Charles Wager
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Sir Charles Wager (1666 - 1743) was a British Admiral and First Lord of the Admiralty between 1733 and 1742.
He was grandson of John Wager, mariner of Rochester in Kent, and son of Charles Wager (1630 - 1666), captain in the Navy, and Prudence Goodsonn.
He served chiefly in the Mediterranean, gaining promotion to captain in 1692 and rear-admiral in 1707.
His most famous exploit, known as Wager’s Action, was on May 28, 1708 aboard the Expedition, when he defeated and destroyed part of the Spanish treasure fleet at Cartagena, Colombia. This made him a wealthy man and he was knighted in 1709. He was promoted to admiral in 1731 and was also Treasurer of the Navy.
He married Martha Earning on December 8, 1691, but they had no children. He died on May 24, 1743 and was buried in the north transept of Westminster Abbey. His wife was buried with him in 1748.
A monument by Peter Scheemakers was erected in 1747 against the north wall of this transept. The bas-relief shows his famous naval engagement, with the inscription "The destroying & taking the SPANISH GALLEONS A.D. 1708".
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Thomas Littleton George Churchill |
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth with George Churchill 1710 Sir John Jennings 1710-1711 1710–1711 |
Succeeded by Sir James Wishart Sir William Gifford |
| Preceded by John Trelawny Sir Charles Hedges |
Member of Parliament for West Looe with John Trelawny 1713–1715 |
Succeeded by Thomas Maynard George Delaval |
| Preceded by John Owen Sir John Strange |
Member of Parliament for Westminster with The Lord Sundon 1734–1741 |
Succeeded by John Perceval Charles Edwin |
| Preceded by John Trelawny Sir Charles Hedges |
Member of Parliament for West Looe with Benjamin Keene 1741–1743 |
Succeeded by Benjamin Keene John Frederick |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by The Viscount Torrington |
First Lord of the Admiralty 1733–1742 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Winchilsea and Nottingham |
| Preceded by Thomas Clutterbuck |
Treasurer of the Navy 1742–1743 |
Succeeded by John Rushout |
This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page.
