Thomas Baker ( Royal Navy officer ) Sir Thomas Baker KCB , KWN ( 1771 – 26 January 1845 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy , who saw service during the American War of Independence , and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . He had obtained his own command during the French Revolutionary Wars and was to play a part in bringing about three of the battles of the Napoleonic Wars , the Battle of Copenhagen , the Battle of Trafalgar , and the Battle of Cape Ortegal . He only directly participated in the third , but his actions there , and the capture of the French frigate beforehand brought him honours and rewards . While towing the " Didon " to a British port , he and another vessel were sighted by the combined Franco - Spanish fleet under Pierre - Charles Villeneuve , and mistaken as scouts for the Channel Fleet . He therefore turned south to Cadiz , leading to the abandonment of the planned invasion of England , and the destruction of the French fleet at Trafalgar by Horatio Nelson some months later . He rose through the ranks after the end of the wars with France , and was commander of the South American station during Charles Darwin ' s voyage aboard . He eventually died with the rank of vice - admiral in 1845 after a long and distinguished career . Early life . Baker was born in 1771 in Kent , where his family were residents of Walmer . His naval career began on 23 August 1781 when he joined the storeship as a midshipman , serving in the Downs under Captain John Stone . He remained with the " Dromedary " until 26 June 1782 , and joined under Captain John Peyton on 17 October that year , also on the Downs station . He and Peyton left " Kite " on 21 January 1783 , as Peyton had been given command of the 74 - gun , serving with the Channel Fleet . Baker returned to serve under his original commander , Captain Stone , on 15 March 1783 , Stone by now commanding the 32 - gun fifth rate . He sailed out to Halifax with her , and left " Hermione " on 5 October 1785 when she was paid off . The end of the American War of Independence left Baker without a ship , but he was able to gain employment sailing on the ships of the East India Company . This occupation lasted for the next two and half years , until he rejoined the navy on 22 March 1788 , serving aboard the 28 - gun . He and the " Dido " sailed to Halifax , where Baker transferred aboard the 24 - gun sloop on 22 July 1790 in order to sail home . Baker spent the winter of 1790 ashore , but returned to sea on 18 May 1791 when he joined the 100 - gun at Plymouth . He left the " Royal Sovereign " on 24 September 1791 to join Captain William Bligh ' s 64 - gun , but by October he had transferred aboard the 32 - gun . Baker and the " Winchelsea " served in the English Channel until February 1792 , when he came ashore . His next posting was in August , when he joined the 38 - gun under Commodore William Cornwallis for service in the East Indies . While serving in the East Indies Baker was commissioned lieutenant , on 13 October 1792 , and on 17 October he was appointed to the 10 - gun " Swan " . He returned to England and left her on her being paid off on 23 December 1793 . Baker was then appointed as acting - commander of the hired armed cutter " Lion " . Command . Baker served in the Channel as part of the forces under Rear - Admiral John MacBride , before moving into the hired armed lugger " Valiant " on 20 May 1794 , and then to in November as her acting - captain . He was promoted to commander on 24 November 1795 after good service in conveying despatches to the West Indies . He spent between 1796 and 1797 in the North Sea , after which he was appointed flag captain aboard the 98 - gun , the flagship of Sir John Orde . On 12 July he was appointed to command the 28 - gun , serving in the Downs under Vice - Admiral Joseph Peyton . He was active against French privateer s while in command of " Nemesis " , capturing the 14 - gun " Renard " in the Channel on 12 January 1800 , followed by the " Modéré " some time later . The " Nemesis " s boats participated in a fireship attack on the French frigates in the Dunkirk Roads on 7 July 1800 , but an event of international significance occurred on 25 July 1800 . Baker and Copenhagen . Baker and the " Nemesis " had been assigned to enforce the blockade of naval stores to the French and Dutch dockyards , with a small squadron under his command . On 25 July he approached a convoy of six merchantmen off Ostend , that was being escorted by the 40 - gun Danish frigate " Freja " , and announced his intention to search the merchants , as he suspected them of carrying stores to be used by the French . The commander of the " Freja " , Captain Krabbe , announced that he would fire on any boat that Baker sent to carry this out . Baker did so anyway and the Danish opened fire , but missed the boat . The shot hit the " Nemesis " and killed a man . Incensed , Baker ordered a general action and after 25 minutes fighting , subdued the " Freja " . The " Freja " and the convoy were escorted into the Downs , where the commander of the station , Vice - Admiral Skeffington Lutwidge , ordered that the " Freja " continue to fly the Danish colours while the matter was investigated . The heart of the dispute centred over the right of British ships to stop and search merchants . The Danes insisted that a convoy escorted by one of their ships flying a neutral flag , was a guarantee of the cargoes being shipped , except in the approaches to a blockaded port . The British had no reason to trust or fear the Danes and were not inclined to alter this policy , and a diplomatic mission was sent to Copenhagen under Lord Whitworth , accompanied by a fleet under Vice - Admiral Archibald Dickson . The negotiations resulted in the British agreeing to repair and return the " Freja " , leaving the matter of the rights of searching vessels to be determined later . The incident caused the Russian Tsar , Paul I , to place an embargo on British goods , though this was lifted three weeks later . Simmering discontent over the unresolved matter of British rights in enforcing the blockades led to the Danes , Swedes and Russians forming the Second League of Armed Neutrality . In response the British despatched a fleet under Sir Hyde Parker and Horatio Nelson to force the Danes to withdraw from the League , which resulted in the Battle of Copenhagen . Baker ' s actions were approved of by the Admiralty , and on 26 May 1801 he was appointed to command the 36 - gun . The " Phoebe " was assigned to the Irish station , where Baker remained until 27 May 1802 . Baker and Trafalgar . The Peace of Amiens temporarily left Baker without a ship , but he returned to active service with the resumption of hostilities , taking command of the 36 - gun on 28 April 1803 . He was assigned to the Channel Fleet under Admiral William Cornwallis , and on 10 August 1805 he came across the 40 - gun French frigate off Cape Finisterre . Prior to the sighting the " Phoenix " had intercepted an American merchant , en route from Bordeaux to the United States . The American master had been invited onto the " Phoenix " , sold the British some of his cargo of wine , and had toured the " Phoenix " before being allowed to continue on his way . The " Phoenix " had at this time been altered to resemble from a distance a large sloop of war . The " Didon " , which was carrying despatches instructing Rear - Admiral Allemand ' s five ships of the line to unite with the combined Franco - Spanish fleet under Vice - Admiral Pierre - Charles Villeneuve , intercepted the American merchant and from him received news that a 20 - gun British frigate was at sea and might be foolish enough to attack the " Didon " . The " Didon " s commander , Captain Milius , decided to await the arrival of the British ship , and take her as a prize . The " Phoenix " was therefore able to approach and engage the " Didon " before the French realised that she was a larger frigate than they had anticipated . After a sharp action lasting several hours , with Baker on one occasion having his hat shot off his head , the French surrendered . The " Phoenix " had 12 killed and 28 wounded , the French sustained losses of 27 killed and 44 wounded . By intercepting the ship carrying the despatches for Allemand , Baker had unwittingly played a role in bringing about the battle of Trafalgar , but he was to play an even greater role a few days later , possibly even staving off an invasion of England . While sailing to Gibraltar with his prize in tow , Baker fell in with the 74 - gun on 14 August . The following day the three ships were sighted by the combined fleet under Villeneuve , heading for Brest and then on to Boulogne to escort the French invasion forces across the Channel . Villeneuve mistook the British ships for scouts from the Channel Fleet , and fled south to avoid an action . A furious Napoleon raged ' What a Navy ! What an admiral ! All those sacrifices for nought ! ' Villeneuve ' s failure to press north was a decisive point of the Trafalgar Campaign as far as the invasion of England went , for abandoning all hope of fulfilling his plans to secure control of the Channel Napoleon gathered the Armée d ' Angleterre , now renamed the Grande Armée , and headed east to attack the Austrians in the Ulm Campaign . The British ships altered their course and made for Plymouth , where they arrived on 3 September , having prevented an attempt by their French prisoners to capture the " Phoenix " and retake the " Didon " . Baker and Cape Ortegal . Baker resumed his service in the Bay of Biscay , and on 2 November he was discovered off Cape Finisterre by four French ships of the line under Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley , that had escaped from the destruction of the Franco - Spanish fleet at Trafalgar two weeks previously . They chased the " Phoenix " southwards , with Baker trying to lure them towards a British squadron he knew to be in the area , under Captain Sir Richard Strachan . He made contact with Strachan ' s forces later that day , and was sent by Strachan to round up the rest of the scattered squadron while Strachan took the bulk of his force in pursuit . The British eventually closed on the fleeing French on 4 November , whereupon " Phoenix " joined the other frigates in harassing the French , until Strachan could bring his larger ships in action . The frigates then attacked one side of the French line , with the ships of the line engaging the other , until the French were forced to surrender . The " Phoenix " was one of the ships taking possession of " Scipion " . Rewards and later commands . Baker was rewarded for his good services by being given command of his prize , now commissioned as , on 17 November . He transferred to in May 1806 , in which he served in the Bay of Biscay until 1808 . A posting as flag captain to Rear - Admiral Thomas Bertie aboard the 74 - gun came on 21 May 1808 , and involved service in the Baltic . While on leave in Sweden he met and married a daughter of Count Routh , and the couple returned to England in 1811 . Baker continued in active service through the rest of the Napoleonic Wars , commanding the 74 - gun from 22 November 1811 until 2 August 1815 . By the end of 1815 he could reflect that his active career had included playing a significant role in bringing about three of the decisive actions of the Napoleonic Wars , Copenhagen , Trafalgar , and Cape Ortegal . Further rewards followed after the end of the war ; he was appointed a Companion of the Bath on 4 June 1815 , nominated a Colonel of the Royal Marines on 12 August 1819 and promoted to Knight Commander of the Bath on 8 June 1831 . The Dutch nominated him a Knight of the Military Order of Wilhelm in 1816 . Baker became a rear - admiral on 19 July 1821 , and took up the position of commander - in - chief on the South American station in 1829 . During his period of command , the second voyage of took place , carrying the naturalist Charles Darwin . The " Beagle " came under his orders as the senior officer of the station , and he was requested by the Admiralty to supply any of the needs of the surveying mission . Baker remained in command of the station until 1833 . The Baker River ( Chile ) bears his name . He returned home , was promoted to vice - admiral on 10 January 1837 , and died at Walmer on 26 January 1845 , at the age of 74 .