A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pearse, Thomas
PEARSE. (Lieut., 1807. f-p., 38; h-p., 21.)
Thomas Pearse died 16 July, 1846. He was son of Mr. Thos. Pearse, Master’s Mate of H.M.S. Apollo, who was killed in action with the French frigate Oiseau at the close of the first American war, by Mary Elizabeth, fourth daughter of Geo. Wm. Hambly, Esq., of Stonehouse, Devon.
This officer entered the Navy, about 1787, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Pegasus 28, commanded by H.R.H. Prince William Henry, with whom he served for a short time in the West Indies. Re-embarking, 26 May, 1793, on board the London 98, Capt. Rich. Goodwin Keats, he cruized in that ship on the Channel station until transferred as Midshipman, in March, 1794, to the Eurydice 24, Capt. Fras. Cole. On 8 of the following month we find him present, in company with the Crescent 36 and Druid 32, the former commanded by Sir Jas. Saumarez, in an action fought off Guernsey with a powerful French squadron, from whom the British contrived in a very skilful manner to effect their escape. While attached, next, from Sept. 1794 until Dec. 1801, to the Galatea 36, Capts. Rich. Goodwin Keats and Hon. Geo. Byng, he took part in Lord Bridport’s action, 23 June, 1795, was wounded during the ensuing expedition to Quiberon, and assisted at the capture or destruction of, among other vessels. La Révolutionnaire of 44 guns and 351 men, Le Jean Bart of 18 guns, L’Expédition of 16 guns, L’Eveille of 18 guns, L’Etoile of 30 guns (one of five French frigates in escort of a provision fleet of 70 sail). La Proserpine of 42 guns and 348 men, L’Andromaque of 44 guns and 300 men, and Le Ranger of 14 guns. From. Jan. to Oct. 1802 Mr. Pearse served in the West Indies as Master’s Mate of the Majestic 74, Capt. Davidge Gould. In the early part of the following year he successively joined the Penelope 36, Capt. Wm. Broughton, and Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Nelson; by whom he was nominated, 12 Aug. in the same year, Acting-Lieutenant of the Halcyon 16, Capts. Henry Whitmarsh Pearse and Thos. Stamp – the first promotion made by his Lordship out of the Victory; in which ship, during her passage to the Mediterranean, Mr. Pearse had aided in making prize of the French 32-gun frigate Embuscade. Continuing in the Halcyon until the peace, he took part in numerous engagements with the gun-boats in the Gut of Gibraltar, and saw a vast deal of other active service. In Sept. 1804 he assisted at the capture of L’Espérance French privateer of 10 guns and 54 men; and in the summer of 1806 he contributed, after the battle of Maida, to the destruction of the enemy’s batteries along the coast of Calabria, and the reduction of the town of Reggio. On 13 Dec. in the same year it was his lot to he again wounded in an action fought with great spirit for three hours, between the Halcyon, singly, and three Spanish vessels of far superior force, which terminated in the capture of one of the latter, the Neptuno of 14 guns and 72 men – the other two, La Virgine de Solidad brig of 14 guns and 78 men, and El Vives xebec of 12 guns and 65 men, being put to flight.[1] In consideration of the part taken by him in the affair, Mr. Pearse was presented with a sword by the Patriotic Society, and on 1 Aug. 1807 was confirmed in his appointment to the Halcyon. He afterwards accompanied Admiral Gambier in the expedition against Copenhagen; assisted, in Sept. 1808, in capturing, in Diamante Bay, a flotilla of 38 vessels; commanded the Halcyon’s boats at the destruction, in May, 1809, of the enemy’s forts on the small islands of Gianuti and Pianosa; and in 1810 co-operated in the defence of Messina and in the second capture of the town of Reggio. His last appointments afloat were – 30 July, 1812, to the Primrose 18, Capt. Chas. Geo. Rodney Phillott, with whom he served on the North Sea and North American stations until Dec, 1813 – and 10 Feb. 1814, to the Sybille 44, Capts. Jas. Sanders and Thos. Forrest, which frigate, after having made a voyage to Spitzbergen, his health obliged him to leave in the following Oct. In 1825 he was placed in command of the Ordinary at Woolwich; in 1828 he was nominated Warden of Deptford Dockyard; and from 6 April, 1830, until 1841, he was again employed at Woolwich as Warden and Director of Police. He was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 25 June, 1841.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1807, p. 52.