expense two armed vessels, resembling in rig and construction the French privateers of Rota and San Lucar, which proved of great protection to trade and succeeded in often decoying the enemy; that he co-operated with the Spanish naval and military forces in every enterprise undertaken against the French in the south of Spain; and that he was particularized by its government for his “patriotism, bravery, and zeal.” Notwithstanding that several strong applications had been made to the Admiralty in his favour, especially by Lord Fitzroy Somerset, Military Secretary to the Marquess of Wellington, and by the British Ambassador at Cadiz, Capt. Thomas was not promoted to Post-rank until 8 Dec. 1813; some time previously to which he had been ordered to act as Captain in the San Juan 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Sam. Hood Linzee at Gibraltar. He returned to England with that officer in 1814 in the Eurotas frigate; and did not afterwards go afloat. He accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846. Although he had served longer at Cadiz than any other Commander, and had signalized himself, as we have shown, in a very remarkable manner, he appears to have been the only one suffered to remain without honorary distinction.
Rear-Admiral Thomas invented, in 1818, a lifeboat, to pull and sail at the average rate, with three keels (the two outer supporting the bilge and preventing the vessel from upsetting or sinking); in 1820 he suggested some plans for constructing a pier at Brighton, similar to that at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, and for sheltering it by a breakwater, to be formed of forest timber; and in 1821 he tendered a schedule for the opening of a communication between the S.E. and S.W. parts of Sussex by means of a bridge across the River Arun, with the view of obviating the circuitous route through Arundel. He is the author of a work entitled “England’s Defence.” He married, 7 Aug. 1816, Susannah, only daughter of the late Arthur Atherley, Esq., and sister of Arthur Atherley, Esq., M.P. for Southampton, by whom he has issue two sons and two daughters.
THOMAS. (Lieutenant, 1841.)
Frederick William Leopold Thomas entered the Navy 3 Jan. 1827; passed his examination 6 May, 1835; and at the period of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 28 Aug. 1841, was serving among the Orkney Islands as Mate on board the Mastiff surveying-vessel, Master- Commander Geo. Thomas. He obtained command, 9 April, 1845, of the Woodlark, tender to the Mastiff; and since 29 Oct. 1848 has been borne, still for surveying-service, on the books of the Fisgard 42, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Henry Eden at Woolwich.
THOMAS. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 22; h-p., 32.)
George Thomas entered the Navy, 28 April, 1793, as A.B., on board the Diadem 64, Capt. Andrew Sutherland; with whom, after assisting at the occupation of Toulon, and at the reduction of the towns of St. Fiorenza, Bastia, and Calvi, he removed as Midshipman, in the summer of 1794, to the Berwick 74; in which ship, commanded at the time by Capt. Adam Littlejohn, he was captured by the French Mediterranean fleet, at the end of a long running-fight, 7 March, 1795. On his restoration to freedom he again, on the following Sept., joined the Diadem; and in her he continued employed in the Mediterranean as Master’s Mate, under Capts. Chas. Tyler and Geo. Henry Towry, until the spring of 1798. During the next three years and a half he served as Master’s Mate and as Acting-Lieutenant and Lieutenant (order and commission dated 9 Feb. and 26 Sept. 1799) in the Europa 50, Capt. Jas. Stevenson in the Channel, on the coast of Ireland, in the North Sea, and, a second time, in the Mediterranean; where he was wounded, in March, 1801, at the landing of the French in Egypt.[1] He was afterwards employed, from Sept. 1801 until March, 1802, in the Egyptienne 40, Capts. Jas. Stevenson and Chas. Ogle, on the station last named – from March to June, 1803, in the Impress service at Bristol – from the latter date until Oct. 1804, in the Ruby 64, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Edw. Thornbrough in the North Sea – from 1 July, 1805, until 20 Nov. 1813, in command of a Signal station – and from 21 Nov. 1813 until July, 1816, as an Agent for Transports in the Mediterranean. He was placed on the Junior List of Retired Commanders 26 Nov. 1830; and on the Senior 3 May, 1844.
THOMAS. (Lieutenant, 1812. f-p., 23.)
George Thomas (b) was born in 1793 at Bristol. This officer entered the Navy, in 1804, as Midshipman, on board Le Renard of 18 guns and 121 men, Capt. Jeremiah Coghlan; in which vessel, stationed in the West Indies, he assisted at the destruction, 20 March, 1805, after a brisk action of 35 minutes, of Le Général Ernouf French privateer of 20 guns and 160 men; at the taking, 11 Oct. following, of La Bellone privateer of 4 guns and 50 men; and at the further capture, in May, 1806, at the end of a chase of three days and nights, of La Diligente national brig of 16 guns and 125 men. He continued employed with Capt. Coghlan as Master’s Mate in the Elk 18 (participating in the meanwhile in much active service in the Gulf of Mexico) until 1808; in the course of which year he was under the necessity, from the state of his health, of returning to England. In the early part of 1810, having recovered, he went back to the Elk, still on the West India station; whence he was soon again sent home in the Daedalus 32, Capt. Sam. Hood Inglefield. He served next with Sir Edw, Pellew in the Christian VII. 80 and Caledonia 120, at the blockade of Flushing and Toulon; and on 8 May, 1812, he was made Lieutenant into the Minstrel 20, Capt. John Strutt Peyton. With the boats of that ship under his orders he boarded and carried, beneath the batteries of Valencia, three vessels laden with shells for the relief of Tortosa; an exploit for which he obtained the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief. On the departure of the Minstrel for England he was transferred to the Ganymede 26, Capt. John Brett Purvis; in command of whose boats he was so severely wounded in the hip, in an attack upon a French privateer in the Grao of Murviedro, that he was obliged to repair to the Hospital at Gibraltar, and thence to invalid home. While serving subsequently, between Dec. 1813 and 1815, in the Erebus 18, Capt. David Ewen Bartholomew, on the coast of North America, he accompanied the expedition under the present Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon against Alexandria, took part in the unsuccessful attack upon Baltimore, and was present in the operations against New Orleans. While descending the River Potomac, on his return from Alexandria, and in action with the enemy’s batteries along the banks, he was again wounded. Since 11 Oct. 1834 he has been in command of a station in the Coast Guard.
In consideration of the wound he received in the boats of the Ganymede, Lieut. Thomas was allotted a pension of 91l 5s. per annum, 13 July, 1815. From 1817 until 1830 he was employed under Lord Cochrane in South America and in Greece; and his half-pay during that period was stopped. It was then, however, restored to him by William IV. He married in 1828, and has issue two sons and one daughter. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
THOMAS. (Commander, 1844.)
Montagu Thomas is second and youngest son of Sir Wm. Lewis Geo. Thomas, Bart., of Tapton Place, co. Sussex, by Elizabeth, daughter of Rich. Welsh, Esq. His grandfather. Sir Geo. Thomas, Bart., M.P., married a daughter of Admiral Sir Geo. Montagu, G.C.B. (see Note, p. 772).
This officer entered the Navy 1 Nov. 1322;
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1801, p. 498.
