Edward Thornbrough
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough, GCB
(27 July 1754 – 3 April 1834) was a senior, long-serving veteran officer of the British Royal Navy
during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. He saw action in the American Revolutionary War
, the French Revolutionary Wars
and the Napoleonic Wars
, being wounded several times and once captured by American forces after a shipwreck. During the wreck, his conduct towards American prisoners aboard his ship was considered so exemplary that the American authorities later released him without parole or exchange.
During the later conflict, Thornbrough won praise for taking his frigate into the thick of the action at the Glorious First of June
, towing the shattered HMS Bellerophon
to safety after she was isolated by several French ships of the line. Later, Thornbrough became a senior admiral in both the Channel Fleet
and the Mediterranean Fleet under Cuthbert Collingwood, who held him in high esteem. He retired in 1818 and settled in Devon
with his third wife, dying in 1834.
, and spent two years in the Mediterranean becoming used to the sea. Aged nine in 1763, he attended school whilst being on the books of HMS Firm
. He returned to the sea in 1768 aboard HMS Temeraire with his father. The ship was commanded by Edward Le Cras. Thornbrough would later marry two of Le Cras's daughters.
Temeraire was guardship at Portsmouth
, and in the time of peace this was a monotonous duty. Thornbrough therefore moved around several ships to broaden his education, traveling to Gibraltar
and spending time on HMS Albion
. He moved to HMS Captain
with his father and in 1771 they sailed for Boston
. For two more years the ship acted as guardship in the American port and also provided a floating headquarters for Admiral John Montagu
. Thornbrough performed a brief independent cruise in HMS Cruizer
, but the service was otherwise uneventful and he returned to Britain with Captain in 1774.
, Thornbrough returned to North America in the sloop HMS Falcon
as second in command. Falcon participated in the bombardment of rebel positions during the Battle of Bunker Hill
, and in August Thornbrough was badly wounded in a failed attempt to seize an American schooner from Cape Ann
harbour. Invalided to Britain, Thornbrough recovered in 1776 and joined the frigate HMS Richmond
off the Eastern Seaboard. In 1779 he was transferred to HMS Garland and escorted a convoy to Newfoundland. Returning to Europe in 1780, Thornbrough joined the frigate HMS Flora and in her participated in the capture of the French frigate Nymphe after a long and bloody action.
As consequence of his part in this engagement, Thornbrough was promoted to commander
and took over the hired vessel HMS Britannia escorting a convoy to New York
. On arrival, Thornbrough was again promoted to post captain and took over captaincy of the frigate HMS Blonde. In 1782, Blonde captured an American brig and attempted to tow her to Halifax, Nova Scotia
. During the operation the ship became lost in fog and Blonde was wrecked on a rocky islet whilst the brig continued to Halifax. On the islet, Thornbrough made sure that the American prisoners from the brig were given the same standards of treatment as the British sailors. When the survivors were rescued by two American ships a few days later, the American authorities were so impressed with his behaviour that they conveyed him to New York and released him without conditions as a reward. Returning to Britain, Thornbrough was to be given the ship of the line
HMS Egmont
, but the end of the war prevented this.
on board as a lieutenant. Although the Prince was a notoriously difficult officer to serve alongside, Thornbrough became friends with his subordinate, whose patronage would help him with his future career. Thornbrough married Ann Le Cras in 1784, and Prince William requested that their first son was to be named after him. The son would later become Lieutenant William Henry Thornbrough, but died in 1798 aged 14. The couple would also have another son who became an admiral and four daughters. Also in 1784, Thornbrough's father died. In 1790 during the Spanish armament, Thornbrough briefly took over HMS Scipio
.
At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
, Thornbrough requested and received command of the frigate HMS Latona. In November 1793, Thornbrough engaged several French ships of the line in a vain attempt to delay them until British warships could arrive to challenge them. In May 1794, Latona was a scout for the Channel Fleet
under Lord Howe
during the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
. The campaign resulted in the Glorious First of June
, when Latona was initially used as a repeating ship to relay Howe's signals down the British line. Later in the action however, Thornbrough was called on to take his diminutive ships through the battle lines to rescue the shattered HMS Bellerophon
which was being pounded by several large French ships. Latona not only reached Bellerophon, but then drove off the French battleships with her small broadsides and took the dismasted Bellerophon in tow to safety, all without suffering a casualty.
Thornbrough then took command of the ship of the line HMS Robust
with the Channel Fleet, participated in the ill-fated 1795 invasion of Quiberon Bay
with French Royalist forces. The operation was a failure and Robust was also engaged in its desperate evacuation. Three years later, Thornbrough participated in another invasion, this time thwarting a French attempt to land troops in Ireland
. At the Battle of Donegal, Sir John Borlase Warren
's squadron, including Robust, destroyed a French troops convoy off Tory Island
in the north of Ireland. As reward, Thornbrough was given the thanks of parliament and took over the 90-gun HMS Formidable
, flagship of Sir Charles Cotton
. Formidable then entered the Mediterranean and spent several months searching for an elusive enemy fleet.
in his flagship HMS Mars
. In 1801 his first wife died and a year later, Thornbrough married Elizabeth Jeynes of Bristol
. With the renewal of war in 1803, Thornbrough led a squadron in the North Sea
under Viscount Keith and later was fleet captain to Lord Gardner
. In 1805 he was in HMS Kent
on his way to join Nelson's fleet off Cadiz
when he heard of the Battle of Trafalgar
. That year he was promoted to vice-admiral and led the independent blockade of Rochefort
and later a squadron in the English Channel
from HMS Prince of Wales
.
A period of ill-health required a brief shore leave in 1807, but he was soon back at sea, in HMS Royal Sovereign
. For the next three years he was second in command to Lord Collingwood in the Mediterranean but returned to Britain in December 1809 due to ill-health shortly before his commander's death. Both Collingwood and Earl St Vincent
admired his spirit, professional skill and bravery, but the latter considered that Thornbrough was too indecisive to make a good fleet commander.
and he retired for good in 1818 after just under 50 years of service in the Navy, an exceptionally long career.
Thornbrough lived the rest of his life at Bishopsteignton Lodge in Devon
. In 1825 he was made a Knight Grand Cross. He was however active in naval circles and became Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
and Lieutenant of the Admiralty
in 1833 during his retirement. He died at home in 1834.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(27 July 1754 – 3 April 1834) was a senior, long-serving veteran officer of the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. He saw action in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, being wounded several times and once captured by American forces after a shipwreck. During the wreck, his conduct towards American prisoners aboard his ship was considered so exemplary that the American authorities later released him without parole or exchange.
During the later conflict, Thornbrough won praise for taking his frigate into the thick of the action at the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
, towing the shattered HMS Bellerophon
HMS Bellerophon (1786)
The first HMS Bellerophon of the Royal Navy was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched on 6 October 1786 at Frindsbury on the River Medway, near Chatham. She was built at the shipyard of Edward Greaves to the specifications of the Arrogant, designed by Sir Thomas Slade in 1758, the lead ship...
to safety after she was isolated by several French ships of the line. Later, Thornbrough became a senior admiral in both the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
and the Mediterranean Fleet under Cuthbert Collingwood, who held him in high esteem. He retired in 1818 and settled in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
with his third wife, dying in 1834.
Early career
Thornbrough was born in 1754, the son of Commander Edward and Mary Thornbrough. With a father in the Navy, young Edward's career was destined, especially given his close proximity in his early life to the sea; he was born on Plymouth Dock. Thornbrough joined his father at sea in 1761, as captain's servant on HMS ArrogantHMS Arrogant (1761)
HMS Arrogant was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 22 January 1761 at Harwich. She was the first of the Arrogant class ships of the line, designed by Sir Thomas Slade....
, and spent two years in the Mediterranean becoming used to the sea. Aged nine in 1763, he attended school whilst being on the books of HMS Firm
HMS Firm
Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Firm or Firme., a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line, launched on 15 January 1759...
. He returned to the sea in 1768 aboard HMS Temeraire with his father. The ship was commanded by Edward Le Cras. Thornbrough would later marry two of Le Cras's daughters.
Temeraire was guardship at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, and in the time of peace this was a monotonous duty. Thornbrough therefore moved around several ships to broaden his education, traveling to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and spending time on HMS Albion
HMS Albion (1763)
HMS Albion was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 16 May 1763 at Deptford, being adapted from a design of the old 90-gun ship which had been built in 1730, and was the first ship to bear the name...
. He moved to HMS Captain
HMS Captain (1743)
HMS Captain was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built according to the 1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment at Woolwich Dockyard, and launched on 14 April 1743....
with his father and in 1771 they sailed for Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. For two more years the ship acted as guardship in the American port and also provided a floating headquarters for Admiral John Montagu
John Montagu
John Montagu may refer to:* John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury * John Montagu , Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, 1683–1699* John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu...
. Thornbrough performed a brief independent cruise in HMS Cruizer
HMS Cruizer
Eleven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Cruizer or HMS Cruiser: was a 24-gun sixth rate, previously the French ship De Meric. She was captured in 1705 by HMS Tryton and was wrecked in 1708. was a 14-gun sloop. She was previously named Unity, before being purchased in 1709. She was...
, but the service was otherwise uneventful and he returned to Britain with Captain in 1774.
American Revolutionary War
In 1775, at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Thornbrough returned to North America in the sloop HMS Falcon
HMS Falcon
Twenty-two ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Falcon. They are named after an exceptionally fast bird of prey.*HMS Falcon was a "ballinger" dating from 1334...
as second in command. Falcon participated in the bombardment of rebel positions during the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, and in August Thornbrough was badly wounded in a failed attempt to seize an American schooner from Cape Ann
Cape Ann
Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
harbour. Invalided to Britain, Thornbrough recovered in 1776 and joined the frigate HMS Richmond
HMS Richmond (1757)
HMS Richmond was the name ship of the 32-gun Richmond-class fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1757 and served throughout the American Revolutionary War until captured by the French in 1781.- References :...
off the Eastern Seaboard. In 1779 he was transferred to HMS Garland and escorted a convoy to Newfoundland. Returning to Europe in 1780, Thornbrough joined the frigate HMS Flora and in her participated in the capture of the French frigate Nymphe after a long and bloody action.
As consequence of his part in this engagement, Thornbrough was promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
and took over the hired vessel HMS Britannia escorting a convoy to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. On arrival, Thornbrough was again promoted to post captain and took over captaincy of the frigate HMS Blonde. In 1782, Blonde captured an American brig and attempted to tow her to Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
. During the operation the ship became lost in fog and Blonde was wrecked on a rocky islet whilst the brig continued to Halifax. On the islet, Thornbrough made sure that the American prisoners from the brig were given the same standards of treatment as the British sailors. When the survivors were rescued by two American ships a few days later, the American authorities were so impressed with his behaviour that they conveyed him to New York and released him without conditions as a reward. Returning to Britain, Thornbrough was to be given the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Egmont
HMS Egmont (1768)
HMS Egmont was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 29 August 1768 at Deptford. She was designed by Sir Thomas Slade, and was the only ship built to her draught....
, but the end of the war prevented this.
French Revolutionary Wars
The ten years of peace following the American war resulted in many officers entering semi-retirement on half-pay. Thornbrough however was given the prize frigate HMS Hebe and had Prince William HenryWilliam IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
on board as a lieutenant. Although the Prince was a notoriously difficult officer to serve alongside, Thornbrough became friends with his subordinate, whose patronage would help him with his future career. Thornbrough married Ann Le Cras in 1784, and Prince William requested that their first son was to be named after him. The son would later become Lieutenant William Henry Thornbrough, but died in 1798 aged 14. The couple would also have another son who became an admiral and four daughters. Also in 1784, Thornbrough's father died. In 1790 during the Spanish armament, Thornbrough briefly took over HMS Scipio
HMS Scipio (1782)
HMS Scipio was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 22 October 1782 at Deptford. She was broken up in 1798....
.
At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, Thornbrough requested and received command of the frigate HMS Latona. In November 1793, Thornbrough engaged several French ships of the line in a vain attempt to delay them until British warships could arrive to challenge them. In May 1794, Latona was a scout for the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
under Lord Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
during the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
Atlantic campaign of May 1794
The Atlantic campaign of May 1794 was a series of operations conducted by the British Royal Navy's Channel Fleet against the French Navy's Atlantic Fleet, with the aim of preventing the passage of a strategically important French grain convoy travelling from the United States to France...
. The campaign resulted in the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
, when Latona was initially used as a repeating ship to relay Howe's signals down the British line. Later in the action however, Thornbrough was called on to take his diminutive ships through the battle lines to rescue the shattered HMS Bellerophon
HMS Bellerophon (1786)
The first HMS Bellerophon of the Royal Navy was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched on 6 October 1786 at Frindsbury on the River Medway, near Chatham. She was built at the shipyard of Edward Greaves to the specifications of the Arrogant, designed by Sir Thomas Slade in 1758, the lead ship...
which was being pounded by several large French ships. Latona not only reached Bellerophon, but then drove off the French battleships with her small broadsides and took the dismasted Bellerophon in tow to safety, all without suffering a casualty.
Thornbrough then took command of the ship of the line HMS Robust
HMS Robust (1764)
HMS Robust was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 25 October 1764 at Harwich. She was the only vessel of the Royal Navy to bear the name....
with the Channel Fleet, participated in the ill-fated 1795 invasion of Quiberon Bay
Quiberon Bay
The Baie de Quiberon is an area of sheltered water on the south coast of Brittany. The bay is in the Morbihan département.-Geography:The bay is roughly triangular in shape, open to the south with the Gulf of Morbihan to the north-east and the narrow peninsular of Presqu'île de Quiberon providing...
with French Royalist forces. The operation was a failure and Robust was also engaged in its desperate evacuation. Three years later, Thornbrough participated in another invasion, this time thwarting a French attempt to land troops in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. At the Battle of Donegal, Sir John Borlase Warren
John Borlase Warren
Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet , was an English admiral, politician and diplomat. Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, he was the son and heir of John Borlase Warren of Stapleford and Little Marlow...
's squadron, including Robust, destroyed a French troops convoy off Tory Island
Tory Island
Toraigh is an inhabited island 14.5 km off the northwest coast of County Donegal, Ireland. It is also known in Irish as Oileán Thoraigh, Oileán Thoraí or Oileán Thúr Rí.-Language:The main spoken language on the island is Irish, but English is also understood...
in the north of Ireland. As reward, Thornbrough was given the thanks of parliament and took over the 90-gun HMS Formidable
HMS Formidable (1777)
HMS Formidable was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 20 August 1777 at Chatham. During her career, her armament was increased to 98-guns....
, flagship of Sir Charles Cotton
Sir Charles Cotton, 5th Baronet
Sir Charles Cotton, 5th Baronet was a senior Royal Navy officer of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars whose service continued until his death in command of the Channel Fleet from apoplexy in 1812. During his service, Cotton saw action off the Eastern Seaboard of the Thirteen Colonies and...
. Formidable then entered the Mediterranean and spent several months searching for an elusive enemy fleet.
Napoleonic Wars
In 1801, Thornbrough became a rear-admiral and commanded the inshore squadron off BrestBrest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
in his flagship HMS Mars
HMS Mars (1794)
HMS Mars was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 25 October 1794 at Deptford Dockyard.-Career:In the early part of the French Revolutionary Wars she was assigned to the Channel Fleet. In 1797 under Captain Alexander Hood she was prominent in the Spithead mutiny...
. In 1801 his first wife died and a year later, Thornbrough married Elizabeth Jeynes of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. With the renewal of war in 1803, Thornbrough led a squadron in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
under Viscount Keith and later was fleet captain to Lord Gardner
Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner
Admiral Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner was a British Royal Navy officer and peer of the realm. He became one of the Georgian era's most dashing frigate captains and, ultimately, a respected senior admiral.-Naval career:...
. In 1805 he was in HMS Kent
HMS Kent (1798)
HMS Kent was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 January 1798 at Blackwall Yard.She became a sheer hulk in 1856, and was broken up in 1881....
on his way to join Nelson's fleet off Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
when he heard of the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. That year he was promoted to vice-admiral and led the independent blockade of Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
and later a squadron in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
from HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Prince of Wales (1794)
HMS Prince of Wales was a 98-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 28 June 1794 at Portsmouth.She was present at the Battle of Groix in 1795, and served as the flagship of Admiral Robert Calder at the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805. Prince of Wales was not present at...
.
A period of ill-health required a brief shore leave in 1807, but he was soon back at sea, in HMS Royal Sovereign
HMS Royal Sovereign (1786)
HMS Royal Sovereign was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, which served as the flagship of Admiral Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar. She was the third of seven Royal Navy ships to bear the name. Designed by Sir Edward Hunt, she was launched at Plymouth Dockyard on 11...
. For the next three years he was second in command to Lord Collingwood in the Mediterranean but returned to Britain in December 1809 due to ill-health shortly before his commander's death. Both Collingwood and Earl St Vincent
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
admired his spirit, professional skill and bravery, but the latter considered that Thornbrough was too indecisive to make a good fleet commander.
Retirement
Until 1813, Thornbrough busied himself in command of the Ireland station. In 1813 he again briefly retired as a full admiral and in 1815 was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in recognition of his long service. In 1813 his second wife had died and again he remarried less than a year later, to Frances Le Cras, younger sister of his first wife. Between 1815 and 1818, Thornbrough served as Commander-in-Chief, PortsmouthCommander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
and he retired for good in 1818 after just under 50 years of service in the Navy, an exceptionally long career.
Thornbrough lived the rest of his life at Bishopsteignton Lodge in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. In 1825 he was made a Knight Grand Cross. He was however active in naval circles and became Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. Despite the title, the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is usually a full admiral. He is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary office vested in the Sovereign from...
and Lieutenant of the Admiralty
Lieutenant of the Admiralty
The Lieutenant of the Admiralty is a now honorary office generally held by a senior retired Royal Navy admiral. He is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an office vested in the Sovereign since 1964...
in 1833 during his retirement. He died at home in 1834.