Thomas Armitage

**Thomas Armitage** is a character in AMC's *The Terror*. He is the gunroom steward on *HMS Terror*.

## In The Show

Armitage first appears in episode 4, where he informs Crozier that Tuunbaq had just attacked the ship and that Private William Heather's skull has been ripped open. Crozier organizes a hunting party and orders Armitage to open up the armory to give shotguns to half the men. He along with Magnus Manson, Thomas "Tom" Hartnell, and Cornelius Hickey participate in kidnapping Lady Silence to bring her back to *Terror* but Armitage remains hidden when Captain Francis Crozier demands who's responsible and as a result is spared from being lashed and is later seen during Hickey's flogging.

In episode 6, he and the other men are working to set up a carnivale proposed by Captain James Fitzjames for the first sunrise of the new year and Hickey remarks that Armitage always wanted to be a marine but was unable to due to his "dumb ear". He is later seen at the carnivale helping feed the catatonic Heather and survives the fire later started by Dr. Stephen Samuel Stanley.

In episode 7 the order to abandon both ships are given and he remarks that if Lieutenant Edward Little advance party had come under attack, word would've arrived by now. He along with Hickey, Manson, Robert Golding, and Sgt. Solomon Tozer listen to William Gibson's idea of splitting from the main group to increase their odds of survival. Hickey agrees with Gibson and begins to plot out an idea for a mutiny. Armitage later appears with Hickey and Private William Pilkington during breakfast and Armitage wagers that the ship's dog Neptune probably has the same equal rations as them. Later that night he along with Hickey and the others witness John Morfin commit suicide by firing a musket he obtained almost hitting Fitzjames so he could be shot in turn by Tozer. Towards the end of the episode he joins a hunting party led by Lieutenant George Henry Hodgson and recalls he had a friend who was stationed on a ship in Baffin Bay and that caribou meat is different compared to beef.

In episode 8, Hickey reports to Hodgson that Lieutenant John Irving and Thomas R. Farr were killed by the Netsilik and Hodgson orders an attack in which Armitage manages to kill two of them. He is later present when Hickey spreads lies and misinformation regarding the Netsilik which causes fear to grow in Armitage and the others. Eventually Tozer opens up the armory and Armitage assists in distributing weapons much to the dismay of Little. It is revealed that Hickey was behind the murders of Irving and Farr and that he along with Tozer are to be hanged. However before the executions could take place, the Tuunbaq attacks the camp and the mutineers use the chaos to enact their plan. Little finds Tozer and manages to hold him at gunpoint but Armitage sneaks behind Little and knocks him out allowing he and the others to escape.

In episode 9 he and the other mutineers engage in the cannibalization of Gibson after he's killed by Hickey and Armitage along with Pilkington believes it might be better to head back and try their chances on the ship as originally proposed by Tozer. They express concern Hickey may not agree with them but Tozer assures them Hickey will see reason. Later Armitage becomes part of a group led by Charles Frederick Des Voeux to bring Crozier back to their camp.

In the final episode, Armitage escorts Crozier back to the camp and removes his shackles. After Doctor Henry Goodsir commits suicide, Armitage retrieves Crozier and Hickey asks him to join in eating Goodsir's body. When Crozier refuses Armitage hits him with the stock of his shotgun and brings him forward. After the meal the men head out into the hills to draw out the Tuunbaq and Armitage states it has been sighted and it appears weak. Shortly before the creature arrives, Tozer and Crozier convince Armitage to kill Hickey but before he can he is shot by Manson who apologizes afterwards.

## Trivia

* A skeleton presumed to belong to Armitage was found by Francis McClintock in 1859. (The skeleton is more likely to belong to William Gibson).
* Like a few other characters, Armitage served in China during the First Opium War.
* There is evidence that suggests at one point in his life, Armitage was illiterate.