Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1189

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THOMPSON—THOMSON.
1175

coast of Ireland, where he remained, we believe, until March, 1818 – and 13 March, 1832, of the Brisk brig, of 3 guns, on the west coast of Africa. In May, 1833, owing to the illness of Commander Jas. Rich. Booth of the Trinculo 18, Mr. Thompson was appointed to the acting-command of that vessel. Being, however, superseded in the following Sept., he went back to the Brisk; and he was shortly afterwards afforded an opportunity of rendering assistance (much approved of by Rear-Admiral Fred. Warren, the Commander-in-Chief) to the settlements in the river Gambia; where, in June, 1835, a season of great mortality, he united in other operations conducted under the immediate direction of the Lieutenant-Governor, George Randall, whose thanks he elicited by his gallant and zealous conduct. During his sojourn on the coast of Africa, whence he returned to England and was paid off about Nov. 1835, he succeeded in capturing as many as 673 slaves. His last appointments were, 13 Oct. 1836 and 25 Feb. 1837, to the Téméraire 104, Capt. Thos. Fortescue Kennedy, and Brune 22, Capts. Robt. Scallon and John Clavell, guard-ships at Sheerness and Chatham, where he served (in the latter ship as First-Lieutenant) until at length advanced to his present rank 28 June, 1838.



THOMPSON. (Lieutenant, 1830.)

Thomas Thompson passed his examination in 1817; and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 22 July, 1830. His appointments have since been, alternately – 13 July, 1831, to the Coast Guard – 26 Aug. 1834, to the Sprightly Revenue-vessel – 17 March, 1835, to the Coast Guard-26 Sept. 1837, to the Cheerful Revenue-vessel – 6 Oct. 1840, to the Coast Guard – and 2 July, 1844 (after nearly 18 months of half-pay), to the Greyhound Revenue-vessel, which he still commands.



THOMPSON. (Captain, 1847.)

Thomas Pickering Thompson is son of Rear-Admiral John Thompson.

This officer entered the Navy 4 Sept. 1823; passed his examination in 1829; and obtained his first commission 5 June, 1834. His succeeding appointments were – 19 June, 1834, to the Columbine 18, Capt. Thos. Henderson, in which vessel he visited the Mediterranean, accompanied in 1835 the Euphrates Expedition under Lieut.-Colonel Chesney, from Malta to the mouth of the river Orontes, and cruized with success on the coast of Africa – 15 July, 1836, to the Pique 36, Capts. Hon. Henry John Rous and Edw. Boxer, with whom he served on the Home and North America and West India stations until the close of 1839 – and 18 Feb. 1840, as First- Lieutenant, to the Magicienne 24, Capts. Wm. Burnett, Fred. Thos. Michell, and Rich. Laird Warren, part of the force engaged in the operations on the coast of Syria. He attained the rank of Commander 23 Nov. 1841; and was employed in that capacity in the Espiègle 12, in the Channel and East Indies, from 7 Sept. 1844 until advanced to his present rank 25 June, 1847.



THOMPSON, Bart. (Captain, 1837.)

Sir Thomas Raikes Trigge Thompson, born 1 April, 1804, is only son of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Thos. Boulden Thompson,[1] Bart., G.C.B., by Anne, eldest daughter of Robt. Raikes, Esq., of Gloucester. This officer entered the Navy 5 Feb. 1818; passed his examination in 1824; was made Lieutenant, 8 April, 1825, into the Revenge 76, flag-ship of Sir Harry Burrard Neale in the Mediterranean; and was next, 2 March, 1826, appointed to the Ganges 84, fitting for the flag of Sir Robt. Waller Otway, Commander-in-Chief in South America; where he was promoted, 19 Jan. 1828, to the command of the Cadmus 10. He paid that vessel off on her return to England 7 May, 1830; was advanced to his present rank 10 Jan. 1837; and was lastly, from 20 April, 1842, until 1847, employed, again in South America, in the Talbot 26. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



THOMPSON. (Captain, 1846.)

Thomas Sparke Thompson entered the Navy 24 Oct. 1811; obtained his first commission 5 Oct. 1824; was appointed, 9 Aug. 1826, to the Galatea 42, Capt. Sir Chas. Sullivan, fitting at Portsmouth; served from 21 Nov. 1827 until within a short time of his promotion to the rank of Commander, which took place 4 Oct. 1832, in the Royal Charlotte yacht, Capts. Lord Wm. Paget, Hon. Josceline Percy, and Edw. Galwey, off Dublin; and from 14 Dec. 1844 until advanced to the rank he now holds, 9 Nov. 1846, was employed in the Comus 18, on the South American station. He is now on half-pay.



THOMSON. (Commander, 1840. f-p., 17; h-p., 18.)

Charles Thomson entered the Navy, 10 June, 1812, as a Supernumerary Boy, on board the Cherokee 10, Capt. Wm. Ramage, stationed at Leith, where he soon attained the rating of Midshipman, and continued employed until Sept. 1815. He served next, from Jan. 1816 until Aug. 1818, in the Brazen sloop, Capt. Jas. Stirling, in the West Indies; and from the latter date until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 30 Nov. 1820, chiefly at Portsmouth, in the Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Campbell, Salisbury 50, fitting for the flag of Rear-Admiral Donald Campbell, Camelion 10, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye, Royal George yacht, Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, and again in the Camelion and Royal George. His subsequent appointments were – 12 March, 1824, to the Bulwark 76, Capt. Thos. Dundas, lying at Portsmouth – 8 Feb. 1825, for nine months, to the Hyperion 42, Capt. W. J. Mingaye, stationed at Newhaven for the purposes of the Coast Blockade – 19 April, 1827, to the Prince Regent 120, bearing the flag of Sir Robt. Moorsom at Chatham – 7 Aug. following to the Warspitb 76, Capts. Hon. Rich. Saunders Dundas and Wm. Parker, in the Mediterranean – 22 Jan. 1829, to the Kent 78, Capt. John Ferris Devonshire, at Plymouth – 17 Sept. 1829 and 21 June, 1831, to the Britannia 120, flag-ship of Sir Pulteney Malcolm, and Kent again, Capt. Sam. Pym, both in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in Dec. of the latter year – and 20 July, 1838, as First-Lieutenant, to the Hastings 72, Capts. Fras. Erskine Loch and John Lawrence. In the ship last mentioned he escorted the Queen Dowager to Malta and back, and took part in the operations on the coast of Syria, where he commanded the boats in the attack upon the Castle of Gebail 12 Sept. 1840. For his services he was promoted to the rank of Commander 5 Nov. in the same year. He left the Hastings in Jan. 1841; and has since been on half-pay.


  1. Sir Thomas Boulden Thompson was born 28 Feb. 1766. After assisting in the Hyaena, at the relief of Gibraltar, under Sir Geo. Rodney, also at the defeat of Don Juan de Langara, and at the capture of Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 14 Jan. 1782. He was made commander, in 1786, into the Nautilus sloop, on the coast of Africa; and was advanced to Post-rank 22 Nov. 1790. While commanding the Leander 50, he was wounded in the attack upon Teneriffe in 1797, fought with conspicuous valour at the battle of the Nile, and_was captured, 18 Aug. 1798, by the French 74-gun ship Généreux, at the end of a close and bloody conflict of six hours, in which the Leander, besides being totally dismasted, and otherwise dreadfully shattered, sustained a loss, out of 282 men, of 35 killed and 67 (including himself) wounded; and the enemy, whose force originally consisted of 936 men, of 100 killed and 188 wounded. In 1799 he received the honour of knighthood and a pension of 300l. per annum. At the battle of Copenhagen, in 1801, he commanded the Bellona 74, and lost a leg; and his pension was increased in consequence to 500l., an allowance which, in 1815, was augmented to 700l. After he left the Bellona he served for a considerable time in the Mary yacht. In 1806 he was appointed comptroller of the Navy and raised to the dignity of a Baronet; he succeeded Sir John Colpoys as Treasurer to Greenwich Hospital in 1816; and he was created a Rear-Admiral 25 Oct. 1809, a Vice-Admiral 4 June, 1814, a K.C.B. 2 Jan. 1815, and a G.C.B. 14 Sept. 1822. He represented the city of Rochester in Parliament for several years, and died 3 March 1828, at Hartsbourne, Manor Place, Herts.