A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Browne, Thomas
BROWNE. (Vice-Admiral of the Blue, 1846. f-p., 28; h-p., 42.)
Thomas Browne entered the Navy, 5 April, 1782, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Alexander 74, Capts. E. Michael and Lord Longford, attached to the force in the Channel; removed, as Midshipman, in Dec. following, to the Carnatic 74, commanded by the latter officer and Capt. Joseph Peyton; joined soon afterwards the Thetis 38, Capt. John Blaukett, on the Mediterranean station, where he remained three years; and, after a further servitude in the Elizabeth 74, Capt. Bourmaster, guard-ship at Portsmouth, Carysfort 28, Capt. Matthew Smith, again in the Mediterranean, and Barfleur and Royal George three-deckers, bearing the flag in the Channel of Hon. Sam. Barrington, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 21 Nov. 1790. From Feb. 1793, to Dec. 1796, he next served in the Intrepid 64, Capt. Hon. Chas. Carpenter, off St. Domingo, where he frequently landed in command of a division of seamen to co-operate with the British troops in their warfare with Toussaint de l’Ouverture and other native chiefs in the French interest. In Feb. 1796, with the Intrepid’s boats under his orders, he cut out from a small cove near Porto Plata, on the north side of the island. La Pergante, of 26 guns and a complement of nearly 200 men, all of whom fled on his approach. The prize was added to the British Navy under the name of Jamaica. Mr. Browne’s succeeding appointments were, as First Lieutenant – 9 Dec. 1796, and 22 May, 1797, to the Greyhound 32, and Nymph 36, Capts. Wm. Young and Percy Eraser, employed in the Channel – 8 April, 1799, to the Astrea 32, Capt. Rich. Dacres, in the North Sea – and, 1 Jan. 1800, to the Elephant 74, Capt. Thos. Foley, one of the fleet in the Channel, where he was advanced to the command of the Chapman armed ship, 11 Aug. 1800. Capt. Browne attained Post-rank 29 April, 1802, but remained on half-pay until appointed, 11 March, 1806, to the Tonnant 80, as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Elias Harvey, then off Cape Finisterre; after which we find him serving, in 1808-9, in the Sea Fencibles – from Dec. 1811, to Dec. 1812, successively in the Hannibal, Christian VII., and Aboukir third-rates, flag-ships of Rear-Admirals Philip Chas. Durham and Thos. Byam Martin, the latter of which he commanded at the siege of Riga – and, from May, 1813, to Dec. 1815, in the Ulysses 44. While in that ship he was employed for some time in the Belt in protecting the convoys passing to and from the Baltic; next, in Dec. 1813, in conveying the army under Sir Thos. Graham to the Scheldt; afterwards in escorting a large fleet of merchantmen to the West Indies; and ultimately, as Commodore, on the coast of Africa, where he destroyed the only two remaining British slave-factories, and otherwise effectually contributed to the suppression of the negro traffic. On the escape of Buonaparte from Elba be voluntarily convoyed home from St. Helena, to the great prejudice of his professional interests, a fleet of Indiamen, equal in value to 10,000,000l. sterling, and was in consequence presented by the Hon. E.I.C. with a larger sum for the purchase of plate than had ever before been voted to any Captain. Vice-Admiral Browne, who has been on half-pay since the peace, became a Rear-Admiral 17 Aug. 1840, and acquired his present rank 11 Dec. 1846.
He married the eldest daughter of the late Lieut. Michael Jenkins, R.N., who was lost, on 29 July, 1811, during a violent gale off Antigua, in the Guachapin 14, shortly after his promotion to the command of that vessel.