A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Shapcote, Thomas

1939843A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Shapcote, ThomasWilliam Richard O'Byrne

SHAPCOTE. (Lieut., 1811. f-p., 19; h-p., 33.)

Thomas Shapcote entered the Navy, in Jan. 1795, as Ordinary, on board the Nautilus sloop, Capt. Wm. Geo. Rutherford, in which vessel and the Repulse 64, Capt. Wm. Geo. Fairfax, he was for nine months employed in the West Indies and North Sea. He next, in Sept. 1798, joined La Tourterelle, Capt. John West; and from the following Nov. until Feb. 1805 he served, with activity, as A.B., in the Channel and Mediterranean, and off the port of Cadiz, in the Renown 74, Capts. Albemarle Bertie, John Chambers White, Pulteney Malcolm, and Thos. Eyles, flag-ship, part of the time, of Sir John Borlase Warren, under whom he was in frequent pursuit of the French fleet. We subsequently, during two years and a half, find him cruizing in the Channel, Downs, and Baltic, as Midshipman, in the Bellona 74, Capt. Chas. Dudley Pater, and Arrow 12, Lieut.-Commander Rich. Hawkes. He then, in Jan. 1808, became Sub-Lieutenant of the Bloodhound gun-brig, commanded in succession by Lieut. Sam. Ward Flinders, by himself, and by Lieut. Thos. Warrand, on the Home station; where, from Feb. 1809 until Dec. 1810, he served, in the same capacity, in the Rapid 10, Capt. Wm. Mather. On 19 March, 1811, he was made full Lieutenant into the Reynard 10; in which vessel, commanded by Capts. Hew Steuart, Geo. Brine, and David Latimer St. Clair, he continued employed in the Baltic until Jan. 1814. His next and last appointment was, 26 Oct. 1841, to the San Josef 110, Capts. Fred. Wm. Burgoyne and Manley Hall Dixon, guard-ship at Devonport, where he remained until the early part of 1845.

Lieut. Shapcote is married and has issue.