A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Cole, Thomas Edmund
COLE. (Commander, 1821. f-p., 29; h-p., 21.)
Thomas Edmund Cole, born at Chatham, co. Kent, is son of the late Thos. Cole, Esq., R.N., an officer who had been present in Rodney’s action of 12 April, 1782, and at the capture of St. Eustatius.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 March, 1797, as a Volunteer, on board the Robust 74, Capts. Edw. Thornbrough, Geo. Countess, Wm. Brown, and Wm. Henry Jervis, under the first of whom he assisted, off the coast of Ireland, at the capture, 12 Oct. 1798, with a loss to the Robust of 10 men killed and 40 wounded, of the French 74-gun ship Le Hoche, one of a squadron commanded by Commodore Bompart. In May, 1802, he became Midshipman of the Formidable 98, Capt. Rich. Grindall, on the West India station. He joined, on the renewal of hostilities, the Plantagenet 74, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond and Hon. Mich. De Courcy, in the Channel; and, removing next to the Ville de Paris 110, bearing the flag of the Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, commanded that ship’s forecastle quarters in her pursuit of the French fleet into Brest, and skirmish with the enemy’s batteries, 22 Aug. 1805. Being promoted, 17 April, 1806, from the Hibernia 110, flag-ship of Earl St. Vincent, to an Acting-Lieutenancy in the Prince George 98, Capt. Geo. Losack, he was, on 15 July following, after filling a similar post for short periods on board the Polyphemus 64, Capt. Robt. Redmill, and Illustrious 74, Capt. Wm. Shields, officially promoted into the Warrior 74, Capt. John Wm. Spranger. In the latter ship Mr. Cole appears to have served, as First-Lieutenant, at the reduction, in June, 1809, of Ischia and Procida, and, in the following Oct., of the Ionian Islands, particularly of Zante and Cephalonia, where, in addition to the boats of the squadron, he also commanded the Admiral’s division of gunboats, and behaved very creditably.[1] We likewise discover him, in detached charge of a boat armed with a howitzer, serving in the Faro of Messina at the defence of Sicily, when threatened with an invasion from Murat. Mr. Cole next joined, 12 Dec. 1811, the Bulwark 74, flag-ship in Basque Roads of Rear-Admiral Philip Chas. Durham; and was afterwards appointed, always in the capacity of First-Lieutenant – 12 May, 1813, to the Pyramus 36, Capt. Jas. Whitley Deans Dundas – 5 Aug. 1814, to the Euphrates 36, Capt. Robt. Preston – 23 Aug. 1815, to the Tagus 38, Capt. J. W. D. Dundas-and, in Oct. 1816, to the Minden 74, flag-ship in India of Sir Rich. King, of which for seven months he officiated as Acting-Captain. Having been paid off in 1820, he was invested, 19 July, 1821, with the rank of Commander; after which he served most effectually in the Coast Guard from 1827 to 1830, and again from 1831 to 1834. Since the latter date he has been on half-pay.
Commander Cole married, 19 Feb. 1824, Rebecca, daughter of John Evans, Esq., of Saltash, Cornwall, who was for many years secretary and confidential friend, and ultimately executor, of Admiral Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, G.C.B. By that lady he has issue ten children.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, pp. 1927-29.