A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Warrand, Thomas

by William Richard O'Byrne

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WARRAND. (Captain, 1825. f-p., 22; h-p., 32.)

Thomas Warrand was born 5 Feb. 1775, and died 17 May, 1848, at Brixton, co. Surrey.

This officer (who had been for three years in the Jamaica trade) entered the Navy, in Sept. 1793, as Midshipman, on board the Theseus 74, Capt. Robt. Calder, stationed at first in the Channel and next in the West Indies, where he witnessed the destruction of a French frigate in 1795. After serving with Capt. Theophilus Jones in the Glory 98, and with Lord Garlies in the Lively 32, he joined, towards the close of the year last mentioned, the Victory 100, bearing the flag of the late Earl St. Vincent, under whom we find him employed off Toulon, Minorca, and Cadiz (where he saw much boat-service), and, as Signal-Mate, at the defeat of the Spanish fleet 14 Feb. 1797. While on the books of the Victory he was for some time lent, as Acting- Lieutenant, to his former ship the Lively, commanded by Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris, and to the Thalia 36, Capt. Lord Henry Paulet. In the Thalia he contributed to the capture of several privateers and other vessels. He acted subsequently as Lieutenant in the Ville de Paris 110,^[1] flag-ship of Lord St. Vincent, Leviathan 74, Capt. John Thos. Duckworth, Aurore prison-ship at Gibraltar, Guerrier 74, Capt. Lord Wm. Stuart, Santa Dorotea 36, Capt. Hugh Downman, Vanguard 74,^[2] Capt. Temple Hardy, Culloden 74, Capt. Thos. Troubridge, Seahorse 38, Capt. Edw. Jas. Foote, and Minotaur 74, Capt. Thos. Louis. He proved instrumental, in the Santa Dorotea, to the capture, in Nov. 1798, of the San Leon Spanish man-of-war brig of 16 guns and 88 men. He afterwards commanded the Victoire tender off Genoa, and in co-operation with the Austrian troops. In June, 1800, he was present in the Minotaur at the evacuation of that place by the French; and on 3 Sept. in the same year he was in the foremost of eight boats that boarded and brought out from Barcelona Roads, after having sustained a loss of 3 men killed and 5 wounded, the Spanish corvettes 'Esmeralda' and Paz, of 22 guns each, although defended by a heavy fire from 4 strong batteries, 10 gun-boats, 2 schooners, armed between them with 4 long 36-pounders, and a fort on Mount Ioni, which threw shells. In this affair the enemy had 3 killed and 21 wounded.^[3] Mr. Warrand served also at the blockade of Malta, and in 1801 in the expedition to Egypt, where, among other operations, he aided in landing and in keeping up a communication with the army, fought in the battle of 13 March, and, in command of the ship’s launch, dismantled a battery. He had previously, in the Bay of Naples, been much employed in boats and on shore against the enemy, particularly at Castelamare, Castel Nuovo, and Uovo. He had been at the taking, too (in the Seahorse), of Gaeta, and at the re-capture of Ischia, Procida, &c., and the embarkation of the French troops from Civita Vecchia. On finally leaving the Minotaur, of which ship he had been confirmed a Lieutenant 19 Feb. 1800, Mr. Warrand joined, in Aug. 1801, the Hector 74, Capt. Wm. Skipsey, in which ship he continued employed in the Mediterranean until nominated, in May, 1803, Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Robt. Calder in the Prince of Wales 98. In her he took part in the action off Cape Finisterre 22 July, 1805. His next appointments were – 17 Feb. 1806 and 23 May, 1807, to the Hibernia 110 and, as Signal-Lieutenant, to the Ville de Paris 110, flag-ships, the former of Lord St. Vincent, the latter of Lords Gardner and Gambier, in the Channel – and, 11 Aug. 1808 and 4 May, 1812, to the command of the Bloodhound gun-brig and Sealark schooner, on the Downs, Baltic, and Plymouth stations. The two latter vessels were much employed in escorting convoys, carrying despatches, &c. During the expedition of 1809 to the Walcheren the Bloodhound was the advanced brig in the Scheldt, and her Commander had the duty to perform of victualling 36 gun-boats. On 6 Aug. 1810 she took by boarding, off the North Foreland, the Beccasine privateer of 2 guns and 26 men; she sank next, near Nieuport, a vessel named La Vigilante; and at different periods she made many re-captures. After the battle of Busaco, being at Lisbon, she was sent home with despatches and H.M. mails. In the Sealark, carrying but 10 12-pounder carronades and 60 men and boys. Sir. Warrand pursued, 21 July, 1812, and at the end of a close and furious action of 1 hour and 30 minutes (the sides of the combatants touching nearly the whole time) boarded and took the Ville de Caen French privateer of 16 long 4 or 6 pounders and 75 men. The enemy sustained a loss of 15 killed and 16 wounded, the British of 7 killed and 22 wounded.^[4] Among the latter was Mr. Warrand, who, for his valour, was promoted to the rank of Commander five days afterwards. Being re-appointed, 15 Aug. following, to the Sealark, which had been rated a sloop-of-war, he was in her employed, until the peace, in affording protection to convoys and in conveying men and mails to Passage, Bilboa, St. Andero, Bordeaux, and Douarnenez Bay, officers to join the army under Lord Wellington, and despatches of consequence. Removing, in Nov. 1814, to the Foxhound 14, Capt. Warrand in that vessel transported half the 14th Regt. from Plymouth to Ostend, between which place and Ramsgate we find him afterwards rendering escort to convoys innumerable. He was for some time likewise employed on secret service off Calais and in other ways. He paid the Foxhound off in Sept. 1815, and did not again go afloat. He attained Post-rank 27 July, 1825, and accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846. He was allotted a pension of 150l. per annum for his wounds 2 Dec. 1815.

Capt. Warrand, whose wife had pre-deceased him 30 Dec. 1834, has left issue five sons and one daughter. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.

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1. In this ship he performed the duties of Signal-Lieutenant.
2. He was in the Vanguard when the Royal Family left Naples for Sicily.
3. Vide Gaz. 1800, p. 1156. – We are told that Mr. Warrand had been in the boats at the boarding of the Prima galley, account of which exploit will be found under the head of Capt. Geo. Scott.
4. Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 1441.