A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Nichols, Thomas George
NICHOLS. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 10; h-p., 36.)
Thomas George Nichols entered the Navy, 27 June, 1801, as Midshipman, on board the Scourge gun-vessel, Lieut.-Commander Chas. Rundle, lying in the river Medway, where he served until April, 1802. In May, 1804, he rejoined the same officer in the Trial cutter, off Woolwich; and in Sept. of the same year he was transferred to the Mercury 28, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, under whom he escorted the outward-bound trade to the Mediterranean, and, after assisting at the capture of the Spanish national vessel El Fuerte de Gibraltar, of 4 guns and 59 men, proceeded to the West Indies. After passing a few weeks off Lisbon in the Pomone 38, Capt. Wm. Grenville Lobb, he was again, in Sept. 1805, placed under the orders of the Hon. D. P. Bouverie in L’Aimable 32. Following the same Captain, as Master’s Mate, in Feb. 1806, into the Medusa 32, he took part in that frigate in all the operations in the Rio de la Plata, from Oct. 1806 until her return to England with Lieut.-General Whitelocke in Sept. 1807, including the capture of Maldonado and the island of Gorriti. Besides assisting at the capture of several privateers, we find him, in 1808, ordered to the coast of Labrador in fruitless pursuit, jointly with the Thalia 36, Capt. Thos. Manby, of two French frigates, and experiencing in consequence three months of great privation and hardship. On his subsequent arrival at the Cape of Good Hope in the Scipion 74, flag-ship of Hon. Robt. Stopford, he was nominated, 5 April, 1811, Acting-Lieutenant of the Racehorse 18, Capt. Jas. De Rippe, a circumstance which afforded him an opportunity, 20 May following, when in company off Madagascar with the 36-gun frigates Astraea, Phoebe [errata 1], and Galatea, of assisting, after a long and warmly-contested action with the French 40-gun frigates Rénommée, Clorinde, and Néréide, at the capture of the Rénommée, and, on 25 of the same month, of the Néréide and the settlement of Tamatave. He was confirmed a Lieutenant of the Racehorse 2 Jan. 1812, but was superseded in Nov. of the same year, and has not since been afloat. Lieut. Nichols is Senior of 1812.