A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Thompson, John Last

1971813A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Thompson, John LastWilliam Richard O'Byrne

THOMPSON. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 9; h-p., 34.)

John Last Thompson was born 9 Dec. 1779.

This officer entered the Navy, 20 Jan. 1804, as Acting-Master, on board the Snipe 12, Lieut-Commander Chas. Champion, employed on the Home station; where, and at Newfoundland and in the West Indies, he served as Master, from May, 1805, until April, 1810, in the Volcano bomb, Capt. Edw. Killwick, Leveret 18, Capt. Geo. Burgoyne Salt, Camilla 20, Capt. John Bowen, Dart receiving-ship (at Barbadoes), Capts. Duller and Bremer, and Blonde 42, Capts. Volant Vashon Ballard and Wm. Paterson. When in the Volcano he was often in action with the enemy’s batteries and flotilla at Boulogne, and saw, as a volunteer, much hazardous boat-service. On 24 Sept. 1809, being then in the Blonde, he offered, of his own accord, to cut out a privateer schooner from under two batteries in the south-east part of Guadeloupe; and while endeavouring to accomplish this object he lost his right arm, and was otherwise much injured in the side by a grape-shot shattering his musket. He was in consequence presented by the Patriotic Society with the sum of 150l, and was allotted, 7 May, 1810, a pension of 91l. 5s. per annum. Prior to uniting in the Blonde in the operations immediately connected with the reduction of Guadeloupe, Mr. Thompson aided, in Dec. 1809, in destroying, in Anse la Barque, the French 40-gun frigates Loire and Seine, together with a heavy battery by which they had been defended. He had witnessed in the same ship the surrender, in Dec. 1807, of the Danish islands of St. Thomas and Ste. Croix. In May and July, 1810, he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Statira 38 and Neptune 98, both commanded by Capt. V. V. Ballard; with whom, in Nov. of the same year, he returned to England. He was officially promoted 17 Dec. following; and was lastly, from 1 Aug. 1812 until 30 Nov. 1814, employed in command of a Signal station at Gunton, near Lowestoffe.

Lieut. Thompson is married and has an only child.