Built 1862
Marazion 17th March 2009
Captain Francis Cole
Captain Sir Christopher Cole - Part 3
Captain Cole arrived in England towards the close of 1811, and soon after received a letter from the Secretary to the Admiralty,
informing him that he was to be honored with an appropriate medal for the capture of Banda,
and enclosing a copy of the letter which had been written to Vice-Admiral Drury,
in answer to his despatch announcing the conquest of that island.
The CAROLINE was paid off in Jan. 1812, and on that occasion
Captain Cole had the gratification of receiving an epistle from his veteran crew ….
We the crew of H. M. S. Caroline wishes to give you our most gracious thanks for the care and favour
you have shewn to this ship's company, by making you a present of a sword amounting to 100 guineas
for your noble and brave conduct when you led us to the storm of Banda,
and likewise the zealous bravery in landing our troops at Batavia;
and by excepting of this present you will gratify the wishes of your most obedient ship's company, The Carolines
Captain Cole received the honor of knighthood, May 29, 1812;
and on his return from the Prince Regent's levee, the sword alluded to above was presented to him by Mr. Barker,
a cutler of Portsmouth, with an address couched in the following terms :
Sir, I am requested by James Macdowal, and others, on behalf of the crew of
H. M. frigate Caroline, to present you with this sword, as a testimony of the high esteem
and respect they entertain for you as their late Commander, in return for the marked attention
you at all times paid to them and for the gallant manner in which you took them into action,
and for the honorable manner in which you brought them out;
for the unceasing zeal you invariably have manifested for your country's cause, a
nd for the comforts they enjoyed whilst they served under your command,
they humbly trust you will accept the same, as a pledge of gratitude and token of veneration for you,
which time can never efface from their memory.
In the course of the same year, Sir Christopher Cole received the degree of a D. C. L.
from the University of Oxford; and a piece of plate, value 300 guineas, from the East India Company.
His next appointment was, early in 1813, to the Rippon, a new 74, fitting for Channel service.
On the 21st Oct. in the same year, he intercepted le Weser, a French frigate
of 44 guns, which had already been completely crippled and beaten by two British brigs of 18 guns each;
and in Feb. 1814, he was present at the re-capture of a Spanish treasure ship of immense value,
by the MENELAUS frigate, off L’Orient. He continued cruising with his usual activity and success
till the conclusion of the war in Europe, and was put out of commission at the latter end of 1814,
after an almost uninterrupted series of constant service afloat for 34 years,
more than half of which period he had passed in the East and West Indies.
Sir Christopher Cole was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815; elected M. P. for Glamorganshire 1817-1830;
and installed Deputy Grand Master for South Wales, July 10, 1821 .
He married April 28, 1815, Lady Mary Talbot of Margham Park and Penryn Castle.
Raymond Forward
Compiled from John Marshall: Royal Naval Biographies [1823-35].
