THOMAS. (Lieut., 1822. f-p., 18; h-p., 21.)
William Thomas entered the Navy, 30 Aug. 1808, as A.B., on board the Inflexible 64, Capts. Hon. Donald Hugh Mackay and Thos. Brown, fitting for the Halifax station; where he removed as Midshipman, in Aug. 1809, to the Junon 38, Capt. John Shortland. In that frigate he was captured, 13 Dec. following, off Guadeloupe, after an heroic resistance of 45 minutes, and a loss of 20 men lulled and 40 wounded, by a French squadron, consisting of the 40-gun frigates Renommée and Clorinde and armées-en-flûte the Loire and Seine, carrying each 20 guns. With the two former the Junon maintained a yard-arm-and-yard-arm conflict until she was on the point of sinking. On being restored to liberty at the peace of 1814, Mr. Thomas successively joined, on the West India station, the Swiftsure 74, Capts. Arden Adderley and Wm. Henry Webley, and Venerable 74. In the latter ship, which bore the flag of Sir Philip Chas. Durham, he aided, in 1815, in securing Martinique to Louis XVIII. and in reducing Guadeloupe. He was subsequently, from 5 May, 1816, until 19 July, 1819, employed at Leith as Admiralty-Midshipman and Mate in the Nimrod 18, Capts. John Macpherson Ferguson, John Windham Dalling, and Chas. Nelson; he then removed to the Iphigenia 42, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Robt. Mends on the coast of Africa; and on 25 April, 1822, he was nominated, on that station, Acting-Lieutenant of the Myrmidon, Capt. Henry John Leeke. Soon after his official promotion, which took place 26 Aug. in the same year, he returned to England. His appointments have since been – 18 Oct. 1824, for less than two years, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74, Capt. Hugh Pigot – 8 April, 1843, for a few months, to the post of Admiralty Agent on board a contract mail steam-vessel – and 18 Nov. 1845, to the Transport service, in which, deducting an interval in 1847, he has since remained.
Lieut. Thomas is married, and has issue.
THOMAS. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 10; h-p., 32.)
William George Thomas entered the Navy, 21 May, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Atalante 16, Capt. Joseph Ore Masefield, employed in cruizing off Brest and Rochefort. Joining next, in Aug. 1806, the Néréide 36, Capt. Robt. Corbett, he assisted, in July of the following year, in the unsuccessful attack upon Buenos Ayres, and proceeded subsequently to Bombay, whence he escorted the British Ambassador, Sir Harford Jones, to Bushehr, in the Persian Gulf. On his voyage back he aided in destroying two piratical vessels which had taken, in sight of the Néréide, the Hon.E.I.Co.’s schooner Sylph. After participating as Midshipman in other services he contributed, in Sept. 1809, to the conquest of the town of St. Paul’s, in the Ile de Bourbon, where a French frigate (La Caroline of 46 guns), a brig-of-war, two captured Indiamen, and other vessels, fell into the hands of the British. Into the frigate, whose name, on her being added to the Navy, was changed to Bourbonnaise, Mr. Thomas followed Capt. Corbett, in the ensuing Nov., in the capacity of Master’s Mate. In the summer of 1811, being then in the Scipion 74, under the flag of Hon. Robt. Stopford, he served on shore at the reduction of Batavia. He was nominated, 28 Oct. in the same year, Acting-Lieutenant of the Java 38, Capt. Geo. Scott; and on 13 May, 1812, soon after his return to England, he was officially promoted. From the following Nov. until Aug. 1815 he was employed on the Baltic, North Sea, and North American stations in the Aetna bomb, Capts. Rich. Kenah, Jas. Baynton Gardner, and Fras. Fead. During that period he accompanied the present Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon in his brilliant expedition against Alexandria, witnessed the unsuccessful attempt upon Baltimore, and took an active part in the operations connected with the ottack upon New Orleans. Since he left the Aetna he has been on half-pay.
He is married, and has issue seven children.
THOMAS. (Commander, 1842.)
William Sidney Thomas entered the Navy 12 March, 1820; passed his examination in 1826; and was made Lieutenant, 13 May, 1828, into the Asia 84, flag-ship of Sir Pulteney Malcolm in the Mediterranean; where, in the following Sept., he removed to the Revenge 76, Capts. Norborne Thompson and Hon. Chas. Orlando Bridgeman. He returned home about the close of 1830; and was subsequently appointed – 3 Oct. 1831, to the Melville 74, flagship of Sir John Gore in the East Indies – 3 Aug. 1833, as First, to the Alligator 28, Capt. Geo. Robt. Lambert, on the same station – 15 Aug. 1835, to the command of the Algerine 10, also in the East Indies, where he was superseded in March, 1839 – 24 Sept. 1840, to the command of the Ferret 10, on the coast of Africa – and 18 Dec. 1841, to the Royal George yacht, Capt. Lord Adolphus Fitz- Clarence. He was advanced to his present rank 7 March, 1842. He has since been on half-pay.
Commander Thomas married, in July, 1843, Thomasine, daughter of the late Capt. Henry Haynes, R.N. (1814). Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
THOMOND, G.C.H., Marquess of, formerly LORD JAMES O’BRYEN. (Admiral of the Blue, 1847. f-p., 19; h-p., 45.)
The Right Honourable James Marquess of Thomond is second son of the late Edw. O’Bryen, Esq., a Captain in the Army; and nephew of Murrough, first Marquess of Thomond. He succeeded his eldest brother, as third Marquess, in 1846. A younger brother, Lord Edw. O’Bryen, Captain R.N. (1802), was Private Secretary to Lord Mulgrave during that nobleman’s naval administration; and two others, John and Murrough, were officers in the Army. His Lordship is uncle of Commander Wm. O’Bryen Hoare, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 17 April, 1783, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Hebe, Capts. Geo. Keppell and Edw. Thornbrough, stationed in the Channel. From April, 1786, until July, 1789, he was employed on the coast of North America and in the West Indies as Midshipman (a rating he had before attained) in the Pegasus and Andromeda frigates, both commanded by his late Majesty; under whom he was further, from May, 1790, until promoted in the following Nov. to the rank of Lieutenant, employed, with the Channel fleet, in the Valiant 74. In the course of 1793-4 he joined in succession, on the Home station, the London 98, Capt. Rich. Goodwin Keats, Artois 38, Capt. Lord Chas. Fitzgerald, Active 38, Capt. Thos. Wolley, and Brunswick 74, Capt. Lord C. Fitzgerald. In the latter ship he was present in Cornwallis’ celebrated retreat, 16 and 17 June, 1795. On 5 Dec. 1796, at which period he had been for nearly seven months employed with Sir Edw. Pellew in the Indefatigable 44, he was promoted to the command of the Childers sloop. In that vessel [1] he continued to serve in the Channel until posted, 14 Feb. 1799, into the Thisbe 28. Her he paid off in the course of the same year. He afterwards, from the close of 1800 until 1804, commanded the Emerald 36, on the West India station; he then removed for a very brief period to the Diadem 64; and from Sept. 1813 until Nov. 1815 he served in the Channel in the Warspite 74. In the Emerald he made prize, 24 June, 1803, of L’Enfant Prodigue, French national schooner of 16 guns, the whole of which were thrown overboard during a chase of 72 hours. In the same month he co-operated in the reduction of Ste. Lucie; and in the spring of 1804 he distinguished himself by his intrepidity, and by the indefatigable zeal he displayed in arranging and forwarding the supplies, at the capture of Surinam. He also, while in the Emerald, defeated an expedition projected by the enemy against Antigua. He became a Rear-Admiral 27 May, 1825; a Vice-Admiral 10 Jan. 1837; and a full Admiral 13 May, 1847.
- ↑ She was in company with the Indefatigable and Cambrian 40, at the capture, 4 Jan. 1798, of Le Vengeur privateer of 12 guns and 72 men.
