Thomas Fellowes (1778-1853)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Fellowes was an officer of the Royal Navy
during the French Revolutionary Wars
and Napoleonic Wars
. He is also notable as an ancestor of the screenwriter Julian Fellowes
.
and James's son was the later captain Thomas Fellowes (1827-1923). Serving for a while on ships of the East India Company
, Thomas moved to the Royal Navy in 1797 as the master's mate on HMS Royal George
. He then moved to HMS Diana
and then to other ships before the Peace of Amiens in 1802. When the war broke out again he was deployed to the East Indies
under Sir Edward Pellew, rising to lieutenant in 1807 and spending time in the West Indies in HMS Northumberland
, Sir Alexander Cochrane
's flagship. His first command was the brig HMS Swinger in 1808 as lieutenant-commander, with which he fought at the capture of the island of Deseada. This was followed on 13 November 1808 by command of the brig HMS Unique, from whom (on 21 May 1809) he made a landing at Basseterre
on Guadeloupe
, spiking an enemy battery's guns despite being opposed by a large French regular force - he was the only unwounded man to return from the raid.
When Unique was used as a fireship, Fellowes was promoted to commander on 16 September 1809 and put in charge of the gunboats at Cadiz
from August 1810 to June 1811, during which time he was promoted to post rank
in March 1811. His next command came on 11 February 1812, with the 20 gun HMS Fawn in the West Indies, with which he fought against privateers until November 1814 and the end of the Napoleonic Wars. He was made a Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1815 and a knight of the Spanish Order of Charles III on 22 February 1822, the latter for his command at Cadiz. His next command, however, only came fifteen years after the peace, with the 42 gun HMS Dartmouth, which he commanded from 21 February 1827 to 16 March 1830 in the Mediterranean - there his attempt to remove a Turkish fireship caused the battle of Navarino
on 20 October 1827. His actions in that command gained him the cross of the Légion d'honneur
, the Order of St Anne
2nd class, the cross of the Order of the Redeemer
, a British knighthood, a presentation sword from William, Duke of Clarence
, Lord High Admiral
, and a DCL
from the University of Oxford
.
His final seaborne commands were HMS Pembroke
on the Lisbon station (1836–1837) and HMS Vanguard
in the Mediterranean (1837–1840). He then returned to the United Kingdom to superintend Plymouth
's victualling yard and hospital (1843–1846). He was promoted to rear admiral on 26 July 1847 and died in 1853.
Royal 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...
during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He is also notable as an ancestor of the screenwriter Julian Fellowes
Julian Fellowes
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
.
Life
He was the youngest of the five sons of William Fellowes, physician-extraordinary to the Prince Regent - one of Thomas's brothers was the physician James FellowesJames Fellowes (physician)
Sir James Fellowes was a British physician.-Life:He was the third son of William Fellowes, physician-extraordinary to the prince regent - he was elder brother to the naval captain Thomas Fellowes...
and James's son was the later captain Thomas Fellowes (1827-1923). Serving for a while on ships of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, Thomas moved to the Royal Navy in 1797 as the master's mate on HMS Royal George
HMS Royal George (1788)
HMS Royal George was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched from Chatham Dockyard on 16 September 1788. She was designed by Sir Edward Hunt, and was the only other ship built to her draught...
. He then moved to HMS Diana
HMS Diana (1794)
HMS Diana was a 38-gun Artois-class fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1794.On 7 March 1815 HMS Diana was sold to the Dutch navy for £36,796...
and then to other ships before the Peace of Amiens in 1802. When the war broke out again he was deployed to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
under Sir Edward Pellew, rising to lieutenant in 1807 and spending time in the West Indies in HMS Northumberland
HMS Northumberland (1798)
HMS Northumberland was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at the yards of Barnard, Deptford and launched on 2 February 1798....
, Sir Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
's flagship. His first command was the brig HMS Swinger in 1808 as lieutenant-commander, with which he fought at the capture of the island of Deseada. This was followed on 13 November 1808 by command of the brig HMS Unique, from whom (on 21 May 1809) he made a landing at Basseterre
Basseterre
Basseterre , estimated population 15,500 in 2000, is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitts Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands...
on 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...
, spiking an enemy battery's guns despite being opposed by a large French regular force - he was the only unwounded man to return from the raid.
When Unique was used as a fireship, Fellowes was promoted to commander on 16 September 1809 and put in charge of the gunboats at Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
from August 1810 to June 1811, during which time he was promoted to post rank
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
in March 1811. His next command came on 11 February 1812, with the 20 gun HMS Fawn in the West Indies, with which he fought against privateers until November 1814 and the end of the Napoleonic Wars. He was made a Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1815 and a knight of the Spanish Order of Charles III on 22 February 1822, the latter for his command at Cadiz. His next command, however, only came fifteen years after the peace, with the 42 gun HMS Dartmouth, which he commanded from 21 February 1827 to 16 March 1830 in the Mediterranean - there his attempt to remove a Turkish fireship caused the battle of Navarino
Battle of Navarino
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
on 20 October 1827. His actions in that command gained him the cross of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, the Order of St Anne
Order of St. Anna
The Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
2nd class, the cross of the Order of the Redeemer
Order of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
, a British knighthood, a presentation sword from William, Duke of Clarence
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
, Lord High Admiral
Lord High Admiral
Lord High Admiral can refer to:* Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom * Lord High Admiral of Scotland* Lord High Admiral of the Wash* Lord High Admiral of Sweden-See also:...
, and a DCL
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
His final seaborne commands were HMS Pembroke
HMS Pembroke (1812)
HMS Pembroke was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 27 June 1812 at Blackwall Yard.She was fitted with screw propulsion in 1855, transferred to the Coastguard in 1858, and used as a base ship from 1887....
on the Lisbon station (1836–1837) and HMS Vanguard
HMS Vanguard (1835)
The sixth HMS Vanguard, of the British Royal Navy was an 78-gun second-rate ship of the line, launched on 25 August 1835 at Pembroke Yard. She was the first of a new type of sailing battleship: a Symondite.-Construction:...
in the Mediterranean (1837–1840). He then returned to the United Kingdom to superintend Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
's victualling yard and hospital (1843–1846). He was promoted to rear admiral on 26 July 1847 and died in 1853.
Marriage and issue
- on 9 November 1813, Katherine Mary (? - October 1817), eldest daughter of Sir William Abdy, 6th Baronet
- on 24 August 1819, to Mary Anne Catharine, only child of Colonel Isaac Humphreys, Bengal Artillery, military secretary to the Bengal government; their children included:
- Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Fellowes (1823–1886), who died while commanding the channel squadron.
External links
- Biography of Thomas Fellowes R.N.
- 'Thomas Fellowes', Dictionary of National Biography, 1885 (public domain)