Nicholas Charrington

1744-1803. Born on 20 October 1744, he was the third son of Rev. Nicholas Charrington, originally of Horley, Surrey, who served as the4 vicar of Aldenham in Hertfordshire for fifty years, and of his wife Elizabeth.

Charrington was commissioned lieutenant on 6 June 1773, and on 15 February 1781 was promoted commander with his appointment to the St. Eustatius prize Stormont 14, which he commissioned for the service in the Leeward Islands.

He was posted captain on 27 July 1781, and being appointed to the Ajax 74 he sailed with her from the Leeward Islands to North America in the following month with the fleet under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood. The Ajax fought at the Battle of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September, losing seven men killed and sixteen wounded, before returning with the fleet to the Leeward Islands at the end of the year and fighting at the Battle of St. Kitts on 25 January 1782, where she lost one man killed and twelve wounded, and the Battle of the Saintes on 12 April, where she suffered casualties of nine men killed and forty wounded.

After remaining at Jamaica for the rest of the war and occasionally flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Joshua Rowley, Charrington relinquished the command when the Ajax was paid off at Chatham in August 1783. He then briefly commanded the Torbay 74 before leaving her when she too was paid off in October.

Charrington became a superannuated admiral in 1801 and died on 22 February 1803.

His address as a rear-admiral was at Mile End, Whitechapel, the home of his family s renowned brewing business.