A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Briggs, Thomas
BRIGGS, G.C.M.G. (Vice-Admiral, of the White, 1841. f-p., 43; h-p., 13.)
Sir Thomas Briggs, born in 1780, is only surviving son of the late Stephen Briggs, Esq., formerly Chief Surgeon at Madras, by Magdalene, youngest daughter of the late Jas. Pasley, Esq., of Craig, co. Dumfries; nephew, maternally, of the late Sir Thos. Pasley, Bart., Admiral of the White, who died 29 Nov. 1808; and cousin [errata 1] of the present Sir T. S. Pasley, Bart., Capt. R.N., and of Rear-Admiral Sir Chas. Malcolm, Kt.
This officer entered the Navy, 10 Sept. 1791, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Bellerophon 74, commanded by his uncle, Capt. Thos. Pasley, whom he soon afterwards accompanied, as Midshipman, into the Vengeance 74, lying in the river Medway. We next find him, from April, 1793, until the year 1798, attached, under Capt. Chas. Tyler, to the Meleager 32, Diadem 64, and L’Aigle frigate, and participating, during that period, in the operations against Toulon and Corsica in 1793-4, and in Hotham’s partial actions of 14 March and 13 July, 1795. From L’Aigle Mr. Briggs, who had been confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant 28 Sept. 1797, removed to the Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship off Lisbon of Earl St. Vincent, and he shortly afterwards joined the Princess Royal 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Thos. Lennox Frederick off Cadiz. Assuming the acting-command, 10 July, 1799, of the Salamine 16, to which sloop he was officially appointed 30 June, 1800, Capt. Briggs assisted at the reduction of Genoa; took, 21 Jan. 1801, in company with the Caroline 36, a xebec, laden with arms, and mounting 4 guns, with a crew of 24 men; and, in March following, was sent by Capt. Manley Dixon, of the Généreux 74, then at Port Mahon, to Rear-Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren off Toulon with the intelligence of M. Ganteaume having sailed from the latter place with troops for Egypt, in consequence of which the French Admiral was pursued and induced to put back. While next engaged in the expedition under Lord Keith and Sir Ralph Abercromby, for his services during which he obtained the Turkish gold medal and the order of the Crescent, Capt. Briggs was promoted to Post-rank by commission dated 24 July in the same year. His succeeding appointments afloat were, in Aug. following, to the Madras 54, flag-ship of Sir Rich. Bickerton off Alexandria – in 1802 to the Agincourt 64, on the Mediterranean and Home stations – 14 Dec. 1805, to the Orpheus 32, in which he captured, 25 Sept. and 12 Nov. 1806, the privateers Guadeloupe, of 3 guns and 54 men, and Susanna, of 4 guns and 20 men, and was subsequently wrecked on the coral reef, Jamaica, 23 Jan. 1807, when he was personally rescued off the bowsprit of his ship by the present Lieut. Henry Belsey, in a boat belonging to the Elephant 74 – 27 April, 1808, to the temporary command of the Theseus 74, off L’Orient – 7 Nov. in the same year, to the Clorinde 38, on the East India station, where he took, 28 Jan. 1810, L’Henri privateer, of 8 guns and 57 men, proved of material service in disembarking the troops at the reduction of the Isle of France in Dec. 1810, and was next employed in the China Sea – in Oct. 1814, to the Leviathan 74, which ship, after serving on the Lisbon, Cork, and Mediterranean stations, was paid off 19 July, 1816 – and, 15 May, 1818, to the Queen Charlotte 100, as Flag-Captain at Portsmouth to Sir Geo. Campbell, with whom he continued until Feb. Z821. In 1823 Capt. Briggs was nominated Resident Commissioner of the Navy at Bermuda. He removed to Malta in 1829; attained the rank of Rear-Admiral 27 June, 1832; was appointed, about the same period, Superintendent of Malta Dockyard, where he remained until 1838; received the G.C.M.G. in 1833, for his services in the temporary command of the Mediterranean squadron; and was made a Vice- Admiral 23 Nov. 1841.
Sir Thos. Briggs married, in 1814, Isabella Harriet, daughter of General Trepand, and has had issue three sons, of whom the eldest, George Campbell, died a Lieutenant R.N. He has also a daughter married to Capt. Geo. Bohun Martin, R.N., C.B. Agents – Messrs. Chard.