A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Williams, Thomas Mark
WILLIAMS. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 25; h-p., 20.)
Thomas Mark Williams entered the Navy, in 1802, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Northumberland 74, Capt. (afterwards Rear-Admiral) Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, stationed off Ferrol. In June, 1805, having proceeded to the West Indies in pursuit of a French squadron which had escaped from Rochefort, he there removed as Midshipman to the Circe 32, Capts. Jonas Rose, Joseph Spear, and Hugh Pigot. In that frigate he assisted at the capture, in Dec. 1807, and March, 1808, of the Danish islands and of the island of Marie-galante. In Dec. 1808, after he had been for a few weeks employed with Capt. Pigot in the Captain 74, he rejoined Sir Alex. Cochrane on board the Neptune 98, commanded by Capt. Chas. Dilkes. He returned to England in the early part of 1809 in the Achates 14, Capt. Thos. Pinto; he served from May in that year until Aug. 1810 at Portsmouth in the Gladiator 44, Lieut.-Commander John Price; and he then joined in succession the Dragon 74, flag-ship of Sir Fras. Laforey, the Statira 38, Capt. C. Dilkes, the Dragon again, and the Castor 32, Capt. Dilkes, all on his former station, the West Indies; whence he accompanied the officer last mentioned to the Mediterranean. In July, 1814, at which period he had been for two years and four months discharging the duties of Master’s Mate, he sailed in the Havannah 36, Capt. Gawen Wm. Hamilton, for the coast of North America, for the purpose of joining the Tonnant 80, bearing the flag of his patron Sir A. Cochrane. In command of a pinnace belonging to the latter ship we find him participating in much arduous service up the Chesapeake; and present also, 14 Dec. 1814, with the boats of a squadron under Capt. Nicholas Lockyer, at the capture, on Lake Borgne, of five American gun-vessels under Commodore Jones, whose resistance was protracted until the British had sustained a loss of 17 men killed and 77 wounded. While on Lake Borgne he for many weeks never slept out of his boat. For his activity and promptitude of conduct in the execution of his duty he frequently received the thanks of his superiors. He was made Lieutenant, 20 Feb. 1815, on a death-vacancy, into the Thames, armée en flûte, Capts. Hon. Chas. Leonard Irby and Wm. Walpole. He returned home in her from the West Indies in Aug. 1816; and he was employed afterwards – from Dec. 1820 until 1822, in the Seringapatam 46, Capt. Sam. Warren, on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations – from 10 June, 1824, until the commencement of 1831, in the Coast Blockade as a Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74 and Hyperion 42, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm. Jas. Mingaye – and from 16 March, 1831, until the summer of 18.33 in the Coast Guard.
During the war Lieut. Williams frequently distinguished himself in cutting-out expeditions in the West Indies and Mediterranean. He has published a lithographic drawing, executed by himself, representing the gallant attack upon the enemy’s vessels on Lake Borgne.