A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hodgskin, Thomas
HODGSKIN. (Retired Commander, 1846. f-p., 12; h-p., 35.)
Thomas Hodgskin entered the Navy, in March, 1800, as a Volunteer, on board the Active 38, Capts. Chas. Sydney Davers and Rich. Hussey Moubray, in which frigate he served for upwards of six years on the North Sea and Mediterranean stations. The next five years and a half were passed by this officer, as Lieutenant, in the Star sloop, Capt. John Simpson, Nymphe frigate, Capts. Edm. Heywood, Conway Shipley, and Hon. Josceline Percy, Saturn 74, Capt. Cumberland, Nemesis 28, Capt. Wm. Ferris, and Menelaus 38, Capt. Sir Peter Parker. While in the Nymphe, besides attending the expedition of 1807 to Copenhagen, he took partial command of the boats of that frigate, and on the night of 23 April, 1808, participated in a valorous but unsuccessful attack made by Capt. Shipley (who was killed in the act of boarding) upon a French corvette, La Gavotte, of 22 guns and 150 men, lying at anchor in a bight above Belem Castle, in the river Tagus. In the same ship, under Capt. Percy, we find Mr. Hodgskin escorting General Junot to Rochelle, after the convention of Cintra. He subsequently, when in charge of the boats of the Nemesis, in company with those of the Belvedera 36, contributed to the spirited capture, on the coast of Norway, of two Danish gun-vessels, the Bolder and Thor (carrying each 2 long 24’s, 6 6-pounder howitzers, and 45 men), and the destruction of a third, 23 July, 1810.[1] If we mistake not, he was present in the Menelaus, at the reduction of the Isle of France. He was placed on half-pay 25 April, 1812; and awarded the rank of Retired Commander 27 Jan. 1846.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1810, p. 1348.