Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet

Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet of Banbury (* 1704 in London, † December 9, 1777 in Guildford, Surrey ) was a British admiral.

Knowles was the son of Charles Knollys, Earl of Banbury.

Activities as a royal Admiral

• 1745-1748 - Governor of Louisburg, Nova Scotia
• 1752-1756 - Governor of Jamaica
• In 1770 - at their own request dismissal from the Royal Navy at the age of 66 years
• 1770-1774 - General Director of the Russian Admiralty under Empress Catherine the Great.

Sir Charles Knowles drove responsible ahead with the expansion of the Russian fleet, which has been successfully used in the war of liberation against the Turks. In the glorious battle of Çeşme from 5 to 7 July 1770 the Ottoman fleet could be brought a crushing defeat by the Imperial Russian Navy. Knowles was released in 1774 at his own request at the age of 70 years in well-earned retirement after final on July 21, 1774 sealed the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca the downfall of the Ottoman Empire.

In the Treaty of Kaynarci the final defeat by the Ottoman Empire was recognized, which released the occupied territories north of the Caucasus, the southern Ukraine and the Crimea. Furthermore, the Russian Empire the free shipping on the Black Sea and the passage was guaranteed through the Bosporus.

Henceforth, Russia took over the protection of all Christians in the Ottoman Empire, in particular the hitherto always persecuted by the Muslim Turks, Orthodox Greeks, Georgians and Armenians.

Family

Charles Knowles was a descendant of the English governor of the Netherlands Sir Thomas Knowles ( Knollys ), the Ottilia Merode married in 1571, and by Francis Knollys ( 1514-1596 ), the minister under Elizabeth I and one of the guards of the Scottish Queen Mary Stewart had. In addition, one Sir Francis Knollys to the ancestors of Winston Churchill and Diana Spencer.

Charles Knowles married on 29 July 1750 London Mary Magdalene Therese de Bouget from the highly respected family Bouget to Aachen. The couple has two children:

1 Anna Christina Charlotte Knowles ( 1752-1839 ), which was performed at the Russian court as maid of honor of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia.

2 Sir Charles Henry Knowles, 2nd Baronet of Banbury ( 1754-1831 ), who also brought it to the Royal Admiral of the Royal Navy and his firstborn son Sir Francis Charles Knowles ( 1802-1892 ), in turn, continued the tradition as an admiral.