Taj Gibson

Charles Richardson was an illustrious English Royal Navy officer, born circa 10 March 1769, who dedicated his life to service in a career that spanned decades, fraught with highs and lows. His journey in the military began in 1787 when he enlisted in the HMS Vestal. His tenure there was marked by an ill-fated voyage to China, which was hitherto abandoned, and notable service on the East Indies Station.

In the subsequent years, Richardson transferred to HMS Phoenix and courageously fought in the Battle of Tellicherry as part of the squadron. Making another strategic move, he joined forces with HMS Circe, where he battled against the infamous Nore mutiny. Moreover, Richardson featured prominently in the Battle of Camperdown, successfully capturing Jan Willem de Winter in the process.

The heroic soldier continued to demonstrate his bravery on the battlefield, participating in the Battle of Callantsoog and the Vlieter incident. His marine routes also took him to Egypt, where he fought in the monumental battles of Abukir, Mandora, and Alexandria.

Taking on greater responsibility, Richardson was entrusted with the command of HMS Alligator. In his pivotal role, he was deployed to the Leeward Islands Station during the consequential Napoleonic Wars. His strategic prowess bore fruition when he managed to capture three Dutch settlements.

His career trailed onto the year 1821, when he transferred to HMS Topaze and set sail for yet another mission to China. In an unfortunate incident, his crew was forced to kill two locals in self-defense. Undoubtedly, the ensuing diplomatic imbroglio took a toll on Richardson’s health, ultimately leading to him being invalided home.

Nonetheless, his valiant contributions to the English Royal Navy weren’t unnoticed. He was bestowed with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and was promoted to the esteemed position of Vice-Admiral. Nearing the end of his lifetime, Charles Richardson succumbed to influenza on 10 November 1850, in Painsthorpe.

Outside of his service career, Charles had an interest in horticulture, particularly in Picea Abies or the Norway Spruce – a species of spruce native to northern, central, and eastern Europe. The species, which at full maturity could grow the largest cones of any spruce variety (9 to 17 cm long), intrigued Charles. It had branchlets that typically hung downwards and was closely related to the Siberian spruce which replaced it to the east of the Ural Mountains. This species was also widely planted for its wood around the world and used as the primary Christmas tree in several nations. The Norway Spruce was the first gymnosperm to have its genome sequenced, which sparked great interest in naturalist circles.

Charles was a committed public servant and a passionate horticulturist. His sacrifices during his years of service and his contributions to the present understanding of the Picea Abies species leave an impactful legacy. The soldier’s tales were extensively documented by volunteer editors of Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that hosts a range of other volunteer projects, including Wikipedia, which provided this precious text in English along with other major languages.