Born in 1766, Charles served
at sea in his youth, and smelt both salt water and powder. The
Jenkins had inclined hitherto, as far as I can make out, to the
land service. Stephen's son had been a soldier; William (fourth of
Stowting) had been an officer of the unhappy Braddock's in America,
where, by the way, he owned and afterwards sold an estate on the
James River, called, after the parental seat; of which I should
like well to hear if it still bears the name. It was probably by
the influence of Captain Buckner, already connected with the family
by his first marriage, that Charles Jenkin turned his mind in the
direction of the navy; and it was in Buckner's own ship, the
PROTHEE, 64, that the lad made his only campaign. It was in the
days of Rodney's war, when the PROTHEE, we read, captured two large
privateers to windward of Barbadoes, and was 'materially and
distinguishedly engaged' in both the actions with De Grasse. While
at sea Charles kept a journal, and made strange archaic pilot-book
sketches, part plan, part elevation, some of which survive for the
amusement of posterity.
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