# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Keele, Charles

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​KEELE. (Captain, 1843. f-p., 16; h-p., 24.)
Charles Keele, born 19 Feb. 1795, at Southampton, is fourth son of John Keele, Esq., many years a surgeon at that place; and brother of Mr. Edw. Keele, R.N., who was mortally wounded on board the Java, when captured by the American ship Constitution at the age of 13.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 April, 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Supérieure 10, commanded by his relative Capt. Edw. Rushworth, whom he accompanied with convoy to the West Indies. In the following Oct., after his name had been borne for four months on the books of the Prince George, Tisiphone, and Princess of Orange, he rejoined Capt. Rushworth, as Midshipman, in the Satellite 16, and again sailed with the West India trade. Between the latter part of 1808 and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 24 Sept. 1814, we find him employed on various stations in the Tisiphone, Capt. Foote, Caledonia 120, and Boyne 98, bearing each the flag of Sir Harry Neale, Barbadoes 28, Capt. E. Rushworth, Thetis 36, Capt. Wm. Henry Byam, Java of 46 guns and 377 men, Capt. Henry Lambert, and RivoLi and Edinburgh 74’s, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond, Edw. Stirling Dickson, and John Lampen Manley. When in the Caledonia, Mr. Keele served in her boats at the defence of Cadiz. He was on board the Barbadoes in Sept. 1811, when, being at the time in company with the Hotspur frigate and Goshawk sloop, she made a successful attack on seven French gun-brigs in the neighbourhood of Calvados; and on 29 Dec. 1812 it was his lot to be in the Java on the occasion of her capture, after a close and dreadful action of three hours and 40 minutes, and a loss of 22 men killed and 102 (including the Captain mortally, and himself severely) wounded, by the American ship Constitution of 55 guns and 480 men, many of whom also suffered. Soon after his promotion, as above, Lieut. Keele went back to the RivoLi, and was on board of her, as a Supernumerary, when she intercepted the Melpomène French frigate, in 1815. In the short and spirited action which preceded that event he received a severe blow in consequence of one of the gun-breechings giving way. Being paid off on his return from the Mediterranean in Feb. 1816, the Lieutenant did not again go afloat until 24 Nov. 1823, when he was appointed First of the Arachne 18, commanded by his friend Capt. Henry Ducie Chads, fitting for the East Indies. On his arrival on that station he was immediately ordered to Ava, for the purpose of co-operating in the hostilities then in force against the Burmese. On 21 and 24 Sept. 1824 we accordingly find him (the Arachne having reached Rangoon on 15 of that month) assuming command of a division of gun-vessels and row-boats, and assisting at the destruction of eight stockades, on the Panlang river. He subsequently commanded the naval part of an expedition, consisting of six gun-vessels, one mortar-boat, seven row-gun-boats, and an armed transport, sent to cooperate with a small body of troops under Lieut Colonel Henry Godwin in the reduction of the city of Martaban. After the destruction had been ​accomplished of about 30 of the enemy’s war-boats, the defences of the place, although of amazing strength, and resolutely defended by between 3000 and 4000 men, were stormed and carried with the most determined gallantry by not more than 220 of the British, conspicuous among whom was Lieut. Keele, who, with Capt. Borrowes of the 41st Regt., was the first on the occasion to enter a battery mounting 2 guns. His exertions throughout the whole of the affair were unremitting, and he elicited both the praise of his coadjutor and the acknowledgments of the Governor-General of India in Council. In Jan. 1825, shortly after his return from Martaban, we find him, with 48 officers and men under his command, accompanying Lieut.-Colonel Elrington to the attack of a strong hill-fort, situated on the left bank of the Pegu river, about eight miles from Rangoon, and the pagoda of Syriam, five miles in the interior. Previously to the immediate assault of the former, it was necessary for the party, soldiers and seamen, who had landed, to cross a deep unfordable nullah, the bridge over which had been removed purposely to check their progress. A new one being, however, soon constructed, under a galling fire, which killed and wounded 30 of the British, inclusive of 6 belonging to the Navy, the enemy were in an instant put to flight. In the successful attack made the next morning on the Syriam pagoda the sailors assisted in manning the scaling ladders, and Lieut. Keele was the first over the outer stockade. In the words, indeed, of Lieut.-Colonel Elrington, the naval part of this expedition he nobly conducted. The warmest thanks of Commodore Coe, the Commander-in-Chief on the station, were in consequence conveyed to him. On 6 Feb. 1825 he led one of three divisions of boats against Than-ta-bain, a large and imposing stockade, mounting 36 guns, and garrisoned by 2000 fighting men; and on that occasion he was again mentioned as being the first, with Lieut. Hall of the Alligator, to enter the enemy’s position. His characteristic gallantry again obtained the applause of the Supreme Government. In the course of the same month he destroyed several boats and fire-rafts up the Lyne river; and he was afterwards attached to the light division of the flotilla in the operations against Donoobew in March, 1825. He ultimately, on his arrival at Portsmouth with Capt. Chads, as First-Lieutenant of the Alligator 28, about Jan. 1827, found that be had been advanced to the rank of Commander by commission dated 22 July, 1826. His subsequent appointments were – 26 March, 1836, to a three-years’ Inspectorship in the Coast Guard – and, 13 March, 1841, to the Rover 18, on the West India station, whither he sailed, after only 48 hours’ notice, in the Tweed 20. He was promoted, a few months after he had been paid off, to the rank of Captain, 19 July, 1843. He has not been since able to procure employment.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 772.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1825, pp. 501, 690, 1434, 1967, 2277.