Sir Thomas Pasley, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, 1st Baronet (2 March 1734 – 29 November 1808) was a senior and highly-experienced British Royal Navy
officer of the eighteenth century, who served with distinction at numerous actions of the Seven Years War, American Revolutionary War
and French Revolutionary Wars
. In his youth he was renowned as an efficient and able frigate
officer and in later life became a highly respected squadron commander in the Channel Fleet
. It was during the latter service when he was awarded his baronetcy after losing a leg at the Glorious First of June
, aged 60.
, Dumfriesshire
. He was the brother of Gilbert Pasley (1733–1781), Surgeon-General of Madras, and Margaret, the wife of Sir John Malcolm
. Gilbert's daughter, Eliza, married Sir Robert Campbell (1771–1858) 1st Bt., of Carrick Buoy, Co. Donegal, a director of the East India Company
and a commissioner for the lieutenancy of London
.
Thomas entered the Royal Navy
in 1751 aged 16, and served as a midshipman
aboard the sixth-rate
frigate
HMS Garland. Pasley's first captain was Maurice Suckling
, who commanded him in the sloop HMS Weazel off Jamaica
. Pasley later moved to the ship of the line
HMS Dreadnought
under Robert Digby
, who was impressed enough with the young officer to bring him along when Digby was transferred to HMS Bideford in 1757.
on the Siege of Rochefort, when a British combined naval and land force failed disastrously to capture the strategic French port.
Pasley took his first solo command later in the year with the small fireship HMS Roman Emperor, but he soon requested service on a bigger ship, joining his cousin John Elliot, who was captain of the frigate HMS Hussar. In November, Elliot used his small ship to destroy the 50-gun French fourth-rate
Alcyon, and in early 1758 he captured the French privateer Vengeance. The two officers later moved to the larger frigate HMS Aeolus and in 1759 captured the corvette Mignonne from within Brest Roads.
In 1760, Aeolus was blown off course during blockade duties off France and put in to reprovision at Kinsale
. There Elliot heard a rumour of a French invasion force landing at Carrickfergus
and put to sea in the hope of intercepting the enemy squadron. Aeolus was joined by HMS Brilliant
and HMS Pallas
and the three frigates attacked the French squadron under François Thurot
off the Isle of Man
. In a sharp encounter, all three French ships were lost, Pasley leading the charge aboard Thurot's flagship Marischal de Belle Isle which captured the vessel and during which Thurot was killed. Pasley became first lieutenant as a result of this action and spent the remained of the war on Aeolus in the English Channel
and subsequently off the Spanish coast on commerce raiding activities.
In 1762, with the war coming to a close, Pasley was made commander
and given the small ship HMS Albany
with which to convoy merchant ships across the Irish Sea
. At the pace in 1763 he retained this duty in the 8-gun HMS Ranger and was also employed in seizing smugglers between the islands. In 1769, Pasley joined HMS Weazel which was tasked with transporting structural engineers to the Guinea
coast. Arriving in the worst of the wet season, Weazel soon became infested with malaria and all four engineers and the majority of the crew succumbed and died in a short period. So depleted was Weazel's crew that Pasley was forced to impress
sailors from West African merchant ships in order to return to Britain safely.
in 1771, Pasley was promoted to post captain and took command of HMS Seahorse
in the West Indies. In 1772 he returned to Britain on half-pay and married Mary Heywood, daughter of the chief justice of the Isle of Man. The marriage was a love match and the couple had two daughters. Pasley remained on half-pay until the American Revolutionary War
in 1776, when he was given command of the sloop HMS Glasgow
.
Pasley's first duty was escorting a convoy to the West Indies, which he did swiftly and successfully, his wife being presented with plate in reward for his services. He remained on the Jamaica
station for the next two years, capturing numerous enemy ships and making a substantial amount in prize money. He returned in 1778 and was placed in command of the half finished HMS Sybil, which was launched in 1779. In her he cruised off Cape St Vincent and later guided a convoy to Newfoundland and a second one back safely. In 1780 he sailed for the Cape of Good Hope
and brought back all the documentation and several survivors from Captain James Cook
's expedition to the Pacific, including Nathaniel Portlock.
For these services, Pasley was given the 50-gun HMS Jupiter
and in her served in several squadrons and actions, fighting the French at the Battle of Porto Praya
under George Johnstone and the Dutch at the Battle of Saldanha Bay (1781)
. On both occasions Pasley was directly responsible for destroying numerous enemy war and merchant ships. In 1782 he convoyed Admiral Hugh Pigot
to the West Indies and then cruised off Havanna, destroying seven merchants from a convoy and then driving off two Spanish ships of the line when the tried to intervene. At the war's conclusion in 1783, Jupiter was paid off and Pasley returned to half-pay.
. Pasley served in HMS Vengeance
and HMS Bellerophon
until in 1794 at the start of the French Revolutionary Wars
, he was made rear-admiral. Remaining in Bellerophon, Pasley commanded the van squadron of the British fleet during the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
and led the action on 28 May. Further engaged on 29 May, Pasley was seriously wounded in the general action of the Glorious First of June
when Lord Howe's
fleet defeated Villaret de Joyeuse's French. Pasley's leg was torn off by cannon shot and he retired below early in the action. his life being saved by emergency surgery.
Pasley did not serve in a sea-going capacity again, but was rewarded with promotion, over £1,500 worth of gifts, a baronetcy and numerous other awards. He was later promoted again, and became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1798. In March 1799 he became Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
, but his age and wound prevented active service and he retired in 1801 as a full admiral. Pasley died in 1808 at his estate near Winchester
of dropsy. Although he had no male heirs, his baronetcy and estate were passed by special provision to his grandson Thomas Sabine Pasley
, later an admiral in his own right.
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...
officer of the eighteenth century, who served with distinction at numerous actions of the Seven Years War, 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...
and 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...
. In his youth he was renowned as an efficient and able frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
officer and in later life became a highly respected squadron commander in 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...
. It was during the latter service when he was awarded his baronetcy after losing a leg 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...
, aged 60.
Early career
Thomas Pasley was born in 1734 to James and Magdalen Pasley. Thomas was the fifth of the eleven Pasley children, a family of minor landowners in the village of Craig, near LangholmLangholm
Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the River Esk and the A7 road.- History:...
, Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
. He was the brother of Gilbert Pasley (1733–1781), Surgeon-General of Madras, and Margaret, the wife of Sir John Malcolm
John Malcolm
Major-general Sir John Malcolm was a Scottish soldier, statesman, and historian-Early life:Born at Burnfoot, Dumfriesshire, Malcolm was the son of George Malcolm, a gentleman farmer of Eskdale and Burnfoot. Jock, as he was then known, was one of the four Malcolm brothers who attained knighthoods...
. Gilbert's daughter, Eliza, married Sir Robert Campbell (1771–1858) 1st Bt., of Carrick Buoy, Co. Donegal, a director of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
and a commissioner for the lieutenancy of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Thomas entered the 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...
in 1751 aged 16, and served as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
aboard the sixth-rate
Sixth-rate
Sixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Garland. Pasley's first captain was Maurice Suckling
Maurice Suckling
Captain Maurice Suckling was a Royal Navy officer who was instrumental in the training of his nephew, Horatio Nelson.-Seven Years War:...
, who commanded him in the sloop HMS Weazel off Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. Pasley later moved to 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 Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (1742)
HMS Dreadnought was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built according to the 1733 proposals of the 1719 Establishment at Deptford, and launched on 23 June 1742....
under Robert Digby
Robert Digby (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Robert Digby was an officer in the Royal Navy officer who also served briefly as an Member of Parliament .- Naval career :...
, who was impressed enough with the young officer to bring him along when Digby was transferred to HMS Bideford in 1757.
Seven Years War
On Bideford, Pasley served as temporary lieutenant on a bullion convoy operation from the West Indies to Britain. As the Seven Years War had broken out the year before, the mission to carry £3,000 across the Atlantic was dangerous, but Bideford crossed safely and Pasley personally escorted the gold to London, being officially promoted to lieutenant shortly afterwards. Pasley continued to serve with Digby after his promotion, joining the ship of the line HMS DunkirkHMS Dunkirk (1754)
HMS Dunkirk was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment as amended in 1750, and launched on 22 July 1754.-Career:...
on the Siege of Rochefort, when a British combined naval and land force failed disastrously to capture the strategic French port.
Pasley took his first solo command later in the year with the small fireship HMS Roman Emperor, but he soon requested service on a bigger ship, joining his cousin John Elliot, who was captain of the frigate HMS Hussar. In November, Elliot used his small ship to destroy the 50-gun French fourth-rate
Fourth-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a fourth rate was, during the first half of the 18th century, a ship of the line mounting from 46 up to 60 guns. While the number of guns stayed subsequently in the same range up until 1817, after 1756 the ships of 50 guns and below were considered too weak to stand in...
Alcyon, and in early 1758 he captured the French privateer Vengeance. The two officers later moved to the larger frigate HMS Aeolus and in 1759 captured the corvette Mignonne from within Brest Roads.
In 1760, Aeolus was blown off course during blockade duties off France and put in to reprovision at Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
. There Elliot heard a rumour of a French invasion force landing at Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
and put to sea in the hope of intercepting the enemy squadron. Aeolus was joined by HMS Brilliant
HMS Brilliant (1757)
HMS Brilliant was one of the three 36-gun Venus-class fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1757 and served until sold in 1776.- References :...
and HMS Pallas
HMS Pallas (1757)
HMS Pallas was one of the three 36-gun Venus-class fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1757 and served until her loss in 1783.- References :...
and the three frigates attacked the French squadron under François Thurot
François Thurot
François Thurot was a French privateer, merchant naval captain and smuggler who terrorised British shipping in the early part of the Seven Years' War....
off the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. In a sharp encounter, all three French ships were lost, Pasley leading the charge aboard Thurot's flagship Marischal de Belle Isle which captured the vessel and during which Thurot was killed. Pasley became first lieutenant as a result of this action and spent the remained of the war on Aeolus 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...
and subsequently off the Spanish coast on commerce raiding activities.
In 1762, with the war coming to a close, Pasley was made 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 given the small ship HMS Albany
HMS Albany
Three ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Albany: was a 14-gun sloop launched in 1745 and captured by the French in 1746.*HMS Albany was a 14-gun sloop, launched in 1744 as . She was renamed HMS Albany in 1747 and was sold in 1763. was the ex-American Rittenhouse. She was purchased in...
with which to convoy merchant ships across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
. At the pace in 1763 he retained this duty in the 8-gun HMS Ranger and was also employed in seizing smugglers between the islands. In 1769, Pasley joined HMS Weazel which was tasked with transporting structural engineers to the Guinea
Guinea (region)
Guinea is a traditional name for the region of Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea. It stretches north through the forested tropical regions and ends at the Sahel.-History:...
coast. Arriving in the worst of the wet season, Weazel soon became infested with malaria and all four engineers and the majority of the crew succumbed and died in a short period. So depleted was Weazel's crew that Pasley was forced to impress
Impressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
sailors from West African merchant ships in order to return to Britain safely.
American Revolutionary War
After briefly serving on HMS PomonaHMS Pomona
Two Royal Navy ships have borne the name HMS Pomona:, the 18-gun French sloop-of-war Cheveret captured on 30 January 1761 and wrecked in a hurricane in 1776., a 28-gun sixth-rate frigate launched in 1778. She was renamed Amphitrite in 1795 and broken up in 1811....
in 1771, Pasley was promoted to post captain and took command of HMS Seahorse
HMS Seahorse (1748)
HMS Seahorse was a 24-gun sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, famous as the ship on which a young Horatio Nelson served as a midshipman.-Construction and commissioning:...
in the West Indies. In 1772 he returned to Britain on half-pay and married Mary Heywood, daughter of the chief justice of the Isle of Man. The marriage was a love match and the couple had two daughters. Pasley remained on half-pay until 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...
in 1776, when he was given command of the sloop HMS Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (1757)
HMS Glasgow was a 20-gun sixth-rate post ship of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1757 and took part in the American Revolutionary War. She is most famous for her encounter with the maiden voyage of the Continental Navy off Block Island on 6 April 1776...
.
Pasley's first duty was escorting a convoy to the West Indies, which he did swiftly and successfully, his wife being presented with plate in reward for his services. He remained on the Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
station for the next two years, capturing numerous enemy ships and making a substantial amount in prize money. He returned in 1778 and was placed in command of the half finished HMS Sybil, which was launched in 1779. In her he cruised off Cape St Vincent and later guided a convoy to Newfoundland and a second one back safely. In 1780 he sailed for the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
and brought back all the documentation and several survivors from Captain James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
's expedition to the Pacific, including Nathaniel Portlock.
For these services, Pasley was given the 50-gun HMS Jupiter
HMS Jupiter (1778)
HMS Jupiter was a 50-gun Portland-class fourth rate ship of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned thirty years....
and in her served in several squadrons and actions, fighting the French at the Battle of Porto Praya
Battle of Porto Praya
The Battle of Porto Praya was a naval battle which took place during the American Revolutionary War on 16 April 1781 between a British squadron under Commodore George Johnstone and a French squadron under the Bailli de Suffren....
under George Johnstone and the Dutch at the Battle of Saldanha Bay (1781)
Battle of Saldanha Bay (1781)
The Battle of Saldanha Bay was a naval action that occurred off the Dutch Cape Colony on 21 July 1781 during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War. Five Dutch East India Company vessels were captured and another was destroyed by a squadron of Royal Navy warships under the command of commodore George...
. On both occasions Pasley was directly responsible for destroying numerous enemy war and merchant ships. In 1782 he convoyed Admiral Hugh Pigot
Hugh Pigot (18th century admiral)
Admiral Hugh Pigot , of Wychwood Forest in Oxfordshire, was a British naval leader who rose from the ranks to become an admiral. He also served as a Member of Parliament .Pigot joined the navy in 1734 as an able seaman...
to the West Indies and then cruised off Havanna, destroying seven merchants from a convoy and then driving off two Spanish ships of the line when the tried to intervene. At the war's conclusion in 1783, Jupiter was paid off and Pasley returned to half-pay.
French Revoluionary Wars
In 1788, Pasley's wife died and he rejoined the service as commander in chief at the MedwayMedway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
. Pasley served in HMS Vengeance
HMS Vengeance (1774)
HMS Vengeance was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 25 June 1774 at Rotherhithe.She became a prison ship in 1808, and was broken up in 1816....
and 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...
until in 1794 at the start 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...
, he was made rear-admiral. Remaining in Bellerophon, Pasley commanded the van squadron of the British fleet 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...
and led the action on 28 May. Further engaged on 29 May, Pasley was seriously wounded in the general action of 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 Lord Howe's
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...
fleet defeated Villaret de Joyeuse's French. Pasley's leg was torn off by cannon shot and he retired below early in the action. his life being saved by emergency surgery.
Pasley did not serve in a sea-going capacity again, but was rewarded with promotion, over £1,500 worth of gifts, a baronetcy and numerous other awards. He was later promoted again, and became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1798. In March 1799 he became Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
, but his age and wound prevented active service and he retired in 1801 as a full admiral. Pasley died in 1808 at his estate near Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
of dropsy. Although he had no male heirs, his baronetcy and estate were passed by special provision to his grandson Thomas Sabine Pasley
Sir Thomas Sabine Pasley, 2nd Baronet
Admiral Sir Thomas Sabine Pasley, 2nd Baronet KCB was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the nineteenth century who never saw action but served across the globe in numerous positions...
, later an admiral in his own right.