A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wills, Thomas George
WILLS. (Captain, 1835. f-p., 28; h-p., 27.)
Thomas George Wills died 11 May, 1847.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1792, as a Volunteer, on board the Windsor Castle 98, Capt. Thos. Byard, in which ship, bearing the flags in succession of Admirals Philip Cosby, Robt. Mann, and Robt. Linzee, he served at the occupation of Toulon and in Hotham’s partial actions 14 March and 13 July, 1795. In Feb. 1797 he removed to the Cambridge 74, guard-ship at Plymouth; he served next, from the following Dec. until Feb. 1798, in the Saldanha frigate, Capt. Geo. Burlton, on the Western station; and in Oct. 1801, after he had been for rather more than three years attached as Midshipman, in the Channel and Baltic, to the Russel 74, Capts. Sir Henry Trollope, Herbert Sawyer, and Wm. Cuming, part of Lord Nelson’s fleet at the battle of Copenhagen, he joined the Wasp 18, Capt. Chas. Bullen, and sailed for the coast of Africa, where he assisted in affording protection to Sierra Leone at a time when its existence as a British colony was threatened by a powerful combination of the native chiefs. In July, 1802, he became Admiralty-Mate, on the Home station, of the Acasta 40, Capts. Jas. Athol Wood and Jas. Oswald. He was afterwards, from 30 June, 1804, until 10 May, 1814, a prisoner-of-war in France. He was promoted during that period to the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 22 Jan, 1806. In July, 1814, he was appointed to the Chatham 74, Capt. David Lloyd, lying at Chatham; and in the ensuing Sept. to the Trent, flag-ship at Cork of Sir Herbert Sawyer, who placed him in command, 8 Dec. in the same year, of the Castilian sloop. He served in the Trent again from Jan. until Dec. 1815; in the Coast Blockade, as First of the Severn 50, Capt. Wm. M‘Cullooh, from 15 March, 1817, until promoted to the rank of Commander 27 May, 1820; and in the Coast Guard from 6 July, 1830, until promoted to Post-rank 7 Jan. 1835.
Capt. Wills had been left a widower 5 May, 1844. His only son, Wm. Burrows Wills, a Lieutenant R.N. (1843), died 27 March in the latter year, while serving on the coast of Africa in the Alert sloop, Capt. C. J. Bosanquet.