# Royal Naval Biography/Mansell, Thomas

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THOMAS MANSELL, Esq. Knight of the Royal Swedish Military Order of the Sword. [Post-Captain of 1814.]
Served as midshipman on board the Orion 74, Captain Sir James Saumarez, and received a wound at the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797. His first commission bears date April 17, 1799.
We next find this officer in the Cerberus frigate, on the Guernsey station, where he commanded her boats at the capture of several small French vessels. By reference to p. 44, et seq. of SuppL Part I. it will be seen that he bore an active part at the bombardment of Granville, in Sept. 1803. He subsequently served as lieutenant of the Victory, a first rate, bearing the flag of Sir James Saumarez, on the Baltic station, where he appears to have been promoted to the command of the Rose sloop, Sept. 17, 1808.
On the 23d Aug. 1813, Captain Mansell was removed to the Pelican brig, of 18 guns, in which he captured the Siro, American letter of marque, laden with cotton, Jan. 13, 1814. This vessel was a schooner of 225 tons, pierced for 16 guns, mounting 12 long 9-pounders, with a complement of 49 men: she had been chased by several other British cruisers; but ​escaped through superior sailing, and was intended to cruise against our trade, after landing her cargo at Bourdeaux.
Captain Mansell’s advancement to post rank took place June 7, 1814.
addenda to Captains
THOMAS MANSELL, Esq. Knight of the Royal Swedish Military Order of the Sword.
Is the third son of Thomas Mansell, Esq. of Guernsey, and was born in that island on the 9th Feb. 1777. He entered the royal navy, as midshipman on board the Crescent frigate. Captain (now Lord De) Saumarez, in Feb. 1793; and served under that highly distinguished officer during the greater part of the wars occasioned by the French revolution. On the 20th Oct. 17913, he assisted at the capture of the republican frigate Ré-Union, near Cherbourg, after a close action of two hours and ten minutes; and subsequently, of two privateers in the Bay of Biscay. In December following, he accompanied an expedition under Earl Moira and Rear-Admiral M‘Bride to the coasts of Normandy and Brittany; and on the 8th June 1794, we find him in action with an enemy’s squadron of very superior force, from which the Crescent escaped by most bold and masterly manoeuvres, as will be seen by reference to our memoir of her gallant and skilful commander.
Mr. Mansell afterwards followed Sir James Saumarez into the Orion 74, of which ship he was master’s-mate in Lord Bridport’s action near l’Orient, June 23d, 1795; at the defeat of the Spanish fleet off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14th, 1797, on which occasion he was wounded; and at the ever-memorable battle of the Nile, Aug. 1st, 1798. For his uniform good conduct on those occasions, he was so strongly recommended by Sir James Saumarez, that, previous to his completing the usual period of service as a petty officer, the immortal Nelson was pleased to appoint him an acting lieutenant. He returned home in l’Aquilon 74, one of the prizes taken in Aboukir Bay, and was confirmed in his rank by an Admiralty commission dated April 17th, 1799. We next find him serving on board the Impregnable 98, Captain ​Jonathan Faulkner, in which ship he was wrecked near Chichester harbour, Oct. 19th, 1799. During the remainder of that war, he served under Captain (afterwards Admiral) John Child Purvis, in the London 98, and Royal George, first rate, attached to the Channel fleet. The former ship was in the expedition against Ferrol, under Sir John B. Warren and Sir James Pulteney, in Aug. 1800.
On the renewal of hostilities, Mr. Mansell was appointed to the Cerberus 32, Captain William Selby, which ship bore the flag of Sir James Saumarez, at the bombardment of Granville, in Sept. 1803. In his official letter on this occasion. Sir James says,– “The Cerberus, after getting under sail” to renew the attack, “grounded on a sand bank, and remained above three hours before she floated. Nine of the enemy’s gun-vessels, perceiving her situation, endeavoured to annoy her, and kept up a heavy fire upon her for some time, but were silenced by the Charwell and Kite, sloops, and also by the fire from the Sulphur and Terror, bombs, and by the carronade launch of the Cerberus, under the orders of Lieutenant Mansell, assisted by the Eling, schooner, and Carteret, cutter, which obliged them to take shelter in their port.” He adds, “The steadiness and good conduct of all the officers and men in the Cerberus, during the time the ship was aground, do them infinite credit.”
The situation of the Cerberus was rather more perilous than would be inferred from the above extract, the receding tide having left her nearly on her beam-ends. The boats of the squadron were placed under the direction of Lieutenant Mansell, who succeeded in distracting the attention of the French flotilla, and thus saved the ship from the serious consequences which at one time threatened her; for which service he obtained the applause and personal thanks of the Admiral. Previous to his quitting the Cerberus, he became first lieutenant of that ship, and commanded her boats at the ​capture of several French vessels, cut out from different anchorages within the limits of the Guernsey station.
In 1804, Lieutenant Mansell was removed to the Diomede 50, then bearing the flag of Sir James Saumarez, but subsequently attached to the squadron under Sir Home Popham, destined against the Cape of Good Hope. During the operations which ended in the reduction of that colony, he superintended the landing of the troops under Major-General (now Lord) Beresford, and commanded the seamen attached to his brigade at Saldanha Bay. On his return from thence to Table Bay, he was selected by Sir Home Popham to be his first lieutenant, in the Diadem 64.
Shortly afterwards, information having been received that a French squadron under Jerome Buonaparte had arrived in the vicinity of the Cape, Lieutenant Mansell was sent in an armed transport with despatches to the Admiralty, his friend. Sir Home Popham, hoping that his promotion would follow. Being disappointed in this expectation, probably in consequence of a recent change of ministry, he then rejoined his early patron. Sir James Saumarez, with whom he served as flag-lieutenant in the Diomede, Hibernia, and Victory, on the Guernsey, Channel, and Baltic stations, until promoted by him to the command of the Rose sloop, Sept. 17th, 1808. The Rose formed part of the squadron under Captain (now Rear-Admiral) A. P. Hollis, at the capture of the island of Anholt, May 18th, 1809. She subsequently engaged and beat off a Danish flotilla, in a calm, near the Scaw, as will be seen by the following official letter from Captain Mansell to the senior officer at Gottenburg, dated April 29th, 1810:
“Sir,– Yesterday morning being becalmed in H.M. sloop Rose, the Scaw bearing W. by N., distant about seven miles, four of the enemy’s gun-vessels, with other roving boats, were seen coming towards us, and at 11-45, a.m. began to engage, but at such a distance as to have rendered a return of our fire ineffectual, and at the same time have placed it in their power of ascertaining the range of our guns; but this was prevented, and they continued advancing until 0-45, p.m., when, being ​within a short range of grape shot, we commenced our fire, which continued until two o’clock, when the enemy was seen in apparent confusion, and one of their row-boats sunk. They soon afterwards retreated, and I have every reason to believe, from the well-directed fire of the Rose, with considerable loss. I have to lament that during this time (it being a perfect calm, and the ship only managed by the assistance of a boat towing, and her sweeps) I had not the power of checking a spirit of enterprize evinced by the enemy, seldom equalled, as they were at the time the action ceased a distance of nine miles from the land. It affords me great pleasure when I relate, that considering the time and manner we were engaged, little injury has been sustained, having had no one killed, and but five slightly wounded, owing, as I presume, to the precaution taken, of keeping the men down at their quarters, during upwards of an hour’s destructive fire to our hull, rigging, and sails. The ship having received nineteen shots in her hull, wheel shot away, the main yard and mizen mast rendered unserviceable, besides rigging and sails much cut up. I beg to speak in the highest terms of approbation of the conduct of my officers and ship’s company, and to add, that had a better occasion given scope to their spirit, and animated conduct which prevailed, I have every reason to feel the fullest confidence in the result.
The enemy’s boat sunk I took on board, which proved to have been an English six-oared cutter, with the arms, &c. still in her. I have the honor, &c.
(Signed)“Thomas Mansell.”
“To Captain Pater, H.M.S. Caroline.”
On the 10th May, 1810, Sir James Saumarez, then in Yarmouth Roads, wrote to Captain Mansell as follows:–
“Sir,– Having transmitted for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter addressed to Captain Pater, detailing the particulars of an attack made on H.M. sloop Rose, under your command, when off the Scaw, by four of the enemy’s gun-vessels, in which great gallantry and good conduct was displayed by you and the officers and crew of the Rose, I have the satisfaction to inform you that their Lordships have signified their approbation of your conduct in the above-mentioned action. I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)“Jas. Saumarez.”
In 1812, Captain Mansell was presented by Viscount Cathcart, the British ambassador at St. Petersburgh, with a valuable diamond ring, which his Lordship had been directed by the Emperor Alexander to forward to him, as a mark of the high sense that monarch entertained of his services, especially in conducting safely through the Belt a Russian squadron, under the orders of Vice-Admiral Crown. In the course of the same year, he was honored by King Charles ​XIII. with the insignia of Knight of the Royal Military Order of the Sword, in testimony of the high sense his Swedish Majesty likewise entertained of his services, which mark of distinction was sanctioned and confirmed by the Prince Regent of Great Britain, June 20th, 1813.
On the 23d Aug. in the latter year, Captain Mansell was appointed to the Pelican sloop, in which vessel he continued until advanced to post rank, June 7th, 1814. While commanding the Rose and Pelican, a period of nearly six years, his conduct gained him the approbation of every officer under whom he served; his zeal and activity were conspicuous on every occasion; and his success as a cruiser against the enemy almost unprecedented; he having captured at least 170 vessels of various descriptions, including the American letter of marque Siro, Jan. 13th, 1814. This vessel was a schooner of 225 tons, pierced for sixteen guns, mounting twelve long 9-pounders, with a complement of 49 men. She had been chased by several other British cruisers in the Bay of Biscay; but escaped through superior sailing, and was intended to cruise against our trade, after landing her cargo (cotton) at Bourdeaux.
Captain Mansell married Catherine, daughter of John Lukis, Esq., of Guernsey, and has eight children. His second son, Arthur Lukis, was educated at the Royal Naval College, and first went to sea in the Rainbow 28, Captain Sir John Franklin. His brother, Bonamy, is a lieutenant in the royal navy; and another, William, is on the retired list of the Hon. East India Company’s surgeons.
* ↑ See Vol. I. Part I. p. 178.
* ↑ See Vol. I. Part II. p. 502.
* ↑ See Vol. I. Part I. pp. 246, et seq., 21, et seq., and 180, et seq.
* ↑ See Vol. I. Part I. note at p. 220.
* ↑ See Suppl. Part I. p. 44, et seq.
* ↑ See Vol. II. Part I. p. 121.