Charles Robert Maberly (1829-1876)

By the last mail news was received of the death of Mr C.R.Maberly, Commander R.N. an Officer who had seen a good deal of service. Educated at Marlborough College he received his commission at 16 and served in the Melampas 42 guns and Moeander 44 guns on the East Indian and China and Cape station being engaged in the suppression of piracy and the slave trade. Also served in the steam sloop Conflict on the South American station and was on board that vessel when the boiler burst and killed 4 men, he having a narrow escape.

We next find him on board the Sans Pareil 71 guns first engaged in reducing the Russians in the Baltic and afterwards in the Black Sea and at the bombardment of Sebastopol. He was under as heavy a fire close to the forts as is rarely the privilege of H.M. ships in those days to endure. He took command of a gunboat in the Sea of Azov and assisted in the destruction of an immense amount of enemy stores and the capture of Kertch. Returning to his ship which was little the worse for her tremendous pounding he proceeded in her to China.

With Captain Cooper key; and outrages on foreigners having become serious it became necessary to punish the authorities at Canton, which was done in a very lively manner by detachments from the streets, the Blue Jackets, running Governor Yeh down in his garden. The Sans Pareil conveyed the troublesome mandarin to Calcutta for safety.

Mr Maberly next served a long commission in H.M.ship Ariadne, a splendid frigate of her class, which accompanied the Prince of Wales to Canada and the States. By permission of Admiral Seymour, some officers of the fleet attended His Royal Highness ashore of whom Mr Maberly was one. The frigate was afterwards employed in looking after British interests on the coast of Mexico. When Louis Napoleon made war on that country Mr Maberly also served a commission in a training ship.

He qualified for gunnery, steam and the Woolwich Laboratory. But the transformation of the Navy shelved a great number of deserving officers and latterly it required a powerful voice to reach the official ear at the Admiralty. And so Mr Maberly's later years were spent on half pay near the Crystal Palace, Sydenham in the beautiful precincts of which he delighted to ramble. He had several decorations. He was the first death in a family of twelve of who two namely were Mrs Tothill of Epsom and Mr G Maberly of the Thames. His mother survives him.