Royal Naval Biography/Searle, Thomas
THOMAS SEARLE, Esq.
A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath.
[Post-Captain of 1808.]
This officer was born in Devonshire, May 29, 1777. He entered the navy in 1790, and served as a midshipman on board the Mutine cutter, Sphynx of 20 guns. Active and Artois frigates, and Royal George, a first rate (bearing the flag of Lord Bridport), until his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, Aug. 12, 1796. His first commission was given to him by the Admiralty in consequence of that distinguished veteran and the Captain of the Royal George having strongly recommended him to the Board, for his exertions in saving the lives of 7 men who had been swamped in a boat alongside, during a heavy gale of wind. This favorable opportunity of displaying his intrepidity occurred a very few days after he passed his examination. We subsequently find him commanding the Courier hired cutter, mounting 12 four-pounders, with a complement of 40 men.
On the 12 May, 1799, Lieutenant Searle discovered a large brig in the act of capturing an English merchant sloop, near Winterton, on the coast of Norfolk. Regardless of the enemy’s superior force, which was very manifest, he immediately made sail, brought him to action, and continued at close quarters for an hour and forty minutes, during which the brig received considerable damage; but being a better sailer than the Courier, and having the advantage of the wind, she was at length enabled to escape. On this occasion the British cutter had only 5 men wounded. In the course of the following day she captured, without any resistance, the Ribotteur schooner, of 6 guns and 26 men, a consort of her late opponent, which turned out to be a French privateer, mounting 16 long nines and sixes[1].
On the 10th July following, Lieutenant Searle assisted at the capture of three valuable merchant vessels, and the destruction of a galliot laden with ordnance stores, near the island of Ameland. The very gallant manner in which he subsequently attacked a brig mountings eighteen, 2 twenty-four, and 2 thirty-two-pounder carronades, with a complement of 60 men, lying moored between Schiermonikoog and the main land of Groningen, has been described at p. 234 of our second volume. On the 23d Nov. in the same year, he captured le Guerrier, French cutter privateer, of 14 four-pounders and 44 men, after a close action of 50 minutes, during which the Courier had her Master slain, and 2 seamen wounded; the enemy 4 killed and 6 wounded[2].
Three days after this last exploit, Lieutenant Searle was deservedly advanced to the rank of Commander, as a reward for his meritorious services in the Courier; but he does not appear to have -been afforded any further opportunity of distinguishing himself previous to the peace of Amiens.
in 1804, this officer was successively appointed to the Perseus bomb, Helder defence-ship, and Autumn sloop of war. He was also entrusted with the charge of one of the principal explosion vessels attached to the “catamaran expedition,”" of which notice has been taken p. 45 et seq. of this volume[3]. His subsequent appointments, as Commander, were to the Fury bomb, about Feb. 1806; and to the Grasshopper brig, at the latter end of the same year.
In Nov. 1807, we find Captain Searle employed watching the harbour of Carthagena; and in the following month he captured a Spanish brig of war, as will be seen by the following extracts from his official report, addressed to Sir Thomas Livingston, Bart.:
“H.M. sloop Grasshopper, Dec. 12, 1807.
“Sir,– I have to acquaint you, that yesterday, when looking out off Cape Palos, agreeably to your directions, I discovered a number of the enemy’s vessels at anchor under the Cape: his Catholic Majesty’s brig San Josef, of 12 twenty-four-pounders and 99 men, commanded by Don Antonio de Torres, got under weigh, and came out to attack H.M. sloop under my command, accompanied by the two Spanish vessels of war named in the margin (viz. Medusa, of 10 twenty-four-pounders and 77 men; and Aigle, of 8 guns, same calibre, and 50 men.). The San Josef I brought to close action, when, after 15 minutes resistance, she struck her colours and ran on shore; upon which I anchored, and with the greatest exertions of my officers and crew, succeeded in getting her off, The other two vessels bore up, and made sail from us, immediately the brig struck, or I have no doubt we should have captured the whole of them * * * *. In this affair we had 2 men severely wounded[4]: the loss of the enemy I could not ascertain, as a number of them jumped overboard, and I fear a great many of them were drowned * * * * * *.
(Signed)“T. Searle.”
By the foregoing statement it will be seen, that the combined force of the enemy was 30 twenty-four-pounders and 226 men: the Grasshopper mounted 16 thirty-two-pounders and 2 long sixes, with a complement of 120 men. Lord Collingwood, when reporting this action to the Admiralty, informed their lordships that they would see in his communication “an instance of that zeal and enterprise which marked the general conduct of her commander”; whose admirable behaviour off Cadiz, on the 4th April 1808, is thus described by Captain (now Sir Murray) Maxwell, in a public letter to Rear-Admiral Purvis, the senior officer on that station:
“Sir,– I have the honor to inform you, that when at anchor to day with H.M. ship Mercury, and Grasshopper brig, St. Sebastian’s lighthouse S.E., distant 3 miles, wind W.S.W., a large convoy of the enemy was discovered, coming along shore from the northward, under the protection of about twenty gun-boats, and a numerous train of flying artillery on the beach. At 3 P.M. I made the signal to weigh and attack the convoy, and stood directly in for the body of them, then off the town of Rota; at 4, the enemy’s shot and shells from the gun-boats and batteries going far over us, H.M. ships opened their fire, which was kept up with great vivacity until half-past 6, when we had taken seven of the convoy, and drove a great many others on shore in the surf; compelled the gun-boats to retreat, which they did very reluctantly, and not until two of them were destroyed; and actually silenced the batteries at Rota; which latter service was performed by the extraordinary gallantry and good conduct of Captain Searle, who kept in upon the shoal to the southward of the town, so near as to drive the enemy from their guns with grape from his carronades, and at the same time kept in check a division of gun-boats that had come out from Cadiz to assist the others engaged by the Alceste and Mercury. It was a general cry in both ships, ‘Only look how nobly the brig behaves!’ * * * * * *. It is with much pleasure I have to add, that the frigates received no material damage; but the Grasshopper, I am sorry to say, is a great deal damaged in the hull, her main-top-mast is shot through, and her shrouds, sails, and running rigging are cut almost to pieces; she had one man mortally wounded, the gunner and two others wounded, but not severely. The captured vessels are all loaded on government account for the arsenal at Cadiz; and, I am happy to say, there is a very considerable quantity of valuable ship timber taken.”
Nineteen days after this exploit, and two previous to the date of his post commission, Captain Searle had the good fortune to capture two Spanish merchant vessels from South America, each having a cargo worth 30,000l. sterling. When first discovered, they were proceeding alongshore, under the protection of four gun-boats; but on being chased by the Grasshopper and another brig[5], they pushed in among the shoals near Faro, and anchored close to a battery. Captain Searle and his consort immediately brought up within range of grape, and after a severe action of 2 hours and 30 minutes succeeded in obtaining possession of them. Two of the gun-boats were also taken, the others driven a-shore, and the people in the battery obliged to desert their guns. In the execution of this service, the Grasshopper had one man killed, and her commander and three seamen severely wounded[6]; besides suffering greatly in her hull, masts, sails, and rigging. The Rapid was likewise much cut up, and had three persons badly wounded. The enemy’s loss must have been very severe, as the captured gun-boats alone had 40 killed and wounded.
After his promotion to post rank, April 25, 1808, Captain Searle was appointed in succession to the Fredereickstein 32, Elizabeth 74, and Druid frigate[7]. On leaving the Grasshopper, a sword, value 80 guineas, was presented to him by her crew, as a mark of their respect and attachment. In the course of the same year, he received a piece of plate, value 100 guineas, from the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd’s; and in June, 1815, he obtained the insignia of C.B., as a further reward for his meritorious exertions.
In Sept. 1818, we find Captain Searle commissioning the Hyperion 42, of which frigate he retained the command until her return from South America, in Mar. 1821. Previous to his proceeding thither he had the honor of attending on our present monarch during an aquatic excursion in the vicinity of Portsmouth. The Hyperion brought home specie to the amount of half a million sterling, and was paid off April 25, 1821.
Captain Searle married the daughter of Joseph Maddock, Esq. of Portsmouth dock-yard, by whom he has had three sons and eight daughters: two of the former are deceased.
Agent.– J. Hinxman, Esq.
- ↑ A privateer lugger was in sight to leeward during the whole of the above action, but did not attempt to interfere.
- ↑ Lieutenant Searle was severely burnt by an explosion of gunpowder, in one of the above actions; but which of them we cannot remember.
- ↑ See note at p. 46.
- ↑ Captain Searle was himself wounded in the head by a splinter; but he does not mention that circumstance in the letter now before us.
- ↑ The Rapid of 12 guns, commanded by Lieutenant Henry Baugh.
- ↑ Captain Searle was shot through the thigh by a musket-ball – whereas in his official letter he modestly says “myself slightly wounded!!!”
- ↑ See Vol. II, Part I., p. 298.