His surname is Read in most sources, but he was more correctly Rudston Read. His father was Thomas Cutler Rudston and by Royal Licence and Authority of 19 May 1801 was granted the use of the surname Rudston Read and the Arms of Read, in accordance with the terms of the will of William Read.

By the end of the 1848, Charles had been assigned to the Steam Sloop HMS Alecto under Commander Vincent Massingberd [01]. After a night of celebrating Christmas, he was “found in bed in a state of intoxication so as to be almost insensible early on the morning of 26th December 1848.” He was court-martialled on 24 February 1849 and dismissed from the Navy [02].