# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Roberts, Thomas

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​ROBERTS. (Retired Captain, 1840. f-p., 19; h-p., 38.)
Thomas Roberts was born in 1779. He is brother of Capt. Sir Sam. Roberts, R.N., C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, in Feb. 1790, as a Supernumerary, on board the Swallow 14, Capt. Wm. Hargood, lying at Plymouth. In the following June he was received as a Volunteer on board the Bombay Castle 74, Capt. John Thos. Duckworth; whom he followed, in 1791, into the Orion 74. Removing, in Dec. 1792, to the Scorpion sloop, Capt. Solomon Ferris, he made a voyage in that vessel to the coast of Africa, and then proceeded to Barbadoes, where he again joined the Orion. From the close of 1793 until 1796 he served in the Mediterranean, as Midshipman, in the Cyclops frigate ​and Bedford and Audacious 74’s, all commanded by Capt. Davidge Gould. In the Cyclops he assisted at the reduction of Bastia in May, 1795; and in the Bedford he fought in Hotham’s actions 14 March and 13 July, 1795. On his return to England in 1796 as Master’s Mate in the Camel store-ship, Capt. Edw. Rotheram, he was received on board the Eurus 32, Capt. Jas. Ross, stationed in the North Sea; and on 24 Dec. in the same year he was made Lieutenant into the Serpent sloop, Capt. Rich. Buckoll. From 5 Jan. to 5 July, 1797, we find him employed on a second visit to the coast of Africa. During that period he aided in taking a felucca which had been despatched from Cadiz for the purpose of apprizing the South American trade of the commencement of hostilities between France and Spain. He afterwards cruized off Havre under the orders of Sir Rich. John Strachan, and contributed to the capture, among other vessels, of a French transport laden with naval stores. On 6 Jan. 1798 the Serpent again sailed for the coast of Africa; where, on the death of Capt. Buckoll in the following April, Mr. Roberts, who had been all along her First-Lieutenant, constituted himself his successor. As there was however a Commodore on the coast, the Admiralty did not consider the death vacancy properly filled, and therefore did not confirm it. After the remains of his late Commander had been interred at James Fort, Accra, Mr. Roberts collected a large and valuable fleet of merchantmen, chiefly bound to Surinam. He was the first officer, we are informed, who had ever conducted a convoy thither, two others having missed the land, while he, on the contrary, made it to a mile by lunar observations. After this he ran down to Jamaica, and there received from Sir Hyde Parker an order to act as Commander of the Serpent – an appointment which the Admiralty sanctioned 23 July, 1798. In the ensuing year Capt. Roberts, whose health had become much impaired, was sent home as whipper-in to a fleet of 113 West Indiamen, under the protection of the Regulus 44, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Rich. Rodney Bligh, who soon parted company in a storm, and was not seen by the Serpent until the third day after her arrival in the Downs. Eight or ten of the merchant-vessels also parted company when outside the windward passages; but all the others were kept together and conducted safely into port by Capt. Roberts, who had occasionally to chase away the enemy’s privateers. Continuing in the Serpent until Nov. 1801, he was actively employed until then in affording protection to the trade on the Irish station; where he once fell in with, and used every effort to get alongside of, a frigate-built privateer, pierced for 36 guns and apparently full of men, but was frustrated by the darkness of night and the superiority of sailing in the enemy. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803 Capt. Roberts was one of the first appointed to raise Sea Fencibles in Ireland; and he remained on that service until it was abolished in 1810. Unable afterwards to procure employment, he accepted, 10 Sept. 1840, the rank he now holds.
Capt. Roberts is Receiver of the Leper Hospital Estate in the co. and city of Waterford. He married, 25 June, 1804, Catherine, daughter of Major Jas. Hackett, of Tipperary, a gentleman who succeeded to an estate in that co. which had been upwards of 800 years in the family. He has issue 11 children, one of whom, Catherine, became the wife, in May, 1843, of Capt. Jonas Pasley Hardy, of the 68th Regt.