British naval officer from Fairfield, Exeter who joined the Royal Navy (1800) and retired having achieved the rank of Commander. As a Captain he visited the Swan River Settlement in Western Australia (1831) and engaged local collectors such as his elder brother G. Mangles, J. Drummond and G. Molloy to collect plants for him. His collections were described by European botanists including J. Lindley, who referred to him as 'Captain Mangles R.N.', W.J. Hooker and C.D.F. Meisner. Mangles sold seeds and plants to nurserymen, in particular to C. Loddiges, and introduced Australian plants into cultivation in Europe.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (1825) and was a member of the Royal Geographical Society. The genus Manglesia Endl. and many species including Grevillea manglesioides Meisn. were named in his honour. Anigozanthos manglesii D. Don commemorates his brother Robert Mangles who first grew the plant to England from seed sent by James Stirling, the First Governor of Western Australia. The Mangle brothers were cousins of Lady Ellen Stirling (née Mangles), wife of J. Stirling, and involved in the shipping company of F. & C.E. Mangles formed by two brothers of Ellen Stirling.