John Carter (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
John Carter son of Thomas Carter and Catherine Butler of Castlemartin Co Kildare
and grandson of Henry Boyle Carter, was an officer of the Royal Navy
, who saw service during the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
.
Carter joined the Navy in January 1798, serving aboard the 28-gun in the Mediterranean. In July Brilliant had a narrow escape from two French 44-gun frigates off Santa Cruz
. He then moved aboard as a midshipman
, and took part in the blockade of Malta
. On 30 March 1800 Penelope was one of the ships that intercepted and aided in the capture of the French 84-gun Guillaume Tell
. He then took part in the campaign in Egypt, followed by service in boat actions off the French and Genoese
coasts.
Carter served for a time aboard under Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson
, and in February 1805 Nelson transferred him into an acting-lieutenancy aboard the 74-gun . Admiral Lord Nelson
awarded him with his sword
and telescope
for distinguished service under his command. Carter then took part in the pursuit of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet to the West Indies during the Trafalgar Campaign
. He returned with the British fleet and took part in the Battle of Trafalgar
, where his service involved securing the prisoners and destroying the prizes. He was back in the West Indies by late 1806, where he navigated the badly leaking back to Britain, fothering her hull with sails and with the pumps manned all throughout the voyage. He captured the 14-gun Emille off St Valery in February 1814. He was promoted to post-captain
on 7 December 1815, and went on to become superintendent of the Royal Hospital Haslar
after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
Carter was Superintendent of the Royal Clarence Victualling Yard between December 1841 and December 1846, and was promoted to rear-admiral on reserved half-pay
on 8 April 1851. He was promoted to vice-admiral on 9 July 1857 and admiral on 4 October 1862. Admiral John Carter died on 2 April 1863 at Devonport
.
Castlemartin House and Estate
Castlemartin is the name of a historic house and estate, and the townland in which they sit, on the banks of the River Liffey in Kilcullen, County Kildare, Ireland...
and grandson of Henry Boyle Carter, was an officer of the Royal Navy
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...
.
Carter joined the Navy in January 1798, serving aboard the 28-gun in the Mediterranean. In July Brilliant had a narrow escape from two French 44-gun frigates off Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital , second-most populous city of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the 21st largest city in Spain, with a population of 222,417 in 2009...
. He then moved aboard as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
, and took part in the blockade of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. On 30 March 1800 Penelope was one of the ships that intercepted and aided in the capture of the French 84-gun 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...
. He then took part in the campaign in Egypt, followed by service in boat actions off the French and Genoese
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
coasts.
Carter served for a time aboard under Vice-Admiral Lord 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...
, and in February 1805 Nelson transferred him into an acting-lieutenancy aboard the 74-gun . Admiral Lord 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...
awarded him with his sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
and telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
for distinguished service under his command. Carter then took part in the pursuit of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet to the West Indies during the Trafalgar Campaign
Trafalgar Campaign
The Trafalgar Campaign was a long and complicated series of fleet manoeuvres carried out by the combined French and Spanish fleets; and the opposing moves of the Royal Navy during much of 1805. These were the culmination of French plans to force a passage through the English Channel, and so achieve...
. He returned with the British fleet and took part in the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
, where his service involved securing the prisoners and destroying the prizes. He was back in the West Indies by late 1806, where he navigated the badly leaking back to Britain, fothering her hull with sails and with the pumps manned all throughout the voyage. He captured the 14-gun Emille off St Valery in February 1814. He 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 7 December 1815, and went on to become superintendent of the Royal Hospital Haslar
Royal Hospital Haslar
The Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire, England was one of several hospitals serving the Portsmouth Urban Area. The Royal Hospital Haslar officially closed as the last military hospital in the UK in 2007...
after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
Carter was Superintendent of the Royal Clarence Victualling Yard between December 1841 and December 1846, and was promoted to rear-admiral on reserved half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
on 8 April 1851. He was promoted to vice-admiral on 9 July 1857 and admiral on 4 October 1862. Admiral John Carter died on 2 April 1863 at Devonport
Devonport, Devon
Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...
.