Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Fellowes, Thomas
FELLOWES, Sir THOMAS (1778–1853), rear-admiral, youngest son of Dr. William Fellowes, physician extraordinary to George IV when prince regent, and brother of Sir James Fellowes [q. v.], was born at Minorca in 1778. He served for some years on board the ships of the East India Company, and entered the royal navy in 1797, as master's mate, on board the Royal George, with Captain Domett and Admiral Lord Bridport. He was afterwards in the Diana frigate with Captain Jonathan Faulknor, and then in the West Indies, serving in different ships till the peace. On the renewal of the war, he was sent out to the East Indies with Sir Edward Pellew, and in 1807 was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was then for some time in the Northumberland, flagship of Sir Alexander Cochrane in the West Indies. In 1808–9 he commanded the Swinger and Unique brigs, in both of which he had the opportunity of doing good service against the enemy's privateers and batteries; on one occasion, 21 May 1809, landing with twenty-four men at Basseterre of Guadeloupe, and spiking the guns of a battery in the presence of a large force of regular troops. He was the only man of the party who escaped unhurt. The Unique was afterwards expended as a fireship, and Fellowes's conduct was rewarded with a commission as commander, 16 Sept. 1809. In August 1810 he was appointed to the command of the gunboats at Cadiz, which he held till the following June, though advanced to post rank in March. During this time, we are told, though a tall, stout man, he never slept out of the Watchful's cabin, a hole seven feet long and three feet high; it is much more probable that he frequently slept on the boat's deck, and that the story has been too literally interpreted. From February 1812 to November 1814 Fellowes commanded the Fawn of 20 guns, in the West Indies, with some success against the enemy's privateers, his ‘zealous and active exertions’ being formally acknowledged by the governor of Curaçao, and by the merchants, who presented him with a piece of plate. In June 1815 he was made a C.B., and on 22 Feb. 1822 was created a knight of the Spanish order of King Charles III, in recognition of his services at Cadiz. In 1827 he commanded the Dartmouth of 42 guns in the Mediterranean, and on 20 Oct. was with the fleet at Navarino, where his action, in trying to remove a Turkish fireship, was the immediate cause of the battle [see Codrington, Sir Edward]. For his conduct on that occasion, Fellowes, with the other captains, received the crosses of the Legion of Honour, the second class of St. Anne of Russia, and the Redeemer of Greece. On his return to England he was knighted, 13 Feb. 1828, and was presented with a sword by the lord high admiral. He was created D.C.L. at Oxford on 23 June 1830. He continued in command of the Dartmouth till 1830; in 1836 he commanded the Pembroke of 74 guns on the Lisbon station; and the following year was moved into the Vanguard of 80 guns in the Mediterranean, at that time considered the crack ship in the service. From 1843 to 1846 he was superintendent of the hospital and victualling yard at Plymouth. After he was promoted to be rear-admiral on 26 July 1847, he resided, for the most part, at Tamerton Foliot, near Plymouth. He died on 12 April 1853.
Fellowes was twice married, and left issue, among others, Vice-admiral Sir Charles Fellowes, who died in 1886, while in command of the Channel squadron.
[O'Byrne's Nav. Biog. Dict.; Marshall's Roy. Nav. Biog. vi. (Supplement, pt. ii.) 317; Gent. Mag. 1853, new ser. xxxix. 653.]