A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Masters, Thomas James Poole
MASTERS. (Lieut., 1809. f-p., 9; h-p., 35.)
Thomas James Poole Masters is son of Wm. Masters, Esq., Solicitor, of Hampstead, co. Middlesex.
This officer entered the Navy, 3 Oct. 1803, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Repulse 74, Capt. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge; and was employed during the two following years, the greater part of the time as Midshipman, in the North Sea and off Rochefort and Ferrol, being afforded an opportunity during that period of sharing in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, 22 July, 1805. In Jan. 1806 he removed to the Iris 32, commanded by Capt. Thos. Lavie; on accompanying whom into the Blanche of 46 guns and 265 men, he assisted, 19 July in the same year, at the capture, off the Faeroe Islands, of the Guerrière French frigate of 50 guns and 317 men, after a severe action, in which the British bad but 4 men wounded, and the enemy 50 killed and wounded. For his gallantry in achieving this exploit Capt. Lavie received the honour of Knighthood. Mr. Masters continued in the Blanche until wrecked, off Ushant, on the night of 4 March, 1807; on which occasion, after floating for many hours on a spar, he was washed on shore, and taken prisoner. At first he was placed en parole at Verdun; whence, owing to his having taken part with a British seaman, he was removed to Givet, and there kept for many months in solitary confinement, subjected the whole time to very cruel treatment. He at length, however, 25 Nov. 1808, contrived to make his escape from the Porte Chaussée, Verdun; and in Jan. 1809 he had the good fortune to reach Trieste; having in the meanwhile travelled not less than 1800 miles on foot, and in disguise, through France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and a small part of Austria. He had also crossed the Alps, and had all but perished in the snows on Mount St. Gothard; and, having no passport, had been twice taken up on suspicion. On setting out he had but 18 Napoleons in his possession; and he accomplished the last 500 miles with but 25 francs; eating bread but once a-day, sleeping often in woods among the wolves, and enduring all kinds of hardships and privations. On arriving at Trieste, as above, he contrived to get on board the Unité 36, Capt. Pat. Campbell; and in the boats of that ship, in which he continued a period of nine months, he assisted, it appears, at the destruction of a convoy under the protection of the enemy’s batteries. He was made a Lieutenant, 4 Nov. 1809, into the Neptune 98, commanded in the West Indies by Sir Jas. Athol Wood, with whom he removed, in March, 1810, to the Pompée 80. In the ensuing Sept. he became Second Lieutenant of the Horatio 38, Capt. Lord Geo. Stuart, on the North Sea station; and on 2 Aug. 1812 we find him serving with four boats under Lieut. Abraham Mills Hawkins, whom he supported in the most spirited and able manner in a sanguinary combat, which terminated in the capture (with a loss to the British, out of about 80 officers and men, of 9 killed and 16 wounded, and to their opponents of 10 killed and 13 wounded) of a Danish schooner and cutter, carrying between them 10 6-pounders and 52 men, lying at anchor in a position of extraordinary strength near a village on an arm of the sea, 35 miles inland, on the coast of Norway.[1] So severely was Lieutenant Masters on the occasion wounded, that he for ever lost the use of his right hand, and was under the necessity of being sent to Yarmouth Hospital. His highly-praised gallantry and the sufferings he endured obtained him a pension of 91l. 5s. and a reward of 50 guineas from the Patriotic Fund. He has not, however, been since employed. Agents – Pettet and Newton.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 1710.