Royal Naval Biography/Arscott, Thomas
THOMAS ARSCOTT, Esq.
[Commander.]
Son of Thomas Arscott, M.D., of Teignmouth, co. Devon; and was born at that place Aug. 24th, 1779. He entered the royal navy in June, 1796, as midshipman on board the Mercury 28, commanded by the late Viscount Torrington, and then about to sail for Newfoundland, where he did duty on shore with the garrison, during the blockade of St. John’s harbour, by a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Richery[1]. He next served in the Camilla 24, Captain (now Vice-Admiral) Poyntz; and subsequently in the Galatea 32, Captain Byng; the Royal George first rate, bearing the flag of Lord Bridport; and the Leviathan 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Duckworth, at the reduction of the Swedish and Danish islands, in the West Indies, Mar. 1801[2].
After the occupation of the said colonies, Mr. Arscott was appointed acting lieutenant of the Fairy 18, in which sloop he continued, under Captain Frederick Warren and his successors, until superseded by order of the Admiralty, and obliged to rejoin the Leviathan, as midshipman. A subsequent appointment, however, (to the Ceres troop-ship) was confirmed at home, July 18th, 1802.
We next find Mr. Arscott serving as lieutenant of the Indefatigable frigate, Captain (now Sir Graham) Moore, at the capture and destruction of four Spanish treasure-ships, Oct. 5th, 1804[3]. He also assisted in cutting out the French national brig le Caesar, from the river Gironde, July 16th, 1806, on which occasion he was slightly wounded[4].
from the Indefatigable, this officer was removed into the Marlborough 74, previous to her escorting the royal family of Portugal from Europe to Brazil[5]. After his return from that station, with Captain Moore, he proceeded in the same ship, under the pro-tempore command of Captain (now Sir John) Phillimore, to the river Scheldt, where he was very actively employed during the whole of the operations connected with the Walcheren expedition, particularly at the destruction of the basin, arsenal, and sea-defences of Flushing, in Dec. 1809[6].
In the beginning of 1812, Mr. Arscott was appointed first of the Chatham 74, a new ship just commissioned by Captain Moore; and on that officer being promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, he accompanied him to the Baltic, as his flag-lieutenant, in the Warrior 74. He obtained a commander’s commission on the 7th June, 1814; spent the remainder of his days in retirement; and died at Chudleigh, co. Devon, in June, 1827.
Captain Arscott’s eldest sister is the wife of Lieutenant; Henry Beddek, R.N. His brother, James Arscott, was with the late Sir Eliab Harvey, in the Temeraire 98, at the battle of Trafalgar; and latterly served as first lieutenant of the Nymphe frigate, and Bulwark 74, both commanded by that active officer, the late Captain Farmery P. Epworth. Being disappointed in obtaining promotion at the peace, he retired from the service in disgust, broke a blood vessel, and died lamented by all who knew him, both as an officer and a private gentleman.