A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ratsey, Thomas
RATSEY. (Retired Commander, 1838. f-p., 22; h-p., 35.)
Thomas Ratsey is first-cousin of Rear-Admiral Ratsey.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 July, 1790, as A.B., on board the Royal William, flag-ship of Admiral Roddam at Spithead, and soon attained the rating of Midshipman. In Nov. 1791 he joined the Hector 74, Captain (afterwards Rear-Admiral) Geo. Montagu; prior to following whom into the London 98, he assisted in the unfortunate attack made, in June, 1793, on the island of Martinique. Towards the close of 1794 he was received on board the Porcupine 24, Capt. Alex. Fraser, stationed in the North Sea; and in the following year he sailed in the Dictator 64, Capt. Thos. Totty, for the West Indies; where he became, in Aug. and Nov. 1796, Master’s Mate of the Alfred 74, also commanded by Capt. Totty, and Queen 98, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker, and, in Jan. 1797, Acting-Lieutenant of the Success and Hermione frigates, each under the orders of Capt. Hugh Pigot. He was confirmed, 10 Feb. 1797, into the Ambuscade 32, Capts. Thos. Twysden and Henry Jenkins, in which ship he returned to England; and he was subsequently appointed – 8 Oct. 1798, to the Russel 74, Capts. Sir Henry Trollope and Herbert Sawyer, attached to the Channel fleet – 22 April, 1800, to the Glenmore frigate, Capts. Geo. Duff, John Talbot, and John Maitland, on the Irish station, where he remained until July, 1802 – 1 Nov. 1803, to the Téméraire 98, Capt. Elias Harvey, in the Channel, 4 April, 1805, to the Venus 32, Capt. Henry Matson, in which frigate he was employed until July, 1807, on the coast of Ireland, off Deal, and in the West Indies – 2 Aug. 1808, for four months, to the Ephira 10, in the North Sea – and, 10 July, 1809, to the command, which he retained until March, 1816, of the Signal station at Land’s End. He was placed on the Senior List of Retired Commanders 31 Dec. 1838.