A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Sanders, Thomas
SANDERS. (Capt., 1841. f-p., 22; h-p., 28.)
Thomas Sanders entered the Navy, 2 April, 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Nymphe 36, Capts. John Cooke, Percy Fraser, and Stair Douglas, in which vessel he served in the Channel and Mediterranean until April, 1802 – latterly in the capacity of Midshipman. During that period he lost two of his fingers by the breaking of the spanker-boom, on which he happened to be standing when a smuggling-vessel was endeavouring to effect her escape to leeward. In June and Sept. 1802 he joined the Hussar 38 and Ambuscade 32, Capts. Philip Wilkinson and David Atkins; he was next, in May, 1803, received on board the Helder 36, Capt. Edw. Hawkins, lying in the river Humber; and on 19 Sept. 1806, after he had been about two years and a half employed on the Channel, Lisbon, and Plymouth stations, part of the time as Master’s Mate, in the Ville de Paris and Hibernia 110’s, flag-ships of Admirals Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, Chas. Edm. Nugent, Earl St. Vincent, and Sir Jas. Saumarez, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, He continued in the Hibernia until 16 June, 1807, and was afterwards appointed – 21 July, 1807, as First, to the Raleigh 18, Capts. John Ore Masefield, Geo. Sayer, and John Sheridan, in which vessel he cruized in the Atlantic, accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren in 1809, and visited the Baltic – 16 July, 1811, after five months of half-pay, to the Seine 36, Capt. John Hatley, on the coast of North America, where he remained six months – in May, 1813, to the Egmont 74, Capt. Joseph Bingham, employed oif Cherbourg and, under the flag of Rear-Admiral Chas. Vinicombe Penrose, in the operations of 1814 in the river Gironde, where he witnessed the destruction of a French line-of-battle ship, three brigs-of-war, several smaller vessels, and all the forts and batteries on the north side of the river – and, in June, 1814, and Jan. 1816, as Senior, to the Eurotas 38, Capts. Robt. Bloye and Jas. Lillicrap, and Leander 50, Capts. Wm. Skipsey and Edw. Chetham. In the Eurotas he served on the Channel, Cork, and Mediterranean stations; and for his conduct in the Leander at the battle of Algiers he was advanced to the rank of Commander 16 Sept. 1816. He was afterwards, from 29 Sept. 1827 until Jan. 1329, employed at the Cape of Good Hope as Second-Captain in the Maidstone 42, Capt. Chas. Marsh Schomberg; and from 27 June, 1831, until June, 1834, in the Ordinary at Plymouth. Since the date last mentioned he has been on half-pay. He attained his present rank 23 Nov. 1841.
In April, 1817, Capt. Sanders obtained a pension for wounds of 150l. per annum. He was lately Mayor of Devonport, and is married and has issue.