A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mathias, Thomas
MATHIAS. (Commander, 1837. f-p., 25; h-p., 12.)
Thomas Mathias entered the Navy, 19 Nov. 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Courageux 74, Capt. Philip Wilkinson, stationed in the Baltic; where, in May, 1813, 12 months after he had attained the rating of Midshipman, he removed to the Amphion 32, Capt. Jas. Pattison Stewart; under whom, in the following Dec, he assisted in reducing the islands of Schouwen and Tholen. Towards the close of 1814, after having visited Madeira, in the Bombay 74, Capt. Henry Bazely, he sailed for the East Indies in the Cornwallis 74 flag-ship of Sir Geo. Burlton. In Aug. 1818 (he had returned to England in Nov. 1816) he joined the Ontario 18, Capt. Geo. Gosling, lying at Plymouth; and he next, between Sept. in the same year and June, 1823, served, principally as Acting Second Master and Admiralty-Midshipman, in the Slaney 20, Capts. Donat Henchy O’Brien and Henry Stanhope, Nimrod sloop, Capt. Wm. Rochfort. Brazen 26, Capt. Geo. Wickens Willes, and Doris frigate, Capt. Fred. Edw. Vernon (now Harcourt). The Nimrod was employed in 1822 in subduingsome serious riots among the keelmen on the river Tyne: the other vessels were all stationed in South America; where, on the date above mentioned, Mr. Mathias was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Tartar 42, bearing the broad-pendant of Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy. He was officially promoted 22 Oct. 1823; and was afterwards appointed – 23 March, 1824, again to the Doris, Capts. Vernon, Thos. Bourchier, and Wm. Jas. Hope Johnstone, in which vessel he returned home and was paid off in Jan. 1825 – 12 March, 1830, to the Talavera 74, Capts. Hugh Pigot, David Colby, and Thos. Brown, on the Home and Lisbon stations – and, 17 May, 1833, as First, to the Caledonia 120, commanded in the Mediterranean, part of the time a flag-ship to Sir Josias Rowley, by Capts. T. Brown and Geo. Bohun Martin. He was superseded on being advanced to his present rank 10 Jan. 1837; and he was next, from 22 March, 1838, until 1843, employed in the Coast Guard. He has since been on half-pay.
Commander Mathias married, first, 14 July, 1838, Emily, fourth daughter of the late Rev. John Taylor, Rector of Stainford; and (that lady dying 19 Feb. 1839), secondly, in 1840, Lydia Charlotte, eldest daughter of R. Moyle, Esq., of Penzance, Cornwall. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.