A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Tucker, Thomas Tudor
TUCKER, C.B. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 22; h-p., 32.)
Thomas Tudor Tucker, born 29 June, 1775, is third son, by Frances, eldest daughter of his Excellency Geo. Bruere, Governor of the Bermudas, of Henry Tucker, Esq., many years President of the Council, Treasurer and Secretary, and at times Acting- Governor of those islands. One of his brothers, Henry St. George, is a Director of the Hon.E.I.Co.; a second, George, a Lieut.-Colonel in the Army and Assistant-Adjutant-General under Sir Arthur Wellesley (now Duke of Wellington), perished in the Primrose 18, Capt. Jas. Mein, on his passage back to Portugal, after a short leave of absence, 22 Jan. 1809; a third, John G. P., also a Lieut.-Colonel in the Army, has served in India, at the Cape of Good Hope, at Monte Video, in Canada, and in France a fourth, Nathaniel B., a Captain in the Army and Brigade-Major to Sir Miles Nightingale, shared the fate of his brother George in the Primrose; a fifth, William, a Lieut.-Colonel in the Hon.E.I.Co.’s service and Deputy-Quartermaster-General at the Presidency of Bombay, died at sea while returning home on leave of absence in 1826; a sixth, Charlton B., a Major in the Army, formerly of the 24th Dragoons, and late of the 3rd, or King’s Own, Regt. of Light Dragoons, served as aide-de-camp to Sir M. Nightingale when Commander-in-Chief of the army at Bombay; and a seventh, Richard A., at one time Chief-Justice at Newfoundland, is now in the Registrar’s office at Toronto, in Canada.
This officer (he had previously, as a Midshipman in the E.I.Co.’s service, made one voyage to China and another to Bombay) entered the Navy, towards the close of 1793, as Master’s Mate, on board the Argo 44, Capt. Wm. Clark, about at the time to sail from the Nore for the purpose of affording protection to the homeward-bound Baltic trade. In the early part of 1795 he joined in succession the Jason 38, Capt. Chas. Stirling, and Sampson 64 and Victorious 74, both commanded by his former Captain, Clark, with whom, in the latter ship, he sailed foi? the Cape of Good Hope. During the operations which led to the reduction of that colony he was employed with the naval brigade landed to co-operate with the troops under Major-General Craig. At the commencement of 1796, soon after he had been removed to the Monarch 74, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Keith Elphinstone, Mr. Tucker (whose time in the Company’s service was allowed by the Commander-in-Chief, as a mark of extraordinary favour, to count as if it had been served on board a King’s ship), passed his examination; and on 21 March and 19 Nov. in the same year, and 19 Feb. 1797 and 16 June, 1799, he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Suffolk 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Peter Rainier, Swift sloop, Capt. Thos. Hayward, Victorious, Capt. Clark, and Sceptre 64, Capt. Valentine Edwards, all on the East India station. In the Swift he performed the duties of First-Lieutenant; and while in the Sceptre, which ship the state of his health had obliged him to join for a passage home, he commanded her boats, and obtained the warmest thanks of his Captain for his conduct, at the capture and destruction, 19 Sept. 1799, of L’Éclair French brig-privateer, mounting 12 guns, with a complement of 83 men, moored close to the shore, within a reef of rocks, at the island of Rodriguez.[1] The Sceptre being lost 5 Nov. following, in Table Bay, with about 290 of her officers and crew, Mr. Tucker, who was fortunately at the time on shore, was under the necessity of returning to England at his own expense, although charged with the despatches of Sir Geo. Tonge, Governor of the Cape. On his arrival in London, in May, 1800, he found himself obliged to pass a second examination at Somerset Place, the Admiralty having refused to make allowance for the time he had served at sea before entering the Navy. As soon, however, as he had done so he was, on 20 of the same month, made Lieutenant into the Prince George 98, Capt. Jas. Walker, in which ship and the Prince 98, commanded by the same officer and by Lord Northesk, he continued employed in the Channel until the peace of Amiens. While over-exerting himself in the performance of his duty on board the Prince he unfortunately received a rupture. His next appointment was, 29 June, 1803, to the Northumberland 74, Capt., afterwards Rear-Admiral, Hon. Alex Cochrane, stationed at first off Ferrol and then in the West Indies. On 6 May, 1805, being on his passage in the Unicorn 32, Capt. Lucius Ferdinand Hardyman, with despatches for Sir John Borlase Warren, he took command, as a volunteer, of one of four boats belonging to that frigate, and assisted at the capture, near St. Domingo, after a pull of many hours and in the face of a strong opposition, of the Tape-à-bord French privateer, mounting 4 six-pounders, with a complement of 46 well-armed men. Having rejoined the Northumberland, Mr. Tucker was present in her, 6 Feb. 1806, in Sir John Duckworth’s action. On 11 March and 2 April following he was nominated Acting-Commander of the Dolphin 44 and Dart sloop. He was subsequently again placed under Sir A. Cochrane in the Belleisle 74; and on 15 Feb. 1808, after he had afresh acted as Commander in the Curieux sloop, he was officially promoted to that rank. In the ensuing April he was appointed to the Epervier 16, and in her he was present with a small squadron under the command of Capt. Fras. Augustus Collier in a successful attack made in Dec. of the same year upon a French brig of war, Le Cigne, and two schooners, protected by several batteries between Pearl Rock and the town of St. Pierre, Martinique. In Feb. 1809 we find Capt. Tucker, who had removed to the Cherub 18, co-operating in the reduction of the latter island. While attached, next, to a squadron under the orders of Capt. Philip Beaver he volunteered, aided by the Julia brig, Capt. Wm. Dowers, to board and bring out the two French frigates Furieuse and Félicité from under a very strong fort on the high land commanding the anchorage at Basse-terre, Guadeloupe. In his effort, however, to enter the roadstead and carry this noble enterprise into execution he was thwarted. He had received in passing the fire of two batteries, and was indulging in the idea of being soon alongside the enemy, when, to his mortification, the wind by which he had been hitherto favoured died away. Ordering, with great presence of mind, the helm to be put hard a-starboard, he had just time, before the Cherub and Julia lost their way, to get out of gun-shot of a third heavy battery, then just opening upon them. So well pleased was Capt. Beaver, who was an eye-witness of what occurred, at the promptitude and tact with which Capt. Tucker extricated himself and his consort from their perilous position, that he declared that as much credit was due to him as if he had actually brought the frigates out, and promised to report his conduct accordingly. The Furieuse and Félicité afterwards, on the night of 14 June, 1809, effected their escape, but were closely pursued by the Cherub, who maintained the chase, latterly in company with the Latona 38, Capt. Hugh Pigot, until the night of the 16th, when she lost sight of them. In Feb. 1810 Capt. Tucker contributed to the capture of Guadeloupe; and on 1 Aug. 1811, so satisfied were the Lords of the Admiralty with the report made by Sir Fras. Laforey (who had succeeded Sir Alex. Cochrane in the chief command on the Leeward Islands station) of the state in which his ship was kept, and of the discipline of her crew, that they invested the Cherub with the rating of a Post-ship, and re-appointed him to her, with proportionate rank. He at length at the end of Sept. 1812, returned home from the West Indies in charge of a convoy of 96 sail; and in a little more than two months from that period, having been ordered to refit for foreign service, he was on his way to South America. During the time that the Cherub had been in dock at Portsmouth, her crew had been allowed a month’s leave of absence; and although it was known that she was going abroad, it is worthy of remark that, at the time of her departure, not one of them was absent from his duty. The fact that (notwithstanding many of her people had been seven years in the West Indies) it was found unnecessary to make application for a single man to the flag-ship was thought by the Port-Admiral, Sir Rich. Bickerton, so rare, that he declared he would make an official representation of it to the Board. Most of the Epervier’s officers, and all her crew, to the credit of Capt. Tucker be it recorded, had volunteered to follow him into the Cherub – and this, too, at a time when their own vessel was on the point of returning home. On 28 March, 1814, the Cherub was in company with the Phoebe of 46 guns and 300 men, Capt. Jas. Hillyar, at the capture, off Valparaiso, of the United States frigate Essex of 46 guns and 265 men. ”My friend, Capt. Tucker,” says Capt. Hillyar, in the despatch he wrote on the occasion, “an officer worthy of their Lordships’ best attention, was severely wounded [2] at the commencement of the action, but remained on deck until it terminated, using every exertion against the baffling winds and occasional calms which followed the heavy firing to close near the enemy. He informs me that his officers and crew, of whose loyalty, zeal, and discipline I entertain the highest opinion, conducted themselves to his satisfaction.”[3] While engaged with the Essex the Cherub’s larboard fore-topsail sheet was shot away, but was replaced in five minutes; several of her lower shrouds were cut through, also the main topmast-stay, and most of the running rigging; and three or four shot struck her hull. 1 marine was killed, and 2 others, in addition to her Captain, wounded. On her arrival home, in Aug. 1815, with a fleet of merchantmen from the Brazils, she was paid off. Capt. Tucker’s last appointments were, in Dec. 1815 and Jan. 1816, to the Andromeda 22 and Comus 22, both on the Home station. In the latter vessel he remained five months. He was nominated a C.B. 4 July, 1840; and, from 19 Feb. 1842 until he accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846, was in the enjoyment of the Captain’s good-service pension.
The Rear-Admiral married, 23 Jan. 1811, Anne Byam Wyke, eldest daughter of Daniel Hill, Esq., a merchant and landed proprietor in the island of Antigua, by whom he has had issue two sons and three daughters. His only surviving son, Tudor, is a Lieutenant of Cavalry. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.