Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet

Admiral Sir Charles Knowles Bt
Sir Charles Knowles
Born	c.1704 (1704)
Died	9 December 1777 (aged 72–73) Bulstrode Street, London
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain  Russian Empire
Service/branch	Royal Navy  Imperial Russian Navy
Years of service	1718–1774
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Diamond HMS Success HMS Lichfield HMS Weymouth HMS Suffolk Commander-in-Chief, Barbadoes and Leeward Islands Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica
Battles/wars	Battle of Cape Passaro Battle of Cartagena de Indias Battle of La Guaira Battle of Puerto Cabello Battle of Havana
Spouse(s)	Mary,
Relations	Charles Knowles (son) Edward Knowles (son)

Admiral Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet (c. 1704 – 9 December 1777) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy, seeing service during the War of Jenkins' Ear, the wider War of the Austrian Succession, and the Seven Years' War. He also briefly served under the Imperial Russian Navy during the Russo-Turkish War. He rose to the rank of Admiral in a long and varied career, crowned with both success, and at times, controversy.

He was highly educated, and particularly skilled in building and destroying fortifications. His career was mainly centred on the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea, where he commanded ships and squadrons in actions against both Spanish and French ships and settlements. Despite an active naval career in which he reached the rank of Rear-Admiral, Knowles found time to continue his studies. He translated foreign scientific studies, and developed his own inventions. His career at sea was blighted, however, by several failures. This may have been the catalyst for his move to the Russian Empire during the later part of his life to oversee the development of the Russian fleet. He is noted as the catalyst for the Knowles Riot in British America.