Sir Thomas Pasley, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Pasley | |
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Baronetcy |
Early career
Thomas Pasley was born in 1734 to James Pasley (1695–1773), of Craig,
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.[1]
Seven Years' War
On Bideford, Pasley served as temporary lieutenant on a
Pasley took his first solo command later in the year with the small
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.[1] The action of 28 February was depicted in a painting by Liverpool marine artist, Richard Wright.[2]
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.[1]
American Revolutionary War
After briefly serving on
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.[1]
For these services, Pasley was given the 50-gun
French Revolutionary Wars
In 1788, Pasley's wife died and he rejoined the service as commander in chief at the
Pasley did not serve in a seagoing capacity again, but was rewarded with promotion, over £1,500 worth of gifts, a
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Crimmin, P. K. "Pasley, Sir Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 24 January 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Smithers, Henry (1825). Liverpool, its commerce, statistics, and institutions: with a history of the cotton trade. T. Kaye. p. 402.