A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Clack, Thomas
CLACK. (Lieutenant, 1808, f-p., 22; h-p., 27.)
Thomas Clack is brother of the late Wm. Clack, Esq., R.N., who was killed in his first cruize; and grandson of Lieut.-Colonel Thos. Groves, R.M., who died at the age of 91, having been in the full-pay service of his country for 74 years, during which period he had been in the battle of Bunker’s Hill, and had served on shore at the defence of Gibraltar.
This officer entered the Navy, 28 June, 1798, as A.B., on board the Magnanime 44, Capts. Hon. Michael De Courcy and Wm. Taylor; assisted, in Aug. and Oct. of the same year, at the capture of La Décade, of 36 guns, off Cape Finisterre, and, as Midshipman, at the defeat (with a loss to the Magnanime of 7 men wounded) of Commodore Bompart’s squadron, on the coast of Ireland; and, on his subsequent passage to the West Indies, served at the reduction, in April, 1800, of the African island of Goree. On his return to the latter station from the North Sea, in the Hound 16, Capt. Keith Maxwell, we find Mr. Clack holding the command, from March to July, 1804, of a tender belonging to the Diamond-Rock, Martinique, on the latter being fitted out as a sloop-of-war; subsequently to which he had the honour, for six weeks, of also commanding, in Carlisle Bay, the Centaur’s launch, on board of which the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Sam. Hood, had for the time shifted his flag. After a servitude of 13 months in the Hippomenes 18, Capt. Edw. Wolcombe, and Northumberland 74, Rear-Admiral Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, he was appointed, in Jan. 1806, Acting-Lieutenant of the Kingfisher 18, Capt. Nathaniel Day Cochrane, and, next, Sub-Lieutenant of the Epervier 16, Capts. John Impey and Rich. Couch, part of the force under Sir John Duckworth in the ensuing action off St. Domingo. On the victory being consummated Mr. Clack was the first officer to board the prize ships-of-the-line L’Impériale and Le Diomède, which he did for the purpose of reporting on the practicability of their destruction. For his subsequent gallant capture, in command of the Epervier’s cutter, of a French letter-of-marque schooner and re-capture of an English merchant-brig, we find him appointed, 6 Feb. 1807, Acting-Lieutenant of the Goree 24, Capts. Wm. Standway Parkinson, Hon. M. De Courcy, Joseph Spear, and John Simpson; to which vessel he appears to have been confirmed 16 June, 1808, in consequence of his behaviour, on 22 of the previous April, at the Goree’s creditable defeat, after an hour’s cannonade, of the two French brigs Pylades and Palineur, of 16 guns and 110 men each. He was also present in the same sloop at the reduction of the islands of St. Thomas, Sta. Croix, and Martinique; and subsequently served, from 30 Oct. 1809, until Sept. 1816, nearly the whole time as First-Lieutenant, on board the Furieuse 38, Capt. John Simpson, Espiègle 16, Capt. John Codd, Rapid 14, Capt. Wm. Mather, Zealous 74, Capt. Thos. Boys, and Bermuda 10, Capts. Wm. Wolrige and John Pakenham, on the North American and Home stations – and, from 18 May, 1837, until 1841, aa Senior in the Téméraire 104, and Ocean 80, Capts. Thos. Fortescue Kennedy and Sir John Hill, guard-ships at Sheerness. He is now on half-pay.
Lieut. Clack married Juliana, second daughter of the late Geo. Giles, Esq. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.