A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Thompson, John (a)
THOMPSON. (Retired Commander, 1848. f-p., 10;[1] h-p., 34.)
John Thompson (a) entered the Navy, 6 April, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Clyde 38, Capt. John Larmour, stationed in the North Sea; and from Sept. 1804 until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 7 June, 1809, was employed in the Mediterranean and Channel, part of the time as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Beagle sloop, Capts. Digby and Fras. Newcombe. Under the latter officer he contributed to the capture, 2 Oct. 1808 and 24 Jan. and 18 Feb. 1809, of the privateers 'Hazard' of 14 guns and 49 men, Vengeur of 16 guns and 48 men, and Fortune of 14 guns and 58 men. He was also present in Lord Cochrane’s celebrated attack upon the French shipping in Aix Roads, 12 April, 1809. The Beagle on that occasion particularly signalized herself; and on the 18th she was for five hours in action, at the mouth of the Charente, and under a fire of shells from Ile d’Aix, with L’Océan 120, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Willaumez, a two-decker, and a frigate; at the close whereof she had only three barrels of powder left besides the cartridges, which were filled. Mr. Thompson’s last appointments were – 14 Oct. 1809, to the Caesar 80, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Wm. Albany Otway, off Flushing and Lisbon – 30 May, 1810, for nearly five months, to the Talbot sloop, Capt. Hon. Alex. Jones, on the Irish station – 22 Feb. 1811, to the gun-boat service at Cadiz – 8 May following and 12 April, 1813, to the Stately 64 and Impétueux 74, Capts. Edw. Stirling Dickson and Chas. Philip Butler Bateman, stationed at Cadiz and at Lisbon – 11 May, 1815, after nearly two years of half-pay, to the gun-boat service at Deal, where he remained until the following Aug. – and 1 Nov. 1823, to the Transport-service. He was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 24 Jan. 1845; and placed on the list of Retired Commanders 5 Jan. 1848. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
- ↑ Not including transport time.