Built 1862
Marazion 17th March 2009
Captain Sir Christopher Cole, KCB - Part 1
Captain Sir Christopher Cole, Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath; Doctor of the Civil Law;
Member of Parliament for Glamorganshire; Deputy Grand Master of the Masonic Society in South Wales.
Born 10th June 1770, Marazion, son of Humphrey Cole.
A gallant officer, brother of the Rev. Samuel Cole, D. D. Chaplain of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich;
and of the late Dr. Cole, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Rector of Exeter College,
and a Domestic Chaplain to H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence.
Also brother of Captain Francis Cole of EURYDICE, GALATEA, TREPASSEY and RÉVOLUTIONNAIRE.
He entered the naval service in 1780, as a 10 year old Midshipman on board the ROYAL OAK, of 74 guns, commanded by the late Sir Digby Dent, and then about to sail for the coast of America,
as part of the squadron sent thither under the orders of Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves.
In the course of the same year he was removed into the RAISONABLE 64;
and we subsequently find him serving under the patronage of the late Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Samuel Drake, Bart,
in the RUSSELL and PRINCESSA, third rates.
The PRINCESSA formed part of the fleets under Sir Samuel Hood and Rear-Admiral Graves,
in the actions off Martinique and the Chesapeake, April 29th and Sept. 5th, 1781,
and on the latter occasion sustained a loss of 6 men killed and 11 wounded.
She also bore a share in the events at St. Kitt's in Jan. 1782; and in Rodney's battles of April 9th and 12th, 1782.
Mr. Cole, who had not yet completed the twelfth year of his age,
was at this period the youngest of four brothers serving on the West India station, (three in the navy and one
in the army) the whole of whom met together on the arrival of the victorious fleet at Jamaica.
At the peace of 1783, he joined the TREPASSEY of 12 guns, commanded by his brother, the late Captain Francis Cole,
a brave and excellent officer, and accompanied him from the West Indies to Halifax,
where he removed into the ATALANTE sloop, Captain Thomas Foley,
with whom he continued on that station till 1785.
In the following year we find him proceeding to Newfoundland in the WINCHELSEA of 32 guns, in which frigate
he served under the command of the present Viscount Exmouth (Edward Pellew) until 1789,
when, in consequence of a recommendation from Sir Francis Drake,
he was received on board the CROWN, a 64-gun ship,
bearing the broad pendant of the Hon. Commodore Cornwallis, who had recently been appointed to the chief command in India.
In October, 1794, he was appointed first Lieutenant of the CERBERUS, a new 32-gun frigate,
at the particular request of Captain John Drew,
on whose application two Midshipmen were promoted into her
for the purpose of securing that situation to Mr. Cole, whose character and abilities he held in the highest estimation.
In 1795, Lieutenant Cole joined the SANS PAREIL of 80 guns,
bearing the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, to whom he was recommended in the warmest manner by his late Captain.
After serving for four years under the eye of that distinguished nobleman,
it was left to his option, as senior Lieutenant of the SANS PAREIL,
either to accept the rank of Commander, and go on half pay, or proceed as his Lordship's Flag-Lieutenant to the West Indies,
where promotion might be expected, accompanied by immediate employment.
Mr. Cole very naturally chose the latter, and accompanied his noble
friend to the Leeward Islands in the TAMAR frigate.
Soon after their arrival on that station,
the Dutch colony of Surinam surrendered without opposition to the British forces,
and the HUSSAR, a fine prize corvette, mounting 20 nine-pounders,
was immediately purchased into the service, named SURINAM after the island where she was captured,
and the command of her conferred upon Christopher Cole.
... continued in Part 2 ......
Raymond Forward
