Charles Knowles
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet (c.1704 – 9 December 1777) was an officer of the Royal Navy
, who saw service during the War of Jenkins' Ear
, the wider War of the Austrian Succession
, and the Seven Years War. He also briefly served with the Imperial Russian Navy
during the Russo-Turkish War. He rose to the rank of Admiral
in a long and varied career, crowned with both success, and at times, controversy. He was highly educated, and particularly skilled in building and destroying fortifications. His career was mainly centred around the West Indies, where he commanded ships and squadrons in actions against both Spanish and French ships and settlements. Despite an active naval career that saw him rise to be Rear-Admiral of Great Britain, Knowles found time to devote to his studies, working on translations of foreign scientific studies, and developing his own inventions. His career at sea was blighted however by several failures, which may have been a cause of his move to Russia during the later part of his life to oversee the development of the Russian fleet.
. His education was overseen by his half-brother, Lord Wallingford, and Knowles entered the navy in March 1718, having been recommended to Admiral Sir George Byng
by Wallingford. Knowles went aboard one of the ships of Byng's fleet, the 70-gun HMS Buckingham
, under Captain Charles Strickland, though he moved in April aboard as a captain's servant. He remained aboard the Lenox until December 1720, serving with Byng's fleet in the Mediterranean. He was present at the Battle of Cape Passaro
on 11 August 1718, where he may have temporarily been aboard Byng's flagship
.
Knowles then moved aboard in June 1721, initially serving as a servant to Captain Vere Beauclerk, and after the first eighteen months as an able seaman
. Knowles remained on the Lymes books throughout her commission in the Mediterranean, discharging in June 1726. This appears to have been a titular posting only, and he probably spent most of his time ashore in studies. On his return to Britain Knowles was appointed to serve aboard the guard ship
at Portsmouth
, and then Sir Charles Wager's
flagship at Kinsale
, under the command of Vere Beauclerk. He went on to serve aboard and until his promotion to be lieutenant of the sloop
on 30 May 1730. He returned to serve aboard the Lion in March the following year, when she went to the West Indies as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Stewart.
, for which he travelled to France to study the Pont Neuf
. He had been promoted to commander of the 40-gun in 1732, but the position appears to have been for rank only, as he did not become post-captain until 4 February 1737, when he was appointed to command . He was ordered to reinforce Admiral Edward Vernon
's West Indies fleet in 1739, as the War of Jenkins' Ear
developed. Knowles rendezvoused with the admiral at Port Royal
, having captured two Spanish ships en route, one of which was a register ship carrying 120,000 pieces of eight
, and clothing for 6,000 men. Knowles was unable to sail with Vernon when he sailed the fleet to Portobelo, but arrived there on 27 November, five days after Vernon's victory there
. Vernon gave Knowles the task of destroying the Spanish forts, which owing to their solid construction eventually took three weeks and 122 barrels of gunpowder. When the task was completed the British withdrew, Knowles having impressed Vernon with his competent command of land operations.
Vernon next appointed Knowles to cruise off Cartagena
, watching the Spanish forces and interdicting any enemy supply ships. Knowles was then moved into the fireship and ordered to examine the approaches to the port of Chagres
. Having completed the mission and formulated a plan of attack, Knowles was given command of the bomb vessel
s, fireships and other small boats, and duly bombarded the fortress of San Lorenzo, at the mouth of the Chagres River
. The town and castle surrendered on 24 March 1740 and Knowles was appointed Governor of the castle. Vernon ordered the removal of the goods gathered at the port for shipping to Spain, and the sinking of several privateer
vessels. Knowles was given the task of demolishing the castle, which he achieved by detonating several mines under the bastions, and burning the apartments. Having completed the task, Vernon's fleet withdrew at the end of March, returning to Port Royal by way of Portobelo.
on 4 August 1740, shortly after which Knowles took command of the 50-gun . He soon moved to command the 60-gun , and sailed with her from St Helens Roads
on 24 October 1740 as part of Sir Chaloner Ogle
's fleet to reinforce Vernon in the West Indies. Knowles formed part of Vernon's council of war on 16 February 1741, which resolved to make a naval and land assault on Cartagena. Vernon placed Knowles in command of the operations to reconnoitre the Spanish defences, and subsequently draw up a plan of attack. Having done this Knowles formed a key part of the early stages of the attack
, he stormed and captured one of the forts, captured the Spanish flagship and broke the boom across the entrance to the harbour, allowing the British fleet access.
Several British ships entered the harbour the next day, including Knowles aboard the Weymouth. Under Vernon's orders Knowles destroyed several enemy batteries, captured the Castillo Grande and navigated further into the harbour to cut off enemy supplies. Vernon appointed him governor of Castillo Grande, and ordered him to demolish the fort as the British prepared to evacuate. Knowles duly carried the task out, rendering 59 pieces of ordnance unusable, and carrying off a large amount of lime and limestone. The failure of the British to take Cartagena led to considerable bitterness between the army and naval forces, and Knowles appears to have been the author of a pamphlet published in 1743 entitled An Account of the Expedition to Carthegena, with Explanatory Notes and Observations, a work that criticised the actions of the army. The fleet returned to Jamaica, whereupon Knowles returned to his previous command, the Lichfield. He remained based in the West Indies, and was engaged primarily in strengthening the fortifications and improving the facilities for ships at Port Antonio
, Port Royal, and subsequently at Antigua
.
and La Guaira
. The Spanish were well informed of the plans, and were able to recruit extra defenders, and were supplied with gunpowder by the Dutch. Consequently an attack on La Guaira on 18 February 1743 was beaten off by the defenders. Knowles withdrew his force and refitted at Curacao
before attempting an assault on Puerto Cabello
on 15 April, and again on 24 April, but both assaults were again beaten back. Knowles called off the expedition and returned to Jamaica.
He became a commodore after this, flying his flag aboard and then . He served as the second in command on the Jamaica station, under Sir Chaloner Ogle, between 1743 and 1745. During this period he captured a large number of prizes, with his success leading to a letter addressed to him and signed by 63 of the principal figures in Jamaica;
, under Vice-Admiral William Martin
. He was briefly detached to examine French invasion preparations, and on his return in February he captured two French ships. He shifted his pennant to HMS Edinburgh
on 21 March, and escorted a convoy from St Helens into the English Channel
, after which he moved aboard the 50-gun .
In spring 1746 he was appointed to take over as governor of Louisbourg from Peter Warren. He sailed for his new post on 31 March 1746, in company with HMS Canterbury and . He spent nearly two years as governor, and having initially complained to the Duke of Newcastle
about the "confused, dirty, beastly condition" of the fortress, was largely engaged in repairing and improving the defences. He was promoted to rear-admiral of the white on 15 July 1747, and appointed as commander in chief on the Jamaica station. On taking up his new post he raised his flag aboard HMS Canterbury, but soon shifted it to . He had initially intended to take his squadron and attack Santiago de Cuba
, but contrary winds led to him deciding instead to attack Fort Saint Louis de Sud. He arrived on 8 March 1748, and after subjecting the fort to a heavy bombardment forced its surrender. Knowles was promoted to rear-admiral of the red on 12 May 1748. He returned to Santiago de Cuba on 5 April and carried out another attack, but was unable to capture the port, and duly returned to Jamaica.
After having his ships refitted Knowles sailed on a cruise, hoping to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet
off Cuba
. On 30 September he fell in with HMS Lenox, under Captain Charles Holmes
, who reported that he had encountered a Spanish fleet some days earlier. The fleet was sighted the next morning but confusion over signals and a struggle to keep the weather gauge meant that the British fleet failed to attack in an organised manner. Though the Battle of Havana
ended with the capture of one Spanish ship and another being badly damaged, it was not the major British victory hoped for. Knowles was accused of badly mismanaging the action and faced a court martial in December 1749. The result was a reprimand for the poor tactics he employed, while several of the other captains involved were also reprimanded. There was considerable bad feeling between Knowles and his subordinates, and several challenges to duel were issued. In once instance Knowles exchanged shots with Holmes, and in another two of his captains, Innes and Clarke, duelled, which resulted in Innes being mortally wounded. King George II
eventually intervened to forbid any more duels over the matter.
for Gatton
between 1749 and 1752, and in 1752 he was appointed Governor of Jamaica. Over his four year period as governor he took steps to reform the legal system, and also moved the administrative capital from Spanish Town
to Kingston
, arguing that the latter was more defensible. His attempts to ensure the subordination of the Jamaican assembly to the British government led to calls for his removal as governor, but his policies were subsequently upheld by the British government. Knowles resigned the governorship in January 1756 and returned to England. He had been promoted to vice-admiral of the red on 4 February 1755.
in The Critical Review
, in terms that led to Knowles successfully suing Smollett for libel. Knowles briefly flew his flag aboard HMS Royal Anne
in the winter of 1757, but the debacle at Rochefort meant he was soon removed from active service. He was promoted to full admiral on 3 December 1760, and was created a baronet on 31 October 1765. He became Rear-Admiral of Great Britain on 5 November 1765. He resigned from the navy in 1770 and accepted an appointment from Catherine of Russia
to advise on the development of the Imperial Russian Navy
during the war against Turkey. He served in a mainly administrative role, being based at St Petersburg until 1774, when he returned to England. He died at Bulstrode Street, London
on 9 December 1777, and was buried at Guildford
, Surrey
.
, later a Speaker of the Barbados House of Assembly
, on 23 December 1740. The marriage produced a son, Edward Knowles, who followed his father into the navy, but was lost when his vessel, the sloop HMS Peregrine foundered in 1762. He married for the second time, to Maria Magdalena Therese de Bouget (* 1733; † 1796) in 1750. The couple produced one son, Charles Knowles
, and two daughters. He lived at Lovel Hill House at Cranbourne
in Berkshire
.
He translated M. de la Croix's Abstract of the Mechanisms of the Motions of Floating Bodies in 1775, noting in his preface that he had carried out experiments that validated de la Croix's findings. He also invented a device for measuring the pressure and velocity of wind, a fact acknowledged by Leonhard Euler
.
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 War of Jenkins' Ear
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
, the wider War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
, and the Seven Years War. He also briefly served with the Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
during the Russo-Turkish War. He rose to the rank of Admiral
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
in a long and varied career, crowned with both success, and at times, controversy. He was highly educated, and particularly skilled in building and destroying fortifications. His career was mainly centred around the West Indies, where he commanded ships and squadrons in actions against both Spanish and French ships and settlements. Despite an active naval career that saw him rise to be Rear-Admiral of Great Britain, Knowles found time to devote to his studies, working on translations of foreign scientific studies, and developing his own inventions. His career at sea was blighted however by several failures, which may have been a cause of his move to Russia during the later part of his life to oversee the development of the Russian fleet.
Family and early life
Knowles was probably born c. 1704, though some sources date his birth to as early as 1697. He was reputed to be an illegitimate son of Charles Knollys, the titular fourth Earl of BanburyEarl of Banbury
Earl of Banbury was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1626 for William Knollys. He had already been created Baron Knollys in 1603 and Viscount Wallingford in 1616, both in the Peerage of England. The titles are considered to have become extinct on his death in 1632. However, the...
. His education was overseen by his half-brother, Lord Wallingford, and Knowles entered the navy in March 1718, having been recommended to Admiral Sir George Byng
George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington
Admiral of the Fleet George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, KB PC was a British naval officer and statesman of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His career included service as First Lord of the Admiralty during the reign of King George II.-Naval career:Byng was born at Wrotham, Kent, England...
by Wallingford. Knowles went aboard one of the ships of Byng's fleet, the 70-gun HMS Buckingham
HMS Revenge (1699)
HMS Revenge was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard in 1699.She was renamed HMS Buckingham in 1711, and hulked in 1727. Buckingham continued to serve in this role until 1745, when she was sunk to form part of the foundation of a breakwater....
, under Captain Charles Strickland, though he moved in April aboard as a captain's servant. He remained aboard the Lenox until December 1720, serving with Byng's fleet in the Mediterranean. He was present at the Battle of Cape Passaro
Battle of Cape Passaro
The Battle of Cape Passaro was the defeat of a Spanish fleet under Admirals Antonio de Gaztañeta and Fernando Chacón by a British fleet under Admiral George Byng, near Cape Passero, Sicily, on 11 August 1718, four months before the War of the Quadruple Alliance was formally...
on 11 August 1718, where he may have temporarily been aboard Byng's 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...
.
Knowles then moved aboard in June 1721, initially serving as a servant to Captain Vere Beauclerk, and after the first eighteen months as an able seaman
Able seaman
An able seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
. Knowles remained on the Lymes books throughout her commission in the Mediterranean, discharging in June 1726. This appears to have been a titular posting only, and he probably spent most of his time ashore in studies. On his return to Britain Knowles was appointed to serve aboard the guard ship
Guard ship
A guard ship is a warship stationed at some port or harbour to act as a guard, and in former times in the Royal Navy to receive the men impressed for service...
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...
, and then Sir Charles Wager's
Charles Wager
Sir Charles Wager was a British Admiral and First Lord of the Admiralty between 1733 and 1742.Despite heroic active service and steadfast administration and diplomatic service, Wager's reputation has suffered from a profoundly mistaken idea that the navy was then at a low ebb...
flagship at Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
, under the command of Vere Beauclerk. He went on to serve aboard and until his promotion to be lieutenant of the sloop
Sloop-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...
on 30 May 1730. He returned to serve aboard the Lion in March the following year, when she went to the West Indies as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Stewart.
West Indies
Having by now established a reputation as an engineer it appears that after his return to Britain he was given an advisory and supervisory role in the drawing up of plans for Westminster BridgeWestminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
, for which he travelled to France to study the Pont Neuf
Pont Neuf
The Pont Neuf is, despite its name, the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. Its name, which was given to distinguish it from older bridges that were lined on both sides with houses, has remained....
. He had been promoted to commander of the 40-gun in 1732, but the position appears to have been for rank only, as he did not become post-captain until 4 February 1737, when he was appointed to command . He was ordered to reinforce Admiral Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
's West Indies fleet in 1739, as the War of Jenkins' Ear
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
developed. Knowles rendezvoused with the admiral at Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
, having captured two Spanish ships en route, one of which was a register ship carrying 120,000 pieces of eight
Spanish dollar
The Spanish dollar is a silver coin, of approximately 38 mm diameter, worth eight reales, that was minted in the Spanish Empire after a Spanish currency reform in 1497. Its purpose was to correspond to the German thaler...
, and clothing for 6,000 men. Knowles was unable to sail with Vernon when he sailed the fleet to Portobelo, but arrived there on 27 November, five days after Vernon's victory there
Battle of Porto Bello
The Battle of Porto Bello, or the Battle of Portobello, was a 1739 battle between a British naval force aiming to capture the settlement of Portobello in Panama, and its Spanish defenders. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, in the early stages of the war sometimes known as the...
. Vernon gave Knowles the task of destroying the Spanish forts, which owing to their solid construction eventually took three weeks and 122 barrels of gunpowder. When the task was completed the British withdrew, Knowles having impressed Vernon with his competent command of land operations.
Vernon next appointed Knowles to cruise off Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
, watching the Spanish forces and interdicting any enemy supply ships. Knowles was then moved into the fireship and ordered to examine the approaches to the port of Chagres
Chagres
Chagres, a village of the Republic of Panama in the Colón Province. It has a harbour from 10 to I ~ ft. deep, which is difficult to enter. The port was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502, and was opened for traffic with Panama, on the Pacific coast, by way of the Chagres River, in the 16th...
. Having completed the mission and formulated a plan of attack, Knowles was given command of the bomb vessel
Bomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
s, fireships and other small boats, and duly bombarded the fortress of San Lorenzo, at the mouth of the Chagres River
Chagres River
The Chagres River is a river in central Panama. The central part of the river is dammed by the Gatun Dam and forms Gatun Lake, an artificial lake that constitutes part of the Panama Canal. Upstream lies the Madden Dam, creating the Alajuala Lake that is also part of the Canal water system...
. The town and castle surrendered on 24 March 1740 and Knowles was appointed Governor of the castle. Vernon ordered the removal of the goods gathered at the port for shipping to Spain, and the sinking of several privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
vessels. Knowles was given the task of demolishing the castle, which he achieved by detonating several mines under the bastions, and burning the apartments. Having completed the task, Vernon's fleet withdrew at the end of March, returning to Port Royal by way of Portobelo.
Vernon and the Battle of Cartagena de Indias
Knowles spent the next few months cruising, before returning to England in company with HMS Torrington as an escort for a 25 ship strong fleet of merchantmen. Knowles and the Diamond arrived at SpitheadSpithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
on 4 August 1740, shortly after which Knowles took command of the 50-gun . He soon moved to command the 60-gun , and sailed with her from St Helens Roads
St Helens, Isle of Wight
St. Helens is a village and civil parish located on the eastern side of the Isle of Wight. The village is based around village greens. This is claimed to be the largest in England but some say the Village Green is the second largest. The greens are often used for cricket matches during the summer...
on 24 October 1740 as part of Sir Chaloner Ogle
Chaloner Ogle
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Chaloner Ogle was a British naval commander during the War of the Austrian Succession.-Naval career:Born the son of John Ogle, a Newcastle barrister, Ogle came from the Kirkley Hall branch of the prominent Northumbrian Ogle family of Northumberland...
's fleet to reinforce Vernon in the West Indies. Knowles formed part of Vernon's council of war on 16 February 1741, which resolved to make a naval and land assault on Cartagena. Vernon placed Knowles in command of the operations to reconnoitre the Spanish defences, and subsequently draw up a plan of attack. Having done this Knowles formed a key part of the early stages of the attack
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias was an amphibious military engagement between the forces of Britain under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon and those of Spain under Admiral Blas de Lezo. It took place at the city of Cartagena de Indias in March 1741, in present-day Colombia...
, he stormed and captured one of the forts, captured the Spanish flagship and broke the boom across the entrance to the harbour, allowing the British fleet access.
Several British ships entered the harbour the next day, including Knowles aboard the Weymouth. Under Vernon's orders Knowles destroyed several enemy batteries, captured the Castillo Grande and navigated further into the harbour to cut off enemy supplies. Vernon appointed him governor of Castillo Grande, and ordered him to demolish the fort as the British prepared to evacuate. Knowles duly carried the task out, rendering 59 pieces of ordnance unusable, and carrying off a large amount of lime and limestone. The failure of the British to take Cartagena led to considerable bitterness between the army and naval forces, and Knowles appears to have been the author of a pamphlet published in 1743 entitled An Account of the Expedition to Carthegena, with Explanatory Notes and Observations, a work that criticised the actions of the army. The fleet returned to Jamaica, whereupon Knowles returned to his previous command, the Lichfield. He remained based in the West Indies, and was engaged primarily in strengthening the fortifications and improving the facilities for ships at Port Antonio
Port Antonio
Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991...
, Port Royal, and subsequently at Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
.
Command
Knowles took command of the 70-gun in 1742, and in 1743 received orders from Ogle to command a squadron to carry out attacks on the Spanish settlements at Puerto CabelloPuerto Cabello
Puerto Cabello is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State about 75 km west of Caracas. As of 2001, the city has a population of around 154,000 people. The city is the home to the largest port in the country and is thus a vital cog in the country's vast oil...
and La Guaira
La Guaira
La Guaira is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Vargas and the country's chief port. It was founded in 1577 as an outlet for Caracas, to the southeast. The town and the port were badly damaged during the December 1999 floods and mudslides that affected much of the region...
. The Spanish were well informed of the plans, and were able to recruit extra defenders, and were supplied with gunpowder by the Dutch. Consequently an attack on La Guaira on 18 February 1743 was beaten off by the defenders. Knowles withdrew his force and refitted at Curacao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
before attempting an assault on Puerto Cabello
Puerto Cabello
Puerto Cabello is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State about 75 km west of Caracas. As of 2001, the city has a population of around 154,000 people. The city is the home to the largest port in the country and is thus a vital cog in the country's vast oil...
on 15 April, and again on 24 April, but both assaults were again beaten back. Knowles called off the expedition and returned to Jamaica.
He became a commodore after this, flying his flag aboard and then . He served as the second in command on the Jamaica station, under Sir Chaloner Ogle, between 1743 and 1745. During this period he captured a large number of prizes, with his success leading to a letter addressed to him and signed by 63 of the principal figures in Jamaica;
Sir, Though we are certain that the public services you have done, and are continually doing, proceed, as they always will, from the noblest principle, and without the least expectation of popular applause; yet, being fully sensible, and having indeed been immediate partakers of them, we should think it an unpardonable neglect at least, if it did not deserve a worse appellation, should we omit to make our joint acknowledgement thereof, &c.Knowles was later appointed as captain of the newly built in 1745. He returned to Britain later that year, and in January 1746 he was aboard as commander of a squadron in the Downs
The Downs
The Downs are a roadstead or area of sea in the southern North Sea near the English Channel off the east Kent coast, between the North and the South Foreland in southern England. In 1639 the Battle of the Downs took place here, when the Dutch navy destroyed a Spanish fleet which had sought refuge...
, under Vice-Admiral William Martin
William Martin (Royal Navy officer)
William Martin was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Wars of the Spanish and the Austrian Successions.Martin rose from obscure origins to see service during the War of the Spanish Succession...
. He was briefly detached to examine French invasion preparations, and on his return in February he captured two French ships. He shifted his pennant to HMS Edinburgh
HMS Warspite (1666)
HMS Warspite was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1666 at Blackwall Yard. This second Warspite was one of the five ships designed to carry more provisions and lower deck guns higher above the water than French and Dutch equivalents...
on 21 March, and escorted a convoy from St Helens into the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, after which he moved aboard the 50-gun .
In spring 1746 he was appointed to take over as governor of Louisbourg from Peter Warren. He sailed for his new post on 31 March 1746, in company with HMS Canterbury and . He spent nearly two years as governor, and having initially complained to the Duke of Newcastle
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served...
about the "confused, dirty, beastly condition" of the fortress, was largely engaged in repairing and improving the defences. He was promoted to rear-admiral of the white on 15 July 1747, and appointed as commander in chief on the Jamaica station. On taking up his new post he raised his flag aboard HMS Canterbury, but soon shifted it to . He had initially intended to take his squadron and attack Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
, but contrary winds led to him deciding instead to attack Fort Saint Louis de Sud. He arrived on 8 March 1748, and after subjecting the fort to a heavy bombardment forced its surrender. Knowles was promoted to rear-admiral of the red on 12 May 1748. He returned to Santiago de Cuba on 5 April and carried out another attack, but was unable to capture the port, and duly returned to Jamaica.
Battle of Havana
Spanish treasure fleet
The Spanish treasure fleets was a convoy system adopted by the Spanish Empire from 1566 to 1790...
off Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. On 30 September he fell in with HMS Lenox, under Captain Charles Holmes
Charles Holmes (Royal Navy officer)
Charles Holmes was a Rear admiral in the British Navy during the Seven Years War, and was Wolfe's third-in-command during the capture of Quebec in 1759...
, who reported that he had encountered a Spanish fleet some days earlier. The fleet was sighted the next morning but confusion over signals and a struggle to keep the weather gauge meant that the British fleet failed to attack in an organised manner. Though the Battle of Havana
Battle of Havana (1748)
The Battle of Havana was an engagement between the British Caribbean squadron and a Spanish squadron based near Havana. After a number of abortive attacks, the British succeeded in driving the Spanish back to their harbour after capturing the Conquistador and running the vice-admiral's ship Africa...
ended with the capture of one Spanish ship and another being badly damaged, it was not the major British victory hoped for. Knowles was accused of badly mismanaging the action and faced a court martial in December 1749. The result was a reprimand for the poor tactics he employed, while several of the other captains involved were also reprimanded. There was considerable bad feeling between Knowles and his subordinates, and several challenges to duel were issued. In once instance Knowles exchanged shots with Holmes, and in another two of his captains, Innes and Clarke, duelled, which resulted in Innes being mortally wounded. King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
eventually intervened to forbid any more duels over the matter.
Governorship
Knowles was briefly Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Gatton
Gatton (UK Parliament constituency)
Gatton was a parliamentary borough in Surrey, one of the most notorious of all the rotten boroughs. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1450 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act...
between 1749 and 1752, and in 1752 he was appointed Governor of Jamaica. Over his four year period as governor he took steps to reform the legal system, and also moved the administrative capital from Spanish Town
Spanish Town
Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica from the 16th to the 19th century...
to Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, arguing that the latter was more defensible. His attempts to ensure the subordination of the Jamaican assembly to the British government led to calls for his removal as governor, but his policies were subsequently upheld by the British government. Knowles resigned the governorship in January 1756 and returned to England. He had been promoted to vice-admiral of the red on 4 February 1755.
Later service and Russia
Knowles was second in command under Admiral Edward Hawke (1705–81) in the Rochefort Expedition in 1757, during the Seven Years War, with Knowles flying his flag aboard . Knowles oversaw a bombardment, but the expedition was judged a failure, and Knowles was one of the figures subsequently criticised for his actions. He defended himself with the publication of a pamphlet entitled The Conduct of Admiral Knowles on the late Expedition set in a true light. The pamphlet was unfavourably reviewed by Tobias SmollettTobias Smollett
Tobias George Smollett was a Scottish poet and author. He was best known for his picaresque novels, such as The Adventures of Roderick Random and The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle , which influenced later novelists such as Charles Dickens.-Life:Smollett was born at Dalquhurn, now part of Renton,...
in The Critical Review
The Critical Review
The Critical Review was first edited by Tobias Smollett from 1756 to 1763, and was contributed to by Samuel Johnson, David Hume, John Hunter, and Oliver Goldsmith, until 1817....
, in terms that led to Knowles successfully suing Smollett for libel. Knowles briefly flew his flag aboard HMS Royal Anne
HMS Royal Charles (1673)
HMS Royal Charles was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, designed and built by Sir Anthony Deane at Portsmouth Dockyard, where she was launched and completed by his successor as Master Shipwright, Daniel Furzer, in March 1673...
in the winter of 1757, but the debacle at Rochefort meant he was soon removed from active service. He was promoted to full admiral on 3 December 1760, and was created a baronet on 31 October 1765. He became Rear-Admiral of Great Britain on 5 November 1765. He resigned from the navy in 1770 and accepted an appointment from Catherine of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
to advise on the development of the Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
during the war against Turkey. He served in a mainly administrative role, being based at St Petersburg until 1774, when he returned to England. He died at Bulstrode Street, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 9 December 1777, and was buried at Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
Family and personal life
Knowles married the sister of John AlleyneSir John Alleyne, 1st Baronet
Sir John Gay Alleyne, 1st Baronet was a baronet and Barbadian politician.-Background:Alleyne descended from the first settlers on Barbados and was born at St James as second son of John Alleyne and his wife Mary Terrill, daughter of William Terrill...
, later a Speaker of the Barbados House of Assembly
Barbados House of Assembly
The House of Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Barbados. It has 30 Members of Parliament , MPs are directly elected in single member constituencies using the simple-majority system for a term of five years....
, on 23 December 1740. The marriage produced a son, Edward Knowles, who followed his father into the navy, but was lost when his vessel, the sloop HMS Peregrine foundered in 1762. He married for the second time, to Maria Magdalena Therese de Bouget (* 1733; † 1796) in 1750. The couple produced one son, Charles Knowles
Sir Charles Knowles, 2nd Baronet
Sir Charles Henry Knowles, 2nd Baronet GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy, who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral...
, and two daughters. He lived at Lovel Hill House at Cranbourne
Cranbourne, Berkshire
Cranbourne is a village in Berkshire, England, within the civil parish of Winkfield in the borough of Bracknell Forest.The settlement lies near to Windsor Great Park and Legoland Windsor, and is approximately south-west of Windsor. Neither Cranbourne Chase nor Cranbourne Lodge, which it surrounds,...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
He translated M. de la Croix's Abstract of the Mechanisms of the Motions of Floating Bodies in 1775, noting in his preface that he had carried out experiments that validated de la Croix's findings. He also invented a device for measuring the pressure and velocity of wind, a fact acknowledged by Leonhard Euler
Leonhard Euler
Leonhard Euler was a pioneering Swiss mathematician and physicist. He made important discoveries in fields as diverse as infinitesimal calculus and graph theory. He also introduced much of the modern mathematical terminology and notation, particularly for mathematical analysis, such as the notion...
.