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Sir Charles Saxton, 1st Baronet (1732 – November 1808) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of captain. Born the son of a merchant, Charles Saxton entered the navy and served on a number of ships. He went out to the East Indies during the Seven Years' War, and shortly after his return to England was promoted to his first commands. He commissioned several frigates during the brief interlude of peace prior to the outbreak of the American War of Independence, before taking command of the ship of the line . After a brief period in the English Channel, he sailed to North America, where he would a number of actions. A bout of illness after his arrival in the West Indies forced him to relinquish command for a time, but he went on to recover and to see action with Sir Samuel Hood's squadron at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781. He returned with Hood to the West Indies, and was again in action at the Battle of Saint Kitts in early 1782, before taking the ''Invincible'' into refit. The remainder of the war was spent cruising with squadrons off the North American coast. A period of unemployment followed the end of hostilities, but in 1787 tensions with France brought Saxton a place on a commission into the impress service, and he spent the rest of his career as an administrator. He became commissioner at Portsmouth, the navy's principal dockyard, in 1789 and held the position until his retirement nearly twenty years later. During these years he oversaw operations during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, his career being rewarded with a baronetcy in 1794. Retiring finally with a pension in 1806, Sir Charles died in 1808, being succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son, Charles. ==Family and early life== Charles Saxton was born in 1732, the youngest son of Edward Saxton, a merchant of London and Abingdon, and his wife Mary, ''née'' Bush. The family's country estate was Circourt Manor at Denchworth in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire). Saxton entered the navy in January 1745, becoming a captain's servant aboard the 50-gun , under the command of Captain Charles Saunders. Saxton spent the next three years aboard the ''Gloucester'', before joining the 58-gun under Captain Richard Collins, while the ''Eagle'' was the guard ship at Plymouth.〔 From her he moved to the 60-gun where he served on the Guinea coast with Captain John Byron.〔 After a period of time on this service he was promoted to lieutenant on 2 January 1757, and went to the East Indies to serve in the fleets under Vice-Admiral Charles Watson, and then Vice-Admiral George Pocock, during the Seven Years' War.〔 Saxton returned to England in 1760 and was briefly assigned as lieutenant to the 64-gun early that year, though on 11 October 1760 Saxton received a promotion to commander.〔〔 He was apparently in command of one of the yachts sent to escort HMY ''Royal Charlotte'', carrying Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from Cuxhaven to Harwich for her marriage to George III.〔 Saxton was promoted to post captain on 28 January 1762, and appointed to command the 74-gun , flying the broad pennant of Commodore Lord Howe, and subsequently forming part of the fleet under Sir Edward Hawke.〔 The commission was apparently an uneventful one, the French having been decisively defeated by Hawke at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, and after the Seven Years' War had concluded, Saxton paid off the ''Magnanime''.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sir Charles Saxton, 1st Baronet」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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