A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Jones, Thomas (a)
JONES. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 14; h-p., 34.)
Thomas Jones (a) died 27 Sept. 1845, in his 60th year, at Lewisham, in Kent.
This officer entered the Navy, in July, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Hornet sloop, Capt. John Nash, stationed in the Channel, where, from 1799 until paid off in 1802, he served, part of the time as Midshipman, in La Juste 80, Capts. Sir Henry Trollope, Rich. Dacres, and Sir Edm. Nagle. In 1804 he re-embarked on board the Hindostan 50, Capt. Alex. Fraser, with whom he made a voyage to the East Indies; and, on 4 June, 1808, after having served for some time on the Mediterranean station, in the Formidable 98, Capt. Fras. Fayerman, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His last appointments were – 25 Nov. 1808, to the Aboukir 74, Capt. Geo. Parker, in the North Sea – and, 2 Dec. 1809, and 27 July, 1811, to the Ranger and Briseis sloops, Capts. Geo. Acklom, Chas. Thurlow Smith, and John Ross, both in the Baltic. On the night of 19 June, 1812, Lieut. Jones performed a signal act of gallantry in cutting out from Pillau roads, with the pinnace of the last-mentioned vessel, containing a Midshipman and 18 men, under his orders, the (lately British) merchant-ship Urania, mounting 6 carriage-guns and 4 swivels, then in the possession of some French troops, who, notwithstanding a spirited resistance, were driven off the decks into their boats, which were on the opposite side, with no greater loss to the assailants than 1 man killed and the Midshipman and 1 man slightly wounded.[1] He went on half-pay in the early part of 1813, and retired with the rank of Commander 22 Oct. 1844.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 1364.