Charles Wale

Sir Charles Wale KCB (16 August 1765 – 20 March 1845) was an English General and the last British governor of Martinique between about 1812 and 1815. On 25 February 1831 he was appointed Colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot and was given the governorship in recognition of his role in the capture of Guadeloupe from the French in 1810. He was later knighted for his service. Early life and family His father was Thomas Wale and his mother Louisa Rudolphina Prediger Raften (who came from Riga). Charles's older sister Mary married a Thomas Pemberton of Trinity College, Cambridge. Wale attended Wisbech Grammar School and later studied in London. He began his military career in 1779 with the 88th Foot under Colonel Thomas Keating. He initially served in Jamaica and in 1780 became a lieutenant in the 97th. With his new regiment he sailed to Gibraltar with Vice-Admiral George Darby's fleet in 1781 and participated in the latter part of the defence of Gibraltar during the Great Siege of Gibraltar. He later went on to serve in Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Cambridgeshire Militia. In 1799 he participated in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland. He also served again in Jamaica and in Bengal. Marriage and children Charles married Louisa Sherard in 1793. She died in 1896. They had six children. Charles married a total of three times. He had twelve children including author the Reverend Henry John Wale M.A. and Frederick Wale (1822–1858) who was present at the relief of Lucknow and command of the 1st Sikh irregular cavalry ('Wale's horse').