Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 22.djvu/123

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rise to a long and curious correspondence, Goodall defending his action on the grounds that the French ship had made prizes within a league of the shore; that ‘the place was a piratical nest for French rovers, to the obstruction of commerce by the meanest of vessels;’ and that as the king of Denmark had no forts or ensigns there, and exercised no control or protection, the privateer became a just subject of forfeiture. On 13 Jan. 1762, Goodall was posted to the command of the Mercury of 24 guns, in which he joined the flag of Sir George Pocock [q. v.] in the West Indies, and took part in the reduction of Havana. He was afterwards employed in the protection of trade on the coast of Georgia, and returned home in the spring of 1764. In 1769 he commissioned the Winchelsea for service in the Mediterranean, and in the summer of 1770 was sent to protect British interests at Smyrna, where the Turks, by reason of the war with Russia and the recent destruction of their fleet in Chesme Bay [see Elphinston, John], were in a state of great excitement and exasperation. In 1778 he commanded the Defiance of 64 guns, in the action off Ushant on 27 July; and being afterwards moved into the Valiant, served in the Channel fleet through the three following years, and at the relief of Gibraltar in 1781. He afterwards went out with Rodney to the West Indies, and took an honourable part in the actions off Dominica on 9 and 12 April 1782. The Valiant was one of the ships then detached with Sir Samuel Hood to intercept the flying enemy in the Mona passage, and being, by her better sailing, ahead of her consorts, it was to her that both the Caton and Jason struck their flags on 19 April. She returned to England on the peace, and was paid off. For a short time in the summer of 1790 Goodall commanded the Gibraltar; and on 21 Sept. 1790 he was advanced to the rank of rear-admiral. In 1792 he was commander-in-chief in Newfoundland, but returned home in the winter, and in April 1793, with his flag in the Princess Royal, took one of the divisions of the fleet out to the Mediterranean, where, during the occupation of Toulon, he acted as governor of the city. On 12 April 1794 he became a vice-admiral, and after the recall of Lord Hood commanded in the second post under Admiral Hotham, in the actions of 13 March and 13 July 1795, but without any opportunity of special distinction. Towards the close of the year he applied for leave to strike his flag, being disappointed, it was said, at not succeeding to the command of the fleet. He had no further service, but was advanced to the rank of admiral on 14 Feb. 1799. He died at Teignmouth in 1801.

[Charnock's Biog. Nav. vi. 458; Ralfe's Naval Biog. i. 335; Official Letters in the Public Record Office. There are also some interesting notices in Nicolas's Nelson Despatches (see Index).]

J. K. L.

GOODALL, THOMAS (1767–1832?), admiral of Hayti, was born at Bristol in 1767, and was intended by his father to be brought up as a lawyer; but at the age of thirteen he ran away from school, and shipped on board a privateer bound for the West Indies, which was cast away on St. Kitts in the hurricane of Oct. 1780. He was so fortunate as to fall into the hands of a merchant there who was acquainted with his father, and passed him on to an uncle in Montserrat. He was now entered on board the Triton frigate, in which he was rated as midshipman, and was present at the action off Dominica on 12 April 1782. In October 1782 he was transferred to the Thetis for a passage home; after which he returned to the merchant service for a voyage to the Levant, and afterwards to China. In 1787 he married Miss Stanton, a young actress [see Goodall, Charlotte], described as a very beautiful woman, whom he saw playing at the Bath Theatre. During the Spanish armament in 1790, Goodall was borne as master's mate on board the Nemesis, commanded by Captain A. J. Ball; but on that dispute being arranged, having no prospects in the navy, he obtained command of a merchant ship bound to the West Indies. During his absence the war with France began, and on his homeward voyage he was captured by a French privateer and carried into L'Orient. He was, however, fortunate enough to win the good will of his captor, who found an opportunity to let him escape on board a Dutch timber ship then in the port. On his return to England, he is said to have been appointed to the Diadem frigate; but he does not seem to have joined her; he was certainly not entered on the ship's books [Pay-Book of the Diadem]. He accepted the command of a small privateer, and continued in her till the peace of 1801, ‘during which time he is said to have made more voyages, fought more actions, and captured more prizes than ever before were effected in the same time by any private ship.’ When the war broke out again, Goodall fitted out a small privateer of 10 guns and forty men, in which, on 25 July 1803, he fell in with, and after a stubborn defence was captured by, La Caroline, a large privateer, and again carried into