Capt. Christopher Crackenthorp Askew (23 May 1782 – 7 December 1848) was a British naval officer who fought in the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

and

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. Askew was the third surviving son of John Askew of Pallinsburn House,

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

, by Bridget, daughter and heiress of John Watson, of

Goswick Goswick () is a hamlet in Northumberland, England, situated approximately south-east of Berwick-upon-Tweed, England, between the A1 and the North Sea coast. History Goswick station Goswick station was opened in November 1870 when it was known ...

. His uncle was Lieut.-Gen. Sir

Henry Askew Sir Henry Askew Order of the Bath, KCB (7 May 1775 – 25 June 1847) was an officer of the British Army. He served during the Napoleonic Wars and fought at the Battle of Waterloo. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), l ...

. Askew entered the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

on 21 February 1795 and shortly afterwards accompanied a squadron under Sir

Home Popham Rear-Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham, KCB, KCH (12 October 1762 – 20 September 1820), was a Royal Navy officer and politician who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is known for his scientific accomplishments, particula ...

, having for its object the destruction of the locks and sluice-gates of the Bruges canal. He took part in the Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801; assisted at the capture of two privateers, carrying between them 40 guns and 256 men; and, in 1805, accompanied

Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

to the West Indies and back in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain. On 4 February 1805, he appears to have been on board a prize forming part of a convoy under the protection of HMS ''Arrow'' and HMS ''Acheron'', when those vessels were captured after brave resistance against two French frigates. He was promoted to Lieutenant, 27 November 1805, under Vice-Admiral John Holloway and then joined HMS ''Dictator'' under Capt. James Macnamara. On 30 December 1806, he joined HMS ''Thalia'' under Captains James Walker, Thomas Manby, and James Giles Vashon. During his continuance in the ''Thalia'', of which he ultimately became Acting-Captain, Askew proceeded to

Davis Strait The Davis Strait (Danish language, Danish: ''Davisstrædet'') is a southern arm of the Arctic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The ...

in supposed pursuit of two French frigates, and on his return to Europe, after a fruitless exposure of several weeks to many severe hardships, and a prolonged stay on the coast of

Labrador Labrador () is a geographic and cultural region within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the primarily continental portion of the province and constitutes 71% of the province's area but is home to only 6% of its populatio ...

, attended the 1809 expedition to Flushing. Being promoted, when subsequently in the West Indies, to the rank of Commander, 26 November 1811, Capt. Askew next served, from 7 June 1814, to 9 October 1815, in HMS ''Shamrock''. His last appointment was, 22 May 1821, to HMS ''Martin'', fitting for the Mediterranean, where he remained, until posted, 19 July 1822. He accepted retirement 1 October 1846. Capt. Askew married, 13 February 1828, Sarah, third daughter of Patrick Dickson, of Whitecross, Berwick-upon-Tweed. He died in 1848 at Broadbush House near

Petersfield Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth. The town has its own Petersfield railway station, railway station on the Portsmouth Direct line, the mainline rai ...

References

External links

* 1782 births 1848 deaths People from Ford, Northumberland Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars {{UK-navy-stub