“I am very glad to hear you are well. I should have been glad if you had been with us, but your brother was refused * * * *, Had you been there, I know your ship and your fin would not have been out of hail of your old commander and friend.
Captain M‘Kerlie married Harriet, second daughter of Patrick Stewart, of Cairnsmure and Burness, Esq. by whom he has issue one daughter.
Agent.– Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son.
THOMAS RICHARD TOKER, Esq.
[Post-Captain of 1813.]
This officer, the son of an opulent Kentish grazier, received his first commission in 1800, and was senior lieutenant of the Colossus 74, Captain (now Sir James) Nicoll Morris, at the battle of Trafalgar; on which glorious occasion that ship sustained a greater loss than any other in the British fleet[1]. Her conduct is thus described by Mr. James:–
“About 1 P.M. after having, during’ten minutes or so, in her efforts to close, received the fire of two or three enemy’s ships, the Colossus ran past the starboard side of the French Swiftsure, who had just before bore up, as well to avoid being raked by the Colossus, as to bring her larboard guns to bear upon the Bellerophon. The density of the smoke on the starboard side, hid from view all the enemy’s ships in that direction, until, having run a short distance to leeward, the Colossus found herself close alongside of the Argonaute, whose larboard yard arms locked into her starboard ones. A spirited cannonade now ensued between the two ships, and lasted for about ten minutes, when the Argonaute’s fire became nearly silenced, except from a few of her aftermost guns; a shot from one of which, just as the ships, driven apart by the concussion of their guns, began to settle broadside off, struck Captain Morris a little above the knee. As soon as she had cleared her yards, the Argonaute paid off, and went away, receiving into her stern the parting fire of the Colossus. The latter, in the mean while, was warmly engaged, on her larboard quarter, with the French Swiftsure, and also with the Bahama, who lay close on that ship’s larboard bow, and fired at the Colossus across the Swiftsure’s fore-foot.
“At a few minutes before 3 P.M., having forged a-head, the Swiftsure got between the Bahama and Colossus; and being thus more fully exposed to the latter’s well-directed broadsides, soon slackened her fire, and dropped
