about the latter end of 1797, he was again ordered to join the Channel Fleet, in which service he continued to be employed until his advancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Feb. 14, 1799. The dates of his subsequent promotions are, Vice-Admiral, April 23, 1804; and Admiral, Oct. 25, 1809. He married, Aug. 22, 1801, Miss Catharine Pollard, of Ewell, Surrey.
SIR CHARLES HENRY KNOWLES, Bart
Admiral of the Red; Knight Grand Cross of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath.
This family is descended from Sir Thomas Knowles, who attended Richard I. in his wars to the Holy Land, where that Prince, in consideration of the many signal marks of Sir Thomas’s valour, granted him those arms which his family now bears; which are nearly the same as the Jerusalem arms, differing only in some few particulars. The subject of this memoir is the only son of the late Sir Charles Knowles, Bart., Admiral of the Blue, and Rear-Admiral of the Navies and Seas of Great Britain; formerly Governor of Jamaica, and afterwards Chief President of the Admiralty, and one of the Council to the Empress Catharine,
Rear-Admiral Harvey and Lieut.-Gen. Abercromby, to attempt the reduction also of Porto Rico; and having made every necessary arrangement for the security of Trinidad, they proceeded with the greater part of the fleet and army to this island. On the 17th April they made Porto Rico, and came to anchor at Congrejos Point. The next morning the troops were disembarked in a small bay on the north side of the island, meeting with little opposition from about 100 of the enemy, who soon retired. On approaching the town, however, it was found too strongly fortified, and too actively defended by gun-boats and other craft, to admit of any hope of success. After bombarding the town for some days, and endeavouring to destroy a magazine which was situated near it, but without any visible effect, on the 30th the General gave up the enterprize, re-embarked his troops, and retired with the loss of about 200 men.
