A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Jager, Thomas
JAGER. (Retired Commander, 1842. f-p., 21; h-p., 28.)
Thomas Jager entered the Navy, 2 Nov. 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Southampton 32, Capt. John Harvey, stationed in the West Indies, whence, after assisting as Master’s Mate at the reduction of the Virgin Islands, he returned to England with the same Captain in 1801 in the Amphitrite. He then joined in succession the Iris 32, Capts. Hon. Philip Wodehouse and David Atkins, and Resistance 36, Capt. Hon. P. Wodehouse; and on the latter ship being wrecked off Cape St. Vincent, 31 May, 1803, he further served, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 21 March, 1807, on board the Termagant 18, Capt. Robt. Pettet [errata 1] (by whom he was employed at the cutting out, near Bastia, of the national armed xebec Podesta), Guerrier, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral John Knight (during his attachment to which ship he shared, in 1805, in some gun-boat service at Gibraltar), Eurydice frigate, Capt. Sir Wm. Bolton, and Dreadnought 98, Capt. Wm. Lechmere. His succeeding appointments were, on the Home and North American stations, to the Hesper, Capt. Geo. Acklom Barracouta, Capt. Geo. Harris, Agincourt 64, armée en flûte, Capt. Wm. Kent, Laurestinus 24, Capt. Thos. Graham, Nymphen 36, Capt. Matthew Smith, and Statira 38, Capt. Spehnan Swaine Among the above ships the Agincourt formed part of the expedition to the Walcheren in 1809; and the Laurestinus and Statira were each wrecked; the former (after having served in the Chesapeake, and witnessed the attack upon Crany Island, &c.) off the Silver Keys, Bahama Islands, 22 Oct. 1813; and the latter on a sunken rock, off the island of Cuba, 26 Feb. 1815. In June and Aug. 1816 Lieut. Jager successively assumed command of the Hawke and Tiger Revenue-vessels. He was superseded from the Tiger in June, 1819, and was lastly employed in the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant, from June, 1828, to March, 1831, of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye. His present rank was conferred on him 19 July, 1842.