author
Sir Charles Knowles
d. 1777
A hard-driving Royal Navy officer, colonial governor, and later a baronet, he built a long career in war at sea and public service in the British Empire. His life stretched from major Atlantic conflicts to a brief late chapter advising the Russian navy.
1 Audiobook
An Account of the expedition to Carthagena, with explanatory notes and observations
by Sir Charles Knowles
About the author
Born around 1704, Sir Charles Knowles rose through the Royal Navy during a period of near-constant imperial warfare. He served in the War of Jenkins' Ear, the War of the Austrian Succession, and the Seven Years' War, and became known as a capable but sometimes controversial officer.
Beyond naval combat, he also held important colonial posts, including governor of Jamaica from 1752 to 1756. He was created a baronet in 1765, and his career later took an unusual turn when he spent time in Russian service during the Russo-Turkish War before returning to Britain.
Knowles died on 9 December 1777. Remembered as an admiral, politician, and administrator as well as a fighting seaman, he belongs to the generation of officers who helped shape Britain’s 18th-century naval power.