Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Thompson, 1st baronet Thompson
(c.1740 – 17 March 1799, Fareham
) was a British naval officer. After long service in the Seven Years' War
, American War of Independence and War of the First Coalition, he was Admiral John Jervis's
second in command at the battle of Cape St Vincent. However, his disregard for Jervis's signal to tack to counter a Spanish attacking move nearly lost the battle, and began an enmity with Jervis that eventually (with ill health) led to Thompson's retirement. From 1796 to 1799 he was also MP
for Monmouth
.
(1717?–1770), of Stoke Gifford
, Gloucestershire, governor of Virginia
, his mother was Margaret Thompson. (Charles was illegitimate). He, his mother and sister Elizabeth Thompson were all beneficiarys in Norborne Berkeley's will. He married Jane, daughter and heiress of Robert Selby of Bonnington, near Edinburgh
in 1783, by whom he had issue: Sir Norborne Charles, 2nd Bt. (1785-1826) who joined the navy but was court martialed for insubordination; Charles Robert (1788-1801) who died at sea aged 13; Elizabeth (1790-, Jane (1794-1815) who died in Portugal aged 21, and is buried at the English Cemetery, Lisbon; and Sir Henry Thompson, 3rd baronet
(1796-1868) after the death of his brother in Chelsea in 1826.
on in 1755, just before the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
. In the following five years he served on that ship then on HMS Prince Frederick
and (under Captain Samuel Barrington
) . He passed his examination for lieutenant in 1760 and was commissioned as the fifth lieutenant of on 16 January 1761, serving on her in the Channel Fleet
and then in the Mediterranean. When peace came, this ship was paid off and Thompson transferred to the sloop , serving on her on the North American station from August 1763 to her paying-off in July 1768 in South Carolina
(with no transport provided to get her officers back to England, though they were later paid £39 0s. 6d each for the journey).
Thompson was back in North America as 's first lieutenant
from May 1770, and there Commodore James Gambier promoted him to commander
in February 1771, commanding the sloop
and then (after 3 months) appointed acting captain of . He took the later ship back to England in December 1771 and, though his acting captaincy was not confirmed by the admiralty, they did on 7 March 1772 promote him to full captain, commanding .
of Vice-Admiral William Parry
, and Thompson later moved from her to the frigate . He returned to England in 1774, and then went back to the West Indies in command of the in early 1776 (capturing the 20 gun French ship Le Compas). He accompanied a merchant convoy to England in October 1777, before yet again going out to the West Indies in 1780. Sir John Laforey
was appointed commissioner of the shipyard at Antigua
in 1780, but Thompson refused to recognize this authority, leading to a long feud. In the Caribbean, Thompson was moved by Sir George Rodney to the 74 gun , commanding her throughout the American War of Independence, including at the battles of the Chesapeake
, St Kitts, under Sir Samuel Hood
). In April 1782, Thompson was present in the rear division at the Battle of the Saintes
. Sir George Rodney's decisive victory over the French in the Caribbean. He sailed Alcide back to England at the end of the War.
, and in 1790 (during the crisis of the Spanish armament). When the War of the First Coalition broke out in 1793 he was put in command of , as part of Sir John Jervis
and Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Grey
's expedition against France's West Indian possessions, participating in the capture of Martinique
(directing the boat attacks on Fort Royal) and Guadeloupe
as a commodore
. Also during this time in the Indies, Laforey and Thompson's feud reignited over Laforey conduct as commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands
, thus providing an excuse for First Lord of the Admiralty
to recall Laforey but causing alarm amidst the other Admiralty commissioners (Sir Charles Middleton
resigned over the affair). In the course of promotions through seniority, Thompson was promoted to rear-admiral of the blue on 12 April 1794, and sailed back to England the following year (with as his flagship) to be made vice admiral
on 1 June 1795 (with his flag in ).
, before being transferred to , in which he served in the Mediterranean. In the Britannia he acted as second in command at the battle of Cape St Vincent, disregarding Jervis's signal to tack to counter a Spanish attacking move and thus nearly losing the battle. This angered Jervis but he chose not to bring the issue into the public sphere, and so later that year Thompson's and Jervis's contribution to the battle were rewarded with a baronetcy and an earldom respectively whilst still on station. Continuing on the station for a time, Thompson's next disagreement with Jervis (over the latter's insistence on hanging two mutineers on the Sabbath on Sunday 9 July 1797) gave Jervis sufficient justification to insist that the Admiralty recall Thompson. After Thompson's death, Jervis wrote of him as a ‘gallant man, but the most timid officer’, and drew attention to his having ‘the manner of a rough seaman’ which Thompson cultivated by his habit of dressing casually in a sailor's frock and straw hat.
On his recall, Thompson was then given a post in the Brest-blockade fleet which he held until 1798 despite failing health, his health eventually forcing him to strike his flag and return to England early in 1799, where he died later that year.
for Monmouth
in 1796 and held the post until 1799 although he did not have a significant attendance in parliament.
Thompson Baronets
There have been seven Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Thompson, one in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and five in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Three of the creations are extinct while four are still extant...
(c.1740 – 17 March 1799, Fareham
Fareham
The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area...
) was a British naval officer. After long service in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, American War of Independence and War of the First Coalition, he was Admiral John Jervis's
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
second in command at the battle of Cape St Vincent. However, his disregard for Jervis's signal to tack to counter a Spanish attacking move nearly lost the battle, and began an enmity with Jervis that eventually (with ill health) led to Thompson's retirement. From 1796 to 1799 he was also MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Monmouth
Monmouth Boroughs (UK Parliament constituency)
Monmouth Boroughs was a parliamentary constituency consisting of several towns in Monmouthshire...
.
Family
His father is thought to be Norborne Berkeley, later Baron BotetourtNorborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt
Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt , was a courtier, member of parliament, and royal governor of the colony of Virginia from 1768 until his death in 1770.-Life:...
(1717?–1770), of Stoke Gifford
Stoke Gifford
Stoke Gifford is a large dormitory village, and parish in South Gloucestershire, England, in the northern suburbs of Bristol. It has around 11,000 residents as of the 2001 Census. It is home to Bristol Parkway station, on the London-South Wales railway line, and the Bristol offices of Friends Life...
, Gloucestershire, governor of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, his mother was Margaret Thompson. (Charles was illegitimate). He, his mother and sister Elizabeth Thompson were all beneficiarys in Norborne Berkeley's will. He married Jane, daughter and heiress of Robert Selby of Bonnington, near Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1783, by whom he had issue: Sir Norborne Charles, 2nd Bt. (1785-1826) who joined the navy but was court martialed for insubordination; Charles Robert (1788-1801) who died at sea aged 13; Elizabeth (1790-, Jane (1794-1815) who died in Portugal aged 21, and is buried at the English Cemetery, Lisbon; and Sir Henry Thompson, 3rd baronet
Sir Henry Thompson, 3rd Baronet
The Revd. Sir Henry Thompson, 3rd Baronet Thompson of Virkees was the third son of Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet, and Jane Selby. He succeeded to the baronetcy after his eldest brother the 2nd Baronet died without issue in 1826...
(1796-1868) after the death of his brother in Chelsea in 1826.
Naval service
His first service at sea was on a merchantman, but he soon joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
on in 1755, just before the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. In the following five years he served on that ship then on HMS Prince Frederick
HMS Expedition (1679)
HMS Expedition was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1679.Expedition was rebuilt as a 70-gun third rate in 1699 at Chatham Dockyard. She was rebuilt for a second time as a 70-gun third rate to the 1706 Establishment at Portsmouth Dockyard,...
and (under Captain Samuel Barrington
Samuel Barrington
Rear Admiral Samuel Barrington RN was a British admiral.Samuel was the fourth son of John Shute Barrington, 1st Viscount Barrington of Beckett Hall at Shrivenham in Berkshire...
) . He passed his examination for lieutenant in 1760 and was commissioned as the fifth lieutenant of on 16 January 1761, serving on her in the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
and then in the Mediterranean. When peace came, this ship was paid off and Thompson transferred to the sloop , serving on her on the North American station from August 1763 to her paying-off in July 1768 in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
(with no transport provided to get her officers back to England, though they were later paid £39 0s. 6d each for the journey).
Thompson was back in North America as 's first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
from May 1770, and there Commodore James Gambier promoted him to commander
Commander (Royal Navy)
Commander is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is immediately junior to captain and immediately senior to the rank of lieutenant commander...
in February 1771, commanding the sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
and then (after 3 months) appointed acting captain of . He took the later ship back to England in December 1771 and, though his acting captaincy was not confirmed by the admiralty, they did on 7 March 1772 promote him to full captain, commanding .
Service in the West Indies
Thompson sailed, in Chatham to the West Indies as the flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Vice-Admiral William Parry
William Parry (disambiguation)
William Parry or Bill Parry may refer to:* William Parry , who has written on the Israeli West Bank barrier*William Parry , Welsh doctor...
, and Thompson later moved from her to the frigate . He returned to England in 1774, and then went back to the West Indies in command of the in early 1776 (capturing the 20 gun French ship Le Compas). He accompanied a merchant convoy to England in October 1777, before yet again going out to the West Indies in 1780. Sir John Laforey
John Laforey
Sir John Laforey, 1st Baronet was a senior and controversial British naval officer of the 18th century whose extensive career was spent mainly on the North American and West Indian stations...
was appointed commissioner of the shipyard at Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
in 1780, but Thompson refused to recognize this authority, leading to a long feud. In the Caribbean, Thompson was moved by Sir George Rodney to the 74 gun , commanding her throughout the American War of Independence, including at the battles of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
, St Kitts, under Sir Samuel Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
). In April 1782, Thompson was present in the rear division at the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
. Sir George Rodney's decisive victory over the French in the Caribbean. He sailed Alcide back to England at the end of the War.
Later service
In 1787 Thompson commanded at PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, and in 1790 (during the crisis of the Spanish armament). When the War of the First Coalition broke out in 1793 he was put in command of , as part of Sir John Jervis
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
and Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Grey
Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, KB PC was one of the most important British generals of the 18th century. He was the fourth son of Sir Henry Grey, 1st Baronet, of Howick in Northumberland. He served in the Seven Years' War, American War of Independence and French Revolutionary War...
's expedition against France's West Indian possessions, participating in the capture of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
(directing the boat attacks on Fort Royal) and Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
as a commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
. Also during this time in the Indies, Laforey and Thompson's feud reignited over Laforey conduct as commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
, thus providing an excuse for First Lord of the Admiralty
George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer
George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer KG PC FRS FSA , styled Viscount Althorp from 1765 to 1783, was a British Whig politician...
to recall Laforey but causing alarm amidst the other Admiralty commissioners (Sir Charles Middleton
Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham
Admiral Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham PC was a British naval officer and politician.He was born at Leith, Midlothian to Robert Middleton, a customs collector of Bo'ness, Linlithgowshire, and Helen, daughter of Charles Dundas.-Naval career:Middleton entered the Royal Navy in 1741 as captain's...
resigned over the affair). In the course of promotions through seniority, Thompson was promoted to rear-admiral of the blue on 12 April 1794, and sailed back to England the following year (with as his flagship) to be made vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
on 1 June 1795 (with his flag in ).
Mediterranean service
Thompson was next put in command of a detached squadron as part of the British blockade of BrestBrest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, before being transferred to , in which he served in the Mediterranean. In the Britannia he acted as second in command at the battle of Cape St Vincent, disregarding Jervis's signal to tack to counter a Spanish attacking move and thus nearly losing the battle. This angered Jervis but he chose not to bring the issue into the public sphere, and so later that year Thompson's and Jervis's contribution to the battle were rewarded with a baronetcy and an earldom respectively whilst still on station. Continuing on the station for a time, Thompson's next disagreement with Jervis (over the latter's insistence on hanging two mutineers on the Sabbath on Sunday 9 July 1797) gave Jervis sufficient justification to insist that the Admiralty recall Thompson. After Thompson's death, Jervis wrote of him as a ‘gallant man, but the most timid officer’, and drew attention to his having ‘the manner of a rough seaman’ which Thompson cultivated by his habit of dressing casually in a sailor's frock and straw hat.
On his recall, Thompson was then given a post in the Brest-blockade fleet which he held until 1798 despite failing health, his health eventually forcing him to strike his flag and return to England early in 1799, where he died later that year.
Political office
Thompson was elected MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Monmouth
Monmouth Boroughs (UK Parliament constituency)
Monmouth Boroughs was a parliamentary constituency consisting of several towns in Monmouthshire...
in 1796 and held the post until 1799 although he did not have a significant attendance in parliament.
Sources
- J. Ralfe, The naval biography of Great Britain, 2 (1828), 3
- W. James, The naval history of Great Britain, from the declaration of war by France in 1793 to the accession of George IV, [8th edn], 6 vols. (1902)
- D. Syrett and R. L. DiNardo, The commissioned sea officers of the Royal Navy, 1660–1815, rev. edn, Occasional Publications of the Navy RS, 1 (1994)
- C. G. Pitcairn Jones, ‘List of commissioned sea officers of the Royal Navy, 1660–1815’, NMM, NMM 359 (42) (083.81) GRE
- A. Aspinall, ‘Thompson, Charles’, HoP, Commons, 1790–1820
- Debrett's Peerage (1834)
- The dispatches and letters of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, ed. Nicholas Harris NicolasNicholas Harris NicolasSir Harris Nicolas, KCMG, KH was an English antiquary.-Life:The fourth son of John Harris Nicolas , he was born at Dartmouth. Having served in the navy from 1812 to 1816, he studied law and was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1825...
, 7 vols. (1844–6); repr. (1997–8), vol. 2 - M. A. J. Palmer, ‘Sir John's victory: the battle of Cape St Vincent reconsidered’, Mariner's Mirror, 77 (1991), 31–46
- Colin WhiteColin White (historian)Colin Saunders White , was director of the Royal Naval Museum, and was one of Britain's leading experts on Admiral Horatio Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar....
, Nelson's year of destiny: Cape St Vincent and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1998)
External links
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry.
- A portrait of him, from 1774, by Thomas GainsboroughThomas GainsboroughThomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter.-Suffolk:Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John Gainsborough, a weaver and maker of woolen goods. At the age of thirteen he impressed his father with his penciling skills so that he let...
, now in Tate BritainTate BritainTate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...