{{Short description|Royal Navy rear-admiral (1755–1834)}} {{for|other people with the same name|Charles Cunningham (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Rear-Admiral | name = Sir Charles Cunningham | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCH}} | birth_date = {{birth date text|1755}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1834|3|11 |1755}} | image = Henry Wyatt (1794-1840) - Rear Admiral Sir Charles Cunningham (1755–1834) - BHC2640 - Royal Museums Greenwich.jpg | caption = Portrait by Henry Wyatt | birth_place = Eye, Suffolk | death_place = Eye, Suffolk | nickname = | allegiance = United Kingdom of<br/>Great Britain and Ireland | service_years = 1775–1834 | rank = Rear-Admiral | branch = Royal Navy | commands = {{HMS|Ariel|1781|6}}<br/>{{HMS|Speedy|1782|6}}<br/>{{HMS|Imperieuse|1793|6}}<br/>{{HMS|Clyde|1796|6}}<br/>{{HMS|Princess of Orange}}<br/>{{HMS|Leopard|1790|6}} | unit = | battles = | awards = Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order | relations = }}
Rear-Admiral '''Sir Charles Cunningham''' KCH (1755{{snd}}11 March 1834) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. He saw action during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of rear-admiral.
==Early life== Son of Charles and Elizabeth Cunningham,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sir Charles Cunningham (d.1834)|url=https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_crewman&id=306|access-date=2021-03-26|website=threedecks.org}}</ref> Charles Cunningham was born in Eye, Suffolk in 1755, and after reading ''Robinson Crusoe'' at a young age, decided on a career at sea.<ref name="Obituary110">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=110}}</ref> As the country was at peace he joined a merchant ship. While serving as a seaman, the American War of Independence broke out and Cunningham joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1775. He initially served aboard the 32-gun frigate {{HMS|Aeolus|1758|6}}, which sailed to the West Indies in early 1776, joining Sir Peter Parker's fleet.<ref name="Obituary110"/> Cunningham's abilities led to him being recommended to Parker, and Parker duly transferred him aboard his flagship, {{HMS|Bristol|1775|6}}.<ref name="Obituary110"/> He was transferred again to the 14-gun {{HMS|Ostrich|177|6}}, which was despatched to cruise off Savannah Point, Jamaica.<ref name="Obituary111">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=111}}</ref>
On 8 July the ''Ostrich'' engaged a 16-gun French privateer. In the ensuing three-hour battle, both the commander and the lieutenant of the ''Ostrich'' were wounded but the French were forced to surrender, having lost 30 dead. The British casualties were four dead and 28 wounded.<ref name="Obituary111"/> After his good conduct in the battle, Cunningham was appointed Acting-Lieutenant aboard the 18-gun sloop {{HMS|Port Royal|1762|6}} the following year. He then moved to the 28-gun sixth rate {{HMS|Hinchinbrook|1779|6}} as her First Lieutenant.<ref name="NMM">{{cite web|url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC2640|title=Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Cunningham, 1755–1834 (BHC2640)|publisher=National Maritime Museum|access-date=6 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131194026/http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC2640|archive-date=31 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ''Hinchinbrook'' was then under the command of Horatio Nelson.<ref name="Obituary111"/> Cunningham remained at sea after Nelson transferred to the shore to superintend the defences of Jamaica, transferring to the 36-gun {{HMS|Pallas|1757|6}} in 1780.<ref name="Obituary111"/> The ''Pallas'' was ordered to escort the fleet from Jamaica back to Britain in summer 1782. During the crossing the squadron encountered a hurricane. Several of the ships were sunk and the ''Pallas'' was driven onto shore and wrecked.<ref name="Obituary111"/> Fortunately Cunningham had transferred from her just before she sailed, joining {{HMS|Ajax|1767|6}}. He remained in the West Indies until receiving confirmation of his promotion on 4 September, and the command of the hired brig ''Barrington''.<ref name="Obituary111"/>
==Command== Cunningham was then sent with {{HMS|Racehorse|1781|6}} by Sir Joshua Rowley to interdict the American salt trade with the Bahamas. He was successful at this, but whilst re-provisioning at Jamaica, a French force landed and seized Turks Island.<ref name="Obituary112">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=112}}</ref> Alerted to this, Nelson gathered together a small squadron and set off to attempt to recapture it, relying on Cunningham's expert knowledge of the waters around the island. Nelson's force fell in with Cunningham's ''Barrington'' off the island, and together the ''Barrington'' and another of Nelson's ships, {{HMS|Drake|1779|6}} began to bombard the French positions whilst troops were landed. The two ships came under heavy fire from the entrenched French and were compelled to withdraw, having had several wounded. Nelson tried again the following day, but again failed to make much headway, and the attempt was called off.<ref name="Obituary113">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=113}}</ref>
The end of the war in 1783 meant that the ''Barrington'' was paid off and Cunningham retired from active naval life.<ref name="Obituary113"/> He returned to service in 1788 when he joined Admiral Sir William Cornwallis' flagship {{HMS|Crown|1782|6}}. He served for several years in the East Indies, before being promoted to commander and given command of the 16-gun sloop {{HMS|Ariel|1781|6}}.<ref name="Obituary113"/> He then returned to Britain. He arrived after the outbreak of war with France, and was quickly appointed to the 14-gun {{HMS|Speedy|1782|6}}.<ref name="Obituary113"/> He then joined Lord Hood's fleet in the Mediterranean, arriving there in April 1793.<ref name="Obituary113"/> He was largely employed in carrying despatches and maintaining communications with other ships scattered throughout the Mediterranean ports. On 5 October 1793 the ''Speedy'' accompanied {{HMS|Bedford|1775|6}} and {{HMS|Captain|1787|6}} into Genoa, where they captured a French frigate, the ''Modeste'' and two armed tartanes.<ref name="Obituary114">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=114}}</ref> The ''Captain'' and ''Speedy'' then sailed to the Gulf of Spezia where they caught another French frigate, the ''Imperieuse'' at anchor. The ''Imperieuse'' scuttled herself, but was subsequently salvaged and recommissioned as HMS ''Imperieuse''.<ref name="Obituary114"/> Cunningham was promoted to captain and given command of the prize, with his commission post-dated to the date of the capture, 12 October 1793.<ref name="Obituary114"/>
He commanded the ''Imperieuse'' until early 1794, when he transferred to {{HMS|Lowestoffe|1761|6}}. He commanded her off Corsica, helping his old commander Nelson in the reduction of the French strongholds on the island.<ref name="Obituary114"/> Cunningham distinguished himself to the extent that Lord Hood entrusted him with the public despatches announcing the capture of the island, adding {{Blockquote|Captain Cunningham, who has cruised with infinite diligence, zeal, and perseverance, under many difficulties, for three months past, off Calvi, is charged with my despatches, and is competent to give any information that their Lordships may wish to have. I beg to recommend him as an officer of great merit, and highly deserving any favour that can be shown him.<ref name="Obituary114"/>}} Cunningham was given command of {{HMS|Clyde|1796|6}}, a 38-gun frigate he was to command for the next six years. He was at anchor with the fleet at the Nore when the Spithead and Nore mutinies broke out in 1797.<ref name="Obituary114"/>
==Actions during the mutiny== thumb|right|''Escape of HMS 'Clyde' from the Nore mutiny, 30 May 1797 '', by William Joy. The ''Clyde'' slips away at night, with the ships of the mutineers in the background. The red flag flies from the mainmast of the ''Sandwich'', to the left of the picture. The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy on various adjacent ships that broke out on 10 May 1797 and quickly spread. During the mutiny, only Cunningham aboard the ''Clyde'' and Sir Harry Burrard-Neale aboard {{HMS|St Fiorenzo|1794|6}} were able to retain control over the sailors on their respective ships.<ref name="Obituary114"/><ref name="NMM2"/> By 22 May, the mutiny became more violent due to the Admiralty refusing to make any concessions. To help signal their mutinous control over the port admiral, the flag of the port admiral was torn down and replaced with the red flag.<ref name="Obituary115">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=115}}</ref> Seven days later on 29 May, the mutineer leader Richard Parker called for delegates to come from other ships to his headquarters aboard {{HMS|Sandwich|1759|6}}.<ref name="NMM2">{{cite web|url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC0496|title=Escape of HMS 'Clyde' from the Nore mutiny, 30 May 1797 (BHC0496)|publisher=National Maritime Museum|access-date=11 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522233714/http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC0496|archive-date=22 May 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="Obituary115"/> Sensing the time was right to escape, Cunningham did not reply to Parker's request. To keep the mutineers from suspecting his plan, Cunningham kept the sails of the ''Clyde'' down and did not man the ship's wheel with a pilot.<ref name="Obituary115"/> thumb|left|''HMS 'Clyde' Arriving at Sheerness After the 'Nore' Mutiny, 30 May 1797'', Joy's second painting, showing the ''Clyde'' arriving the following morning to cheering crowds.
After it grew sufficiently dark, Cunningham gathered his crew at 9pm and announced his intention to escape the mutiny by sailing the ''Clyde'' out of the port in the next three hours so that they would arrive at Sheerness before daybreak.<ref name="Obituary115"/> He encouraged them by declaring that if they agreed to this, Sir Harry Neale would join them with the ''St Fiorenzo''. The crew almost unanimously agreed to this, and a single voice of dissent was quickly shouted down.<ref name="Obituary115"/> At midnight, Cunningham ordered the anchor raised and the ''Clyde'' silently slipped out of the port.<ref name="NMM"/> By daybreak, Cunningham and his ship arrived at Sheerness safely away from the mutiny.<ref name="NMM2"/> The ''Clyde's'' successful escape from the mutineers cause an atmosphere of distrust to spread among those who agreed to follow the mutineer leaders.<ref name="Obituary115"/> This distrust formed the first effective blow against the ringleaders, and soon other ships were abandoning the mutinies and returning control to their respective commanders. As a result, the mutinies soon were quashed.<ref name="Obituary115"/>
==Return to service== The ''Clyde'''s next duty was to escort a convoy to the Baltic.<ref name="Obituary115"/> While returning from this duty the ''Clyde'' came across and captured the French privateer ''Success'',<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=14075|page=1210|date=19 December 1797}}</ref> and several days later captured the ''Dorade''.<ref name="EM">{{cite book |title=Edinburgh Magazine |pages=72}}</ref><ref name="lg1221">{{London Gazette|issue=14076|page=1221|date=23 December 1797}}</ref> Several men were put aboard the prize from the ''Clyde'', but while returning to port, a gale blew up. The prize had attempted to outsail the ''Clyde'' but capsized.<ref name="EM"/> Cunningham stopped and lowered a boat to assist, but only four survivors were recovered.<ref name="EM"/><ref name="lg1221"/> In 1798 the ''Clyde'' was used to attend on King George III during his trip to Weymouth, after which she returned to cruising in the English Channel.<ref name="Obituary116">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=116}}</ref> On 10 June 1799 she captured the French privateer schooner ''Air'', following this up three days later by capturing the privateer ''Bon Ordre''.<ref name="Obituary116"/>
On 20 August, while sailing off Cordovan, two sails were spotted in the distance. Thinking them to be a ship of the line and a frigate, Cunningham sailed closer, at which the two ships began to sail away in opposite directions. Cunningham immediately gave chase, pursuing the largest one, which turned out to be the 36-gun frigate ''Vestale''.<ref name="Obituary116"/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=15173|page=858|date=27 August 1799}}</ref> The ''Clyde'' brought her to battle and after an engagement of an hour forced her to strike her colours. The ''Vestale'' had lost 10 killed and 22 wounded to two killed and three wounded on the ''Clyde''.<ref name="Obituary116"/> In the meantime the other French ship, the 28-gun ''Sagasse'' had taken the opportunity to escape into port. News of the victory was communicated to shore. King George III was in the theatre when news reached him. He stood up and directed the news be communicated to the audience. There was applause and ''Rule Britannia!'' was played.<ref name="Obituary118">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=118}}</ref>
The ''Clyde'' then joined Sir John Jervis and Admiral Cornwallis. She was occupied throughout the summer of 1800 conveying the artist John Thomas Serres around the French coast so that he could carry out surveys and make sketches of the headlands for charts.<ref name="Obituary118"/> Cunningham was also active in capturing several Spanish privateers, and pursuing French warships.<ref name="Obituary119">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=119}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=15121|page=317|date=2 April 1799}}</ref>
In summer 1801 Cunningham was appointed Commodore, and given command of a squadron of frigates to guard against a possible French invasion of the Channel Islands.<ref name="Obituary119"/> On 21 July {{HMS|Jason|1800|6}} was wrecked on the French coast. Learning that the French intended to salvage and re-float the vessel, Cunningham sent the ''Clyde'''s lieutenant, William Mounsey in with the ship's boats to burn the wreck. In this Mounsey was successful, despite being under heavy fire from French shore batteries as he did so.<ref name="Obituary120">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=120}}</ref>
==Promotions and flag rank== With the Peace of Amiens the ''Clyde'' was paid off at the Nore on 24 June 1802.<ref name="Obituary120"/> The resumption of hostilities led to Cunningham being given command of the 74-gun {{HMS|Princess of Orange}} and sent to patrol off the Texel with a squadron.<ref name="Obituary121">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=121}}</ref> He was relieved in this post by Sir Sidney Smith, and Cunningham moved aboard {{HMS|Leopard|1790|6}}.<ref name="Obituary121"/> In September 1803 he was offered a place on the Victualling Board by Earl St Vincent, and moved ashore. In 1806 he became resident commissioner of Deptford and Woolwich Dockyards, which he superintended for the next seventeen years.<ref name="Obituary121"/> He moved to Chatham Dockyard in 1823, and he retired from there on 4 May 1829 with the rank of Rear-Admiral.<ref name="Obituary121"/> He was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order on 24 October 1832.<ref name="Obituary121"/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=19015|page=146|date=22 January 1833}}</ref> In 1829 he had published his account of the events at the Nore, entitled ''A narrative of occurrences that took place during the mutiny at the Nore in the months of May and June 1797''.<ref name="Cunningham">{{cite book |last= Cunningham|title=A narrative|year=1827 |url= https://archive.org/details/narrativeofsurve01king_0}}</ref>
==Family and later years== Cunningham had married twice, first to Miss Boycott, and secondly to Miss Proby.<ref name="Obituary122">{{cite book |title=Annual Biography and Obituary |pages=122}}</ref> He had a number of children. His son joined the navy but died at sea in 1822.<ref name="Obituary121"/> Cunningham spent the later years of his life living with his daughters at the family seat of Oak Lawn House in Eye. He died there at the age of 80 on 11 March 1834.<ref name="Obituary121"/>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== *{{cite book |title = The Annual Biography and Obituary for the Year | publisher = Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown| year = 1835}} *{{cite book |title = Edinburgh Magazine: Or Literary Miscellany | year = 1798}} *{{cite book | last = Cunningham | first = Charles |title = A narrative of occurrences that took place during the mutiny at the Nore in the months of May and June 1797 | year = 1829}} *{{cite web|url=http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/127685.html|title=Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Cunningham, 1755–1834 (BHC2640)|publisher=National Maritime Museum|access-date=6 November 2008}} *{{cite web|url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC0496|title=Escape of HMS 'Clyde' from the Nore mutiny, 30 May 1797 (BHC0496)|publisher=National Maritime Museum|access-date=11 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522233714/http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=BHC0496|archive-date=22 May 2009|url-status=dead}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Charles}} Category:1755 births Category:1834 deaths Category:Royal Navy rear admirals Category:Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War Category:Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Category:People from Eye, Suffolk Category:Governors of British Saint Christopher