A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wolrige, Thomas
WOLRIGE. (Capt., 1822. f-p., 20; h-p., 31.)
Thomas Wolrige was born 15 Sept. 1782, at Plymouth, and died 1 Dec. 1845, at Stonehouse, Devon. He was brother of Capt. Wm. and Lieut. Chas. Wolrige, R.N.; also of Lieut.-Colonel John Wolrige, R.M., and of Capt. Ambrose A. Rhodes Wolrige, R.M., Barrack-Master at Chatham; and uncle of Lieut. G. R. Wolrige, R.N., and of Chas. Fred. Wolrige, Esq., who died Assistant-Surgeon of the Cruizer 16, Capt. E. G. Fanshawe, in the East Indies, in 1845.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 Aug. 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Cerberus 32, Capt. John Drew, stationed at Cork. In June, 1797, he removed to the De Braak 16, Capt. Jas. Drew, lying at Plymouth; and in Feb. 1798 (he had already attained the rating of Midshipman) he joined the Stag 32, Capts. Joseph Sydney Yorke and Robt. Winthrop, attached to the force in the Channel, where, in 1800, he was again placed with Capt. Yorke in the Jason 36. While serving as Master’s Mate in that frigate, under Capt. Hon. John Murray, he was wrecked on the coast of France and taken prisoner 1 July, 1801. In the following Aug., having regained his liberty, he was received by Capt. Yorke, in the capacity last mentioned, on board the Canada 74. He was made Lieutenant, 29 March, 1802, into the Juste 80, Capt. Sir Edm. Nagle. He left that ship in the course of the next month; and was subsequently appointed – 21 Sept. 1802 and 2 Feb. 1803, to the Glenmore 44 and Boadicea 38, commanded each, in the Channel and at Plymouth, by Capt. John Maitland – in May, 1803, to the San Josef 110, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Cotton in the Channel – 18 July, 1805, to the Aurora 28, Capts. Hon. Geo. Elliot and Geo. Fras. Seymour, in the Mediterranean – 14 May, 1808 to the Christian VII. 80, Capts. Sir J. S. Yorke and Rich. Harward, employed in the Channel and, under the flag of Sir Edw. Pellew, in the North Sea – and, 27 Aug. 1810, to the Dragon 74, flag-ship of Sir Fras. Laforey in the West Indies. While belonging to the Aurora he was again, in the boats of that ship, taken prisoner between Terracina and Gaeta. He was placed in confinement in consequence in Fort St. Elmo, Naples, and was there detained until released by Sir Wm. Sidney Smith in 1806. On 24 Jan. 1811 he was made Commander into the Opossum 10. After serving for nearly four years in her in the West Indies and Channel, he was removed, in Dec. 1814, to the Royalist 18, on the Jamaica station. He invalided home in May, 1815; and was lastly, from 30 Oct. 1821 until advanced to Post-rank 19 July, 1822, employed in the Driver 18, on the coast of Africa.
Capt. Wolrige married, 10 March, 1819, Emma Sophia, daughter of Thos. Ridge, Esq., of Kilmiston, Hants, by whom he has left issue two sons and four daughters. One of his sons, Sydney, is a Lieutenant, R.N.