ing 16 guns), and an American ship and Danish brig, the one laden with contraband stores, the other with French property. In the conflict with La Revanche, fought, as it was, on a lee shore, Capt. Tomlinson acquired much honour; one only of his crew was wounded, while the enemy sustained a loss of 2 killed and 7 wounded. Of so much importance, indeed, was the capture of La Revanche and the other vessels considered, that the Committee for Encouraging the Capture of French Privateers, &c., and the Court of Directors of the Royal Exchange Assurance, each voted him a piece of plate, valued at 50 guineas. On 1 Aug. 1796 he attacked a French convoy, consisting of a brig mounting 16 guns, two cutters of 14 guns each, and 17 sail of merchantmen, eight of which were destroyed. He afterwards captured a large ship laden with rice and wine, and two other French vessels; a Dutch vessel laden with wine, and a ship with masts and spars; and four Spanish vessels. One of the latter he gave up to the prisoners. As a reward for the services we have here recorded, Capt. Tomlinson was advanced to Post-rank 12 Dec. 1796. In Nov. 1798 his name was struck off the list of Captains, in consequence of a complaint lodged by two of his brother officers at the Admiralty, that he had, when embarked on board the Lord Hawke (a privateer belonging to himself), and chased by the frigates they commanded, made use of their private signals. In consideration, however, of the distinguished conduct he eventually displayed as a volunteer on board the London 98, flag-ship of Sir Hyde Parker, in the attack upon the Danish line of defence before Copenhagen, he was restored to his former rank, with seniority from 22 Sept. 1801. From July, 1803, until June, 1809, he was employed in the Sea Fenciblea at Maiden and Southend, co. Essex. He was then ordered to fit out and command a division of fire-ships, intended to accompany the expedition to the Scheldt. On the evacuation of the Walcheren in the ensuing Dec. he was spoken of in high terms by Capt. Graham Moore, the senior officer present, for the assistance he afforded at the destruction of the arsenal, basin, and sea-defences of Flushing.[1] While returning home in charge of the vessels laden with fire-ship stores, the one in which he was embarked was wrecked, but he was enabled to make room for and save all the valuable part of the cargo, by throwing overboard the bevins (Bakers’ fagots dipped in tar) from the other ships.[2] He resumed his appointment in the Sea Fencibles at Southend in Jan. 1810, but resigned it in the following month, on the corps being broken up, and was not afterwards employed. He was placed on the retired list of Rear-Admirals 22 July, 1830; transferred to the active list 17 Aug. 1810; and promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral 23 Nov. 1841.
Prior to the attack made by Lord Cochrane in 1809 on the French squadron in Aix Roads, Vice-Admiral Tomlinson submitted to the Admiralty a plan, which was adopted, for conducting fire-ships when leading down to attack the enemy. He married, in 1794, Elizabeth, second daughter and co-heiress of Ralph Ward, Esq., of Forburrows, by whom, who died in 1839, he had issue four sons and four daughters. His eldest son, James Ward, is a Lieutenant R.N.; his second was killed at Ningpo in 1842, in command of the 18th Royal Irish. Agents Goode and Lawrence.
TOMLINSON. (Lieutenant, 1810.)
Nicholas Robinson Tomlinson is son of the late Commander Robt. Tomlinson, R.N.;[3] and nephew of the late Vice-Admiral Nicholas Tomlinson.
This officer obtained his commission 16 Jan. 1810. His last appointment was to the Hazard 16, Capt. John Cookesley, in which vessel he served on the Newfoundland station, as First-Lieutenant, from 14 Jan. 1814 until Dec. 1816. Agents – Burnett and Holmes.
TOMLINSON. (Lieut., 1813. f-p., 10; h-p., 33.)
Robert Cosby Tomlinson, born in 1790, at Exeter, is son of Retired-Commander Philip Tomlinson, R.N. (Lieut. 1782), who died in 1839; and nephew of the late Vice-Admiral Nicholas Tomlinson, and the late Capt. Wm. Godfrey, R.N., C.B. (1809), who served as Midshipman of the Culloden 74 in the action of 1 June, 1794, was Senior-Lieutenant of the Prince 98 at the battle of Trafalgar 21 Oct. 1805, and was promoted to Post-rank for his conduct in command of the Aetna bomb at the destruction of the French shipping in Aix Roads. One of his brothers, Philip, a Master’s Mate, was mortally wounded at the siege of Copenhagen 31 Aug. 1807; and another, a Lieutenant, was accidentally killed on board the Bombay 74.
This officer entered the Navy, in April, 1804, as Midshipman, on board the Unité 36, stationed as a block-ship in the river Thames. Being discharged about June, 1805, he next, in Feb. 1806, joined the Lion 64, Capts. Henry Heathcote and Robt. Rolles. After having escorted convoy to and from the East Indies and China, he removed as Master’s Mate, in June, 1810, to the Aetna bomb. While in that vessel, which was commanded in succession by Capts. Wm. Godfrey, Peter Lawless, and John Bowker, he bore a warm part in Lord Cochrane’s celebrated attack upon the French squadron in Aix Roads, accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, and, uniting in the defence of Cadiz, was present (during the investment of Fort Matagorda by Marshal Soult) at the bombardment of Trocadero. In Oct. 1810, at which period he had been serving for four months off Cadiz and Lisbon in the Tonnant 80, Capts. Hassard Stacpoole and Sir John Gore, he was received on board the Statira 38, also commanded by Capt. Stacpoole, under whom he was for exactly two years employed on the West India and North American stations, the latter part of the time as Acting-Lieutenant. In Aug. and Sept. 1812 he witnessed the capture of three privateers, the Buckskin, Regulator, and Bunker’s Hill, In Dec. of the same year he was again ordered to act as Lieutenant in the Loup Cervier, alias Peacock 18, Capts. Chas. Gill and Wm. Bowen Mends, also on the coast of North America. He was officially promoted 14 July, 1813; and in the spring of 1814 he returned home with Capt. Mends in the Terpsichore frigate. The state of his health has not permitted him to serve since.
In Dec. 1843 Lieut. Tomlinson resigned the appointment, which he had for some time held, of Inspector of Weights and Measures for co. Essex. He married, in 1S38, Mary Penelope, eldest daughter of the late Rev. Moses Dodd, Rector of Fordham, co. Essex.
TOMPSON. (Lieutenant, 1824.)
Joseph Frank Tompson entered the Navy 17 May, 1811; obtained his commission 21 Jan. 1824; and was appointed, 15 April following and 5 March, 1825, to the Ramillies 74 and Hyperion 42, Coast Blockade ships, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm. Jas. Mingaye. He has been on half-pay since 1826. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
TONGE. (Lieutenant, 1845.)
Louis Charles Henry Tonge is youngest surviving son of Wm. Norris Tonge, Esq., of Alveston,
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 2006.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 2057.
- ↑ Commander Robt. Tomlinson was present in Rodney’s action 12 April, 1 782, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 26 of the same month. While commanding the Speedwell hired armed vessel, he captured, in Oct. 1797, the privateers Les Amis and Le Telemachus, was in company with the Valiant lugger at the taking of L’Espérance and Le Speculateur; each of 14 guns, and, in Feb. 1801, engaged and beat off a Spanish flotilla. In Feb. 1805 he was appointed to the Dexterous gun-brig; and on 11 Sept. following, having fallen in with a convoy under the protection of eight heavily-armed Spanish vessels, he not only made prize of seven of the merchantmen, but actually cut off and secured a gun-boat, mounting 1 long 24-pounder and 1 carronade with a complement of 30 men. He continued in the Dexterous until advanced to the rank of Commander 15 June 1814. He died 9 June, 1844, aged 85.
