A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Levell, Thomas
LEVELL. (Retired Commander, 1847. f-p., 14; h-p., 33.)
Thomas Levell was born 19 Jan. 1788, at Bildeston, in Suffolk.
This officer entered the Navy, 25 Oct. 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol,, on board the Excellent 74, Capts. Hon. Robt. Stopford, Robt. Tucker, and John Nash, with whom he served in the Channel and West Indies until May, 1803 – the-last two years in the capacity of Midshipman. After a short attachment to the Topaze frigate, Capt. Willoughby Thos. Lake, he rejoined Capt. Stopford,.in the course of the latter year, on board the Spencer 74, in which ship, commanded subsequently by Capt. John Quilliam, he was for upwards of five years employed. During that period we find him assisting at the blockade of Ferrol, Corunna, and Toulon; uniting in Lord Nelson’s pursuit of the combined fleets to the West Indies and back; participating in Sir John Duckworth’s search after the celebrated Rochefort squadron; present, 6 Feb. 1806, in the action off St. Domingo; escorting General Crawford and. a body of troops to the Cape of Good Hope; and serving on shore, in the erection of batteries, at the siege of Copenhagen. Having passed his examination 1 July, 1807, Mr. Levell was nominated, 14 Sept. 1808, Sub-Lieutenant of the Attack gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Swain; and on 27 Jan. 1809 was promoted to the full rank of Lieutenant. Being then appointed to the Little Belt of 20 guns and 121 men, Capts. John Crispo and Arthur Batt Bingham, it was his fortune, on 16 May, 1811, to be on board that sloop in the furious and well-known action fought between her and the American 44-gun frigate President, whose fire in half an hour killed and wounded 32 of the British. He was paid off from the Little Belt in Sept. 1811; and was afterwards appointed – 25 Jan. 1812, to the Osprey 18, Capt. Tim. Clinch,iin the boats of which sloop he was occasionally, employed up the river Elbe – 12 Jan. and 28 June, 1813, to the Fervent 12, Capt. Chas. Hope Reid, and Flamer, of similar force, Capts. John Baldwin and Job Hamner, with whom he served until put out of commission in Aug. 1814 – and, lastly, 8 May, 1815, to the command of a Telegraph station in the county of Surrey, where he was relieved in the following March. While in the Flamer, Mr. Levell was engaged in escorting convoys to Gottenborg; and on one occasion, when off the Skawe, look command of her boats, and drove a Danish privateer cutter on shore. He accepted the rank he now holds 3 Feb. 1847.
Commander Levell is married, and has issue three sons and two daughters.