A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pike, Thomas
PIKE. (Retired Commander, 1847. f-p., 25; h-p., 29.)
Thomas Pike was born in 1782 at Exeter, co. Devon. His nephew, Thomas W. R. Pike, is a Master R.N. (1842.)
This officer entered the Navy, 14 Sept. 1793, as Captain’s Servant, on board the London 98, Capt. Rich. Goodwin Keats, on the Home station, where he continued employed, latterly as a Volunteer of the first class, in the Valiant 74, Capt. Thos. Pringle (part of Lord Howe’s fleet in the action of the 1st of June), and again with Capt. Keats in the Galatea 32, until Nov. 1794. Re-embarking, 6 July, 1799, in the Téméraire 98, Capt. Peter Puget, he served in that ship with Rear-Admirals Sir John Borlase Warren, Jas. Hawkins Whitshed, and Geo. Campbell, in the Channel, off the coast of Ireland, and in the West Indies, until Oct. 1802. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803 he became Midshipman of the Culloden 74, flag-ship in the Channel of Lord Keith. Removing shortly afterwards to the Canopus 80, bearing the flags of Rear-Admirals Geo. Campbell and Sir Thos. Louis, he accompanied the latter officer in 1805 in Lord Nelson’s pursuit of the combined squadrons of France and Spain to the West Indies, and back. In July, 1805, he returned from the Mediterranean to England in the Prevoyante store-ship, Master-Commander Daniel McCoy, for the purpose of passing his examination. That ordeal having been gone through, he next in succession joined the Superb 74,[1] flag-ship of Sir John Thos. Duckworth, Téméraire 98 and Audacious 74, Capts. Elias Harvey and John Larmour, and Tonnant 80; of which latter ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral E. Harvey, he was confirmed a Lieutenant 25 March, 1807. His succeeding appointments were – 29 July, 1807, to the Theseus 74, Capt. John Poo Beresford, off Ferrol – 30 June and 22 Oct. 1808, to the Briseis 10, Capt. John Pettet, and St. George 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admirals E. Harvey and Fras. Pickmore, stationed in the Channel and Baltic – in Nov. 1809, to the Avenger 18, Capt. Thos. White, also in the Baltic – 13 March, 1811, to the Monmouth 64, as Lieutenant, in the Downs, to Vice-Admiral Thos. Foley – 26 Aug. 1813, to the post of Agent for Transports Afloat, which he retained until 31 Oct. 1814 – 26 April, 1815, for five months, to the Actaeon 16, Capt. John Ross, employed in cruizing to the westward – in 1821, to the Coast Guard – 23 Hov. 1822, to a four-years’ command of the Diligence Revenue-cruizer – and, 18 Dec. 1826, to the charge, which he retained until 23 Dec. 1831, of the Semaphore station at Lump’s Fort. While he was in the St. George he succeeded, with a detachment of boats, covered by the guns of the Standard 64, in bringing off a large Swedish vessel which had drifted within range of a battery in the Great Belt. Unsuccessful, after he left the Semaphore service, in his efforts to procure employment, he accepted, 14 Jan. 1847, the rank he now holds. We cannot close the present narrative without alluding to one or two severe disappointments experienced by the subject of it during the term of his professional career. While Flag-Lieutenant to Vice-Admiral Foley he had the honour of steering the barge of H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence on the occasion of his reviewing the North Sea fleet in the Downs; a circumstance which would have been followed by his immediate promotion to the rank of Commander, had not H.R.H., considering that the post he then filled would ensure him that boon, suggested that the service he had performed should, on his obtaining it, be made a recommendation for an appointment. After he had been, however, nearly two years and a half Flag-Lieutenant, he found himself under the necessity of resigning in order to make room for another upon whom Vice-Admiral Foley wished to confer the commission at his disposal! He married in 1808, and has issue five sons and one daughter.
- ↑ He was sent on board the Superb for the purpose of joining the Victory, but, the battle of Trafalgar intervening, an opportunity of doing so did not occur.