Charles Inglis (d. 1833)
Encyclopedia
Charles Inglis was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
, rising to the rank of post-captain
.
Inglis was born into a naval family, the son of an officer who would die a rear-admiral
, and followed his father into the Navy. He rose through the ranks, and was a lieutenant aboard a frigate
by 1798, when his ship fought an action against a French frigate, and succeeded in capturing it. Inglis had to take over command during the battle when his captain was injured, and was subsequently highly praised for his efforts. He then went to the Mediterranean, serving on a frigate forming part of Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson's
squadron. He again acquitted himself well in battle, when his ship attacked a much larger French warship, delaying her enough for more British ships to arrive on the scene and force her surrender
. Nelson himself congratulated Inglis for his part.
Promoted to commander, and then captain, Inglis commanded several small cruisers, before becoming flag captain
to Rear-Admiral George Martin
. It was the start of an enduring relationship, with Martin retaining Inglis to be his flag captain on all his flagship
s. He served in several further engagements with the French fleets in the Mediterranean during the war, and also off the coast of Portugal
during Martin's time in command there. He returned to Martin's side as late as 1824, when Martin became Commander-in-Chief
at Portsmouth
, flying his flag aboard , and with Inglis once more his flag captain. Stepping down on the expiration of Martin's post in 1827, Inglis died several years later, in 1833.
Charles Inglis
, a distinguished officer who had served in the navy since 1745, and who rose to the rank of rear-admiral
before his death in 1791. He followed his father in embarking on a career in the navy, and was serving off the French coast as first lieutenant of the 32-gun frigate in 1798. While patrolling off the Penmarks on 29 June 1798 she and her consorts and came across the French frigate Seine
. The Seine had crossed the Atlantic from the West Indies and was bound for a French port. The British squadron manoeuvred to cut her off from land, but the Mermaid, under Captain James Newman-Newman, soon lost contact, leaving the Pique under Captain David Milne and the Jason under Captain Charles Stirling
, to chase down the Frenchman. After a chase lasting the entire day, all three ships ran aground on the French coast, but continued to bring their guns to fire upon each other, until HMS Mermaid returned to the scene, forcing the French to surrender. Seine was brought in to the navy as HMS Seine. Stirling had been wounded early in the engagement and was forced to go below to seek treatment, leaving Inglis in command. Inglis acquitted himself well, prompting Stirling to write in his official report to Lord Bridport
that 'no man could have filled my place with more credit to himself, and benefit to the state, than my First Lieutenant, Mr. Charles Inglis, whom I beg leave to recommend in the strongest manner for his bravery, skill and great exertions.'
Inglis then went out to the Mediterranean, taking part in the blockade of Malta
as a lieutenant aboard the 36-gun , serving under Captain Sir Henry Blackwood
. He was present at the Action of 31 March 1800
, when the 80-gun French Guillaume Tell
attempted to escape Malta under Rear-Admiral Denis Decrès
. The French ship's departure was observed by lookouts on Penelope and the frigate harassed the fleeing French ship until the larger ships under Captain Manley Dixon
, and under Captain Sir Edward Berry
, could come up and join the engagement. Worn down, the Guillaume Tell was forced to surrender after being dismasted. Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson
wrote personally to Inglis after the capture;
in October 1800, which was then lying at Rhodes
. She went on to take part in operations against the French forces in Egypt. He was given command of the 10-gun cutter in February 1801, and continued in the Mediterranean. He received the temporary captaincy of the 74-gun in November 1801, during the brief absence of her captain, Sir Thomas Williams
, and commanded her in the Baltic Sea
. Inglis was promoted to post-captain
on 29 April 1802 and commissioned the 32-gun in June 1802.
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In 1807 he began a long association with Rear-Admiral George Martin
, when he took over command of the 98-gun and became Martin's flag captain
. He followed Martin when he shifted his flag to the 80-gun in 1808 and remained in command for the next four years, during which time Martin oversaw the capture of the Italian islands of Ischia
and Procida
in June 1809. In October Martin was dispatched with a small squadron to chase several French ships that had escaped from Toulon
under Rear-Admiral François Baudin. Martin and his force discovered the French and chased them to the harbour of Cette
at the mouth of the Rhone
, where two ships, the 80-gun Robuste
and the 74-gun Lion
ran aground. Martin made plans to attack them, but their crews abandoned and burnt them on 26 October before he could carry them out. After a promotion to vice-admiral on 31 July 1810 Martin took command of the naval forces at Palermo
, which had been tasked with supporting Sir John Stuart's
forces in Calabria
. Martin returned to England and went ashore on striking his flag on 14 October 1810, while Inglis remained with Canopus, which became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Boyles between 1811 and 1812, and was paid off into Ordinary
in February 1812.
Martin returned to sea command of the forces off Lisbon in 1812, flying his flag aboard the 78-gun HMS Impetueux
, once again with Inglis in command as his flag captain. Martin remained in this role for the next two years, shifting his flag to and then in 1813. Martin struck his flag on 24 June 1814, though Inglis's career at sea continued, taking command of the 104-gun in May 1815, though by October he had been succeeded by Captain Edmund Boger.
at Portsmouth
. He died at Ryde
, on the Isle of Wight
, on 27 February 1833. He had at least one son, also called Charles, who followed his father into the navy and had reached the rank of post-captain by 1829.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who saw service during the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, rising to the rank of post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
.
Inglis was born into a naval family, the son of an officer who would die a rear-admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
, and followed his father into the Navy. He rose through the ranks, and was a lieutenant aboard a frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
by 1798, when his ship fought an action against a French frigate, and succeeded in capturing it. Inglis had to take over command during the battle when his captain was injured, and was subsequently highly praised for his efforts. He then went to the Mediterranean, serving on a frigate forming part of Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson's
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
squadron. He again acquitted himself well in battle, when his ship attacked a much larger French warship, delaying her enough for more British ships to arrive on the scene and force her surrender
Action of 31 March 1800
The Action of 31 March 1800 was a naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars fought between a Royal Navy squadron and a French Navy ship of the line off Malta in the Mediterranean Sea...
. Nelson himself congratulated Inglis for his part.
Promoted to commander, and then captain, Inglis commanded several small cruisers, before becoming flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
to Rear-Admiral George Martin
George Martin (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Martin GCB, GCMG was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
. It was the start of an enduring relationship, with Martin retaining Inglis to be his flag captain on all his flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
s. He served in several further engagements with the French fleets in the Mediterranean during the war, and also off the coast of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
during Martin's time in command there. He returned to Martin's side as late as 1824, when Martin became Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, flying his flag aboard , and with Inglis once more his flag captain. Stepping down on the expiration of Martin's post in 1827, Inglis died several years later, in 1833.
Family and early career
Inglis was born the son of CaptainCaptain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
Charles Inglis
Charles Inglis (c. 1731–1791)
Charles Inglis was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of rear-admiral....
, a distinguished officer who had served in the navy since 1745, and who rose to the rank of rear-admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
before his death in 1791. He followed his father in embarking on a career in the navy, and was serving off the French coast as first lieutenant of the 32-gun frigate in 1798. While patrolling off the Penmarks on 29 June 1798 she and her consorts and came across the French frigate Seine
HMS Seine (1798)
Seine was a 38-gun Seine-class French frigate that the Royal Navy captured in 1798 and commissioned as the fifth rate HMS Seine. On 20 August 1800, Seine captured the French ship Vengeance in a single ship action that would win for her crew the Naval General Service Medal...
. The Seine had crossed the Atlantic from the West Indies and was bound for a French port. The British squadron manoeuvred to cut her off from land, but the Mermaid, under Captain James Newman-Newman, soon lost contact, leaving the Pique under Captain David Milne and the Jason under Captain Charles Stirling
Charles Stirling
Sir Charles Stirling was a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy.-Early life and career:Charles Stirling was born in London on 28 April 1760 and baptised at St. Albans on 15 May. The son of Admiral Sir Walter Stirling, he was born into a family with a long and proud naval tradition. Stirling joined the...
, to chase down the Frenchman. After a chase lasting the entire day, all three ships ran aground on the French coast, but continued to bring their guns to fire upon each other, until HMS Mermaid returned to the scene, forcing the French to surrender. Seine was brought in to the navy as HMS Seine. Stirling had been wounded early in the engagement and was forced to go below to seek treatment, leaving Inglis in command. Inglis acquitted himself well, prompting Stirling to write in his official report to Lord Bridport
Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport
|-...
that 'no man could have filled my place with more credit to himself, and benefit to the state, than my First Lieutenant, Mr. Charles Inglis, whom I beg leave to recommend in the strongest manner for his bravery, skill and great exertions.'
Siege of Malta (1798–1800)
The Siege of Malta was a two-year siege and blockade of the French garrison in Valletta, the largest city and main port on the Mediterranean island of Malta between 1798 and 1800. Valletta had been captured by a French expeditionary force during the Mediterranean campaign of 1798, and garrisoned...
as a lieutenant aboard the 36-gun , serving under Captain Sir Henry Blackwood
Henry Blackwood
Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Blackwood, 1st Baronet, GCH, KCB , whose memorial is in the St. John's Church, Killyleagh, was a British sailor....
. He was present at the Action of 31 March 1800
Action of 31 March 1800
The Action of 31 March 1800 was a naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars fought between a Royal Navy squadron and a French Navy ship of the line off Malta in the Mediterranean Sea...
, when the 80-gun French Guillaume Tell
HMS Malta (1800)
HMS Malta was an 80-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She had previously served with the French Navy as the Tonnant-class Guillaume Tell, but was captured in the Mediterranean in 1800 by a British squadron enforcing the blockade of Malta...
attempted to escape Malta under Rear-Admiral Denis Decrès
Denis Decrès
Denis Decrès, , was an officer of the French Navy and count, later duke of the First Empire.-Early career:...
. The French ship's departure was observed by lookouts on Penelope and the frigate harassed the fleeing French ship until the larger ships under Captain Manley Dixon
Manley Dixon
Admiral Sir Manley Dixon, KCB was a prominent Royal Navy officer during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Born into a military family in the late 1750s or early 1760s, Dixon joined the Navy and served as a junior officer in the American Revolutionary War, gaining an independent...
, and under Captain Sir Edward Berry
Edward Berry
Rear Admiral Sir Edward Berry, 1st Baronet, KCB was an officer in Britain's Royal Navy primarily known for his role as flag captain of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson's ship HMS Vanguard at the Battle of the Nile, prior to his knighthood in 1798...
, could come up and join the engagement. Worn down, the Guillaume Tell was forced to surrender after being dismasted. Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
wrote personally to Inglis after the capture;
"My dear Sir, how fortunate I did not allow you to quit the Penelope to be junior Lieutenant in the Foudroyant! You will now get your promotion in the pleasantest of all ways, by the gallant exertions of yourself and those brave friends who surrounded you on that glorious night. What a triumph for you - what a pleasure for me! What happiness to have the Nile Fleet all taken, under my orders and regulations! Blackwood's coming to me at Malta, and my keeping him there, was something more than chance. Ever my dear Sir, believe me your truly sincere friend, Nelson and Bronte."
Command
Inglis was promoted to commander after this event, and was given command of the sloopSloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
in October 1800, which was then lying at Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. She went on to take part in operations against the French forces in Egypt. He was given command of the 10-gun cutter in February 1801, and continued in the Mediterranean. He received the temporary captaincy of the 74-gun in November 1801, during the brief absence of her captain, Sir Thomas Williams
Thomas Williams (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Sir Thomas Williams GCB was a senior British Royal Navy officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, who served in numerous theatres during the American Revolutionary War, French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars...
, and commanded her in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. Inglis was promoted to post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
on 29 April 1802 and commissioned the 32-gun in June 1802.
George Martin (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Martin GCB, GCMG was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
, when he took over command of the 98-gun and became Martin's flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
. He followed Martin when he shifted his flag to the 80-gun in 1808 and remained in command for the next four years, during which time Martin oversaw the capture of the Italian islands of Ischia
Ischia
Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has...
and Procida
Procida
Procida is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples in southern Italy. The island is between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. With its tiny satellite island of Vivara, it is a comune of the province of Naples, in the region of Campania. The population is about ten...
in June 1809. In October Martin was dispatched with a small squadron to chase several French ships that had escaped from Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
under Rear-Admiral François Baudin. Martin and his force discovered the French and chased them to the harbour of Cette
Sète
Sète is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Its inhabitants are called Sétois....
at the mouth of the Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
, where two ships, the 80-gun Robuste
French ship Robuste (1806)
The Robuste was an 80-gun Bucentaure-class 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, designed by Jacques-Noël Sané.She was commissioned under Captain Louis-Antoine-Cyprien Infernet, and was later captained by Julien Cosmao....
and the 74-gun Lion
French ship Lion (1803)
The Lion was a Téméraire-class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in Allemand's expedition of 1805 under Captain Eleonore-Jean-Nicolas Soleil....
ran aground. Martin made plans to attack them, but their crews abandoned and burnt them on 26 October before he could carry them out. After a promotion to vice-admiral on 31 July 1810 Martin took command of the naval forces at Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, which had been tasked with supporting Sir John Stuart's
John Stuart, Count of Maida
Sir John Stuart, Count of Maida GCB , was a British Lieutenant-General during the Napoleonic Wars.Stuart was born in Georgia, the son of Colonel John Stuart, superintendent of Indian affairs in the southern district, and a prominent loyalist in the War of Independence...
forces in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
. Martin returned to England and went ashore on striking his flag on 14 October 1810, while Inglis remained with Canopus, which became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Boyles between 1811 and 1812, and was paid off into Ordinary
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
in February 1812.
Martin returned to sea command of the forces off Lisbon in 1812, flying his flag aboard the 78-gun HMS Impetueux
French ship America (1788)
America was a Téméraire-class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. The Royal Navy captured her in 1794 at the Battle of the Glorious First of June. She then served with the British under the name HMS Impetueux until she was broken up in 1813...
, once again with Inglis in command as his flag captain. Martin remained in this role for the next two years, shifting his flag to and then in 1813. Martin struck his flag on 24 June 1814, though Inglis's career at sea continued, taking command of the 104-gun in May 1815, though by October he had been succeeded by Captain Edmund Boger.
Later life
He was captain of between 31 January 1824 and 30 April 1827, during Martin's time as Port Admiral and Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. He died at Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
, on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, on 27 February 1833. He had at least one son, also called Charles, who followed his father into the navy and had reached the rank of post-captain by 1829.