiral Hugh Pigot off the American coast.
He was off New York from September to October 1782. In November, he helped block the port of Cape François. In February 1783, he was with Edmund Affleck's fleet. On February 19, the Invincible recaptured the 44-gun HMS Argo. This ship had been taken by two French frigates earlier.
Saxton returned to England in mid-1783. He finished his service on the Invincible. He did not have another job until 1787. At that time, there were growing tensions with France. Saxton was asked to join a group. This group looked at how the navy found new sailors. Saxton was in charge of this work in London.
The crisis with France passed without war. In 1789, Saxton became the commissioner of the navy at Portsmouth. This was a very important job. Portsmouth was the main dockyard for the navy. Saxton oversaw the navy's growth during this time. A writer from that time said he did his job with "the highest reputation." He was known for his skill and hard work.
Saxton was given the title of baronet of Circourt on July 19, 1794. He stayed as commissioner at Portsmouth through the French Revolutionary Wars and part of the Napoleonic Wars. He retired in 1806 with a good pension. Sir Charles Saxton passed away in November 1808. His oldest son, Charles, inherited his title. He had six other children. His daughter, Philadelphia-Hannah, married naval officer Captain Robert Dudley Oliver.
Images for kids
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Memorial to Charles Saxton in Gloucester Cathedral
