Charles Stewart ( Royal Navy officer ) The Honourable Charles Stewart ( 1681 – 5 February 1741 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Nine Years ' War , and the Wars of the Spanish Succession , Quadruple Alliance and Austrian Succession . He embarked on a political career , and was a Member of Parliament for the Parliaments of Ireland and Great Britain . Stewart was born into the nobility , raised the younger son of a viscount . He entered the navy at an early age , but suffered a severe wound at the beginning of his career , losing his right hand . He recovered , and prospered in the service , rising to command several ships in the frequent wars of the early eighteenth century . He also had an interest in politics , representing Tyrone from 1715 . By 1720 he had risen high enough in the navy to be entrusted with a squadron to take action against Mediterranean piracy , particularly the dangerous Salé Rovers . He had the dual commission of acting as minister plenipotentiary to Morocco , and managed to successfully negotiate a treaty and the release of 296 British prisoners . Rewarded with an increased pension and further commands , Stewart was raised to flag rank and served for a time as commander in chief in the West Indies , and held junior commands in the Channel Fleet . He also sat for the British parliament , representing UK Parliament constituency from 1723 until 1727 , and UK Parliament constituency from 1737 until his death in 1741 . Family and early career . Charles Stewart was born in 1681 , the fifth son of Sir William Stewart later 1st Viscount Mountjoy . His mother was Mary , the eldest daughter of Richard Coote , 1st Baron Coote . Charles entered the navy at an early age , and was involved in the Nine Years ' War . In 1697 , at the age of 16 , his ship was involved in an engagement with a French warship off Dover , and Stewart was injured , losing his right hand . He was granted a pension of £100 for his injury in 1699 . Recovering from the injury , he continued in the service and was promoted to lieutenant . He served on several ships at this rank until being promoted to captain and given command of the frigate on 1 December 1704 . After some time in command of this ship , he was transferred to the 50 - gun and served in the Mediterranean under Sir John Leake . He was one of the officers involved in the court - martial of Sir Thomas Hardy in October 1707 , aboard at Portsmouth . Parliament and commands . Stewart combined a naval career with a political one , at first entering the Parliament of Ireland in October 1715 , representing Tyrone . After some years in the navy , he was assigned to command a squadron in the Mediterranean in 1720 against the Salé Rovers . Combined with this task was the appointment as minister plenipotentiary to Morocco , with orders to secure a peace treaty with the emperor , Ismail Ibn Sharif . Embassy to Morocco . Stewart sailed from England on 24 September , making his way to Tétouan via Gibraltar . Arriving at Tétouan on 22 December , he negotiated a treaty with the pasha and the articles were exchanged on 17 January 1721 . He then travelled on to Mequinez , arriving on 3 July 1721 and meeting the emperor in an audience on 6 July . The articles of the treaty were exchanged , with Abdelkader Perez , a Moroccan admiral and later ambassador to Britain , assisting negotiations . The emperor then presented Stewart with a gift of nine Christian slaves . A second meeting took place on 23 July , at which all the captured Englishmen held as slaves , 296 in total , were released . After exchanging messages of friendship and goodwill , Stewart left Mequinez on 27 July and arrived back at Tétouan on 12 August . He then returned to Britain with the former captives . His success on these occasions was rewarded with the increase of his annual pension to £300 , on 14 December 1724 . Politics and flag rank . Stewart apparently became a supporter of John Campbell , 2nd Duke of Argyll , and was elected to represent UK Parliament constituency on his interest , on 25 January 1723 . He represented Malmesbury until 1727 , and though Sir Charles Wager expected that Argyll would arrange for Stewart to be elected to represent UK Parliament constituency in 1732 , this did not happen . Stewart ' s next opportunity to distinguish himself at sea came in late 1729 , towards the end of the Anglo - Spanish War . News arrived in England that Edward St . Lo , commander in chief at Jamaica during the Blockade of Porto Bello , had died while in command . Stewart was promoted to rear - admiral of the blue on 9 December 1729 and set out to take up the command in Lo ' s stead , flying his flag aboard . He was commander in chief until 1732 , being promoted to rear - admiral of the white on 29 June 1732 . He was promoted again , to vice - admiral of the blue , on 26 February 1734 , and given command of a division of a fleet being prepared for sea to counter Spanish threats . Stewart duly hoisted his flag aboard the 80 - gun , but the crisis passed without breaking into war . He then became second in command of the Channel Fleet , under Sir John Norris , flying his flag aboard the 70 - gun , but again without seeing any action . Later life . Stewart continued to serve in the navy and receive promotions . He was raised to the rank of vice - admiral of the white on 2 March 1736 . He also resumed his parliamentary career , being returned to represent UK Parliament constituency at a by - election on 10 February 1737 . He held this seat until his death on 5 February 1741 , voting against the Convention of Pardo in 1739 , but for the place bill of 1740 . He died unmarried . Notes . a . In the summer of 1706 Hardy had been given command of a small squadron assigned to escort a convoy of 200 merchants to Lisbon . They had encountered a French squadron of six warships off the Lizard on 27 August , but Hardy decided that he would not be able to catch them , had concentrated on keeping the convoy together , and had escorted it to the prescribed distance of 120 leagues in line with his orders . His failure to pursue the French squadron later resulted in him being charged with neglect of duty , but he was fully acquitted at the court - martial , with the observation that he had " complied with the lord high admiral ' s orders , both with regard to chasing the enemy and also the protecting the trade . " Hardy continued into the service and rose to flag rank .