A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mitchell, Thomas (b)
MITCHELL. (Retired Commander, 1834. f-p., 18; h-p., 34.)
Thomas Mitchell entered the Navy, 8 Nov. 1795, as Midshipman, on board the Adventure 44, Capt. Wm. Geo. Rutherford; and for upwards of three years was employed in the West Indies in the same vessel, and in the Dictator 64, also commanded by Capt. Rutherford, Brunswick 74, flagship of Rear-Admiral Rich. Rodney Bligh, and Ceres 32, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson. Joining then the Amethyst 36, Capts. John Cooke and Henry Rich. Glynn, he accompanied the expedition of 1800 to Ferrol, was much employed in the conveyance of royal and diplomatic personages, and contributed to the capture, 28 Jan. and 9 April, 1801, of the French 36-gun frigate La Dédaigneuse, and national corvette Le Général Brune of 14 guns. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 29 April, 1802; and was subsequently appointed 16 Nov. 1803, to the Scourge sloop, Capt. Wm. Wooldridge, stationed in the Channel – 23 Oct. 1804, and 21 Aug. 1806, to the Harrier 18, and Macassar 36, Capts. W. Wooldridge, Edw. Ratsey, Edw. Thos. Troubridge, and Wm. Wilbraham, both in the East Indies, whence he returned in Sept. 1807 – in the course of 1809, to the Zebra bomb, Capt. Geo. Barne Trollope, Helder 36, Capt. John Serrell, and Salsette 36, Capts. Walter Bathurst, John Hollinworth, and Henry Hope, all on the Home station – and 14 July, 1813, to the Ajax 74, Capts. Robt. Waller Otway and Geo. Mundy, with whom he served, part of the time in the Mediterranean, until paid off in July, 1816. When Senior of the Harrier, and in company with the Phaeton 38, Lieut. Mitchell was present, 2 Aug. 1805, in a severe action of two hours and a half with the French 36-gun frigate Sémillante, and several batteries, at the entrance of the Straits of St. Bernardino, Philippine Islands; on which occasion the Harrier, besides being much cut up, sustained a loss of 2 men wounded. He was afterwards mentioned for the great assistance he afforded his Captain (Troubridge) in an action of an hour with a Butch squadron, which terminated in the surrender, near Java, 26 July, 1806, of the 36-gun frigate Pallas, and armed ships Vittoria and Batavia, to the Harrier, and her consort the Greyhound 32.[1] During his servitude in the Salsette, of which he was also First-Lieutenant, we find him, while attached to the Walcheren expedition, commanding two divisions of boats in an attack on 13 of the enemy’s gun-vessels; and presented in consequence with the thanks of the late Admiral Sir Rich. Keats. He accepted the rank of Commander on the Retired List 25 March, 1834.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1807, p. 423. where among other vessels, he contributed to the capture of the Belgica of 12 guns.