# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, Charles

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​SMITH. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 22; h-p., 19.)
Charles Smith is son of the late Charles Smith, Esq., who died Surgeon of H.M.S. Hind in the early part of 1794.
This officer entered the Navy, 14 Jan. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Caesar 80, Capt. Chas. Richardson, flag-ship of his patron, Sir Rich. John Strachan, and also of Hon. Robt. Stopford. Under the former he went in pursuit of a squadron which had escaped from Brest, was employed off Rochefort, and went to the Mediterranean in quest of another French squadron under Rear-Admiral Allemand. During the time he served with Hon. R. Stopford he assisted at the destruction of three French frigates beneath the batteries of Sable d’Olonne and of the enemy’s shipping in Aix Roads in Feb. and April, 1809. In the summer of the latter year he accompanied the expedition to the Scheldt, where he co-operated, on board an armed transport, in the attack upon Flushing, and remained until fever, produced by fatigue and exposure, caused him to invalid and be sent to the hospital at Deal. On his restoration to health he was again, in Nov. 1809, placed under the orders of Sir R. J. Strachan in the San Domingo 74, flag-ship afterwards of Sir John Borlase Warren on the coast of North America. While on that station he contributed, 3 April, 1813, in the boats of a squadron containing 105 men, under the orders of Lieut. Jas. Polkinghorne, to the capture, 15 miles up the Rappahannock river, of four schooners, carrying in the whole 31 guns and 219 men – an exploit whose achievement inflicted on the British a loss of 2 men killed and 11 wounded, and on the enemy of 6 killed and 10 wounded. He was made Lieutenant, 13 May following, into the Cressy 74, but her he never joined. His subsequent appointments were – 15 Oct. 1813, to the Chesapeake 38, Capts. Alex. Gordon, Geo. Burdett, and Fras. Newcombe, in which ship, with the exception of a few weeks passed in the summer of 1814 in the Hebrus 36, Capt. Edm. Palmer, he served at Halifax and the Cape of Good Hope until Sept. 1815 – 9 Nov. 1821, for a short time, to the Shearwater 10, Capt. John Walter Roberts – 11 March, 182.3, to the Ramillies 74, Capt. Edw. Brace, lying at Portsmouth – 31 May following, to the Ganges 84, Capts. E. Brace and Patrick Campbell, with whom he served in the West Indies and again at Portsmouth until Feb. 1826 – and, 8 March, 1827, as Senior, to the Briton 46, Capts. Geo. Fras. Seymour and Hon. Wm. Gordon. In that ship we find him, until paid off in April, 1830, employed on various particular services. He attained the rank of Commander 22 July following; filled an appointment in the Coast Guard from 6 June, 1833, until 5 July, 1836; and from 26 Jan. 1839 until paid off 11 May, 1842, officiated as Second-Captain of the President 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Chas. Bayne Hodgson Ross, Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific. He has since been on half-pay. His promotion to Post-rank took place 23 Nov. 1841.
Capt. Smith married, first, in July, 1817, Jane, daughter of Robt. Smith, Esq., merchant, of Glasgow; and secondly, in Dec. 1830, Eliza, daughter of John Slight, Esq., Naval officer and agent-victualler at Gibraltar. By his first marriage he has issue one son; and by his second, six sons and one daughter.