English Captain: Charles Talbot

Charles Talbot served in the Restoration navy. The Duke of York appointed him as a lieutenant on Royal Charles in 1661. In 1662, he was a lieutenant on the Royal James and then the Reserve. In 1663, he was appointed as lieutenant of the Jersey. In 1664, he was lieutenant on the Golden Lion, and then became captain of the Garland (28 guns). He fought in the Battle of Lowestoft in the Garland and was assigned to Prince Rupert's division in the White Squadron. In 1666, he was appointed as captain of the Elizabeth (40 guns). Frank Fox described him as a "gentleman captain". In May 1666, he escorted four merchantmen to Lisbon. He made a report that indicated that a French fleet was off Lisbon. Eventually, information surfaced that what he had seen were Spanish ships. He fought in the St. James's Day Battle where he was assigned to John Kempthorne's division in the Blue Squadron. He was dismissed from the service for abandoning the battle early. His influential friends had him restored to service, only to be permanently removed and imprisoned in 1667 for losing a ship. There is a considerable gap, and then, according to Pepys, the King seems to have appointed him captain of the Mary Rose on 23 April 1678. On 28 March 1685, the King appointed him captain of the Falcon. Sources:

1. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
2. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.