Thomas Dumaresq

Admiral Thomas Dumaresq (1729–1802) was an officer in the British Royal Navy that rose to the rank of Admiral. Dumaresq was notable for his role as Captain of the HMS Repulse in the Battle of the Saintes during the American Revolutionary War.[1]

Admiral

Thomas Dumaresq
Born1729
Jersey
Died18 July 1802
AllegianceGreat Britain
Service/branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1755–1802
RankAdmiral
Commands held
Battles/warsSeven Years' War

American War of Independence

Life

Thomas was born in 1729 to Jean Dumaresq and Ann Bockam, and was a member of the notable Dumaresq family of the Channel Islands. He would obtain a commission as a lieutenant in 1755 and in 1763 he would obtain his first command, of the British Cutter, named the "Esther".[2]

Thomas Dumaresq was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1794, and a Vice-Admiral in 1795. On the 1st January 1801 he was promoted to Admiral.[3]

Battle of the Saintes

Thomas Dumaresq, who was a Captain at the time of the Battle of the Saintes, which was a battle in the West Indies between the British Navy and French Navy. Dumaresq Commanded the HMS Repulse in the center under Admiral Sir George Rodney. His crew, what is described by Edward Fraser as "smart set of Guernsey lads" would suffer 3 deaths and 11 wounded.[4][5]

The Savanna-la-Mar Hurricane

During 1780, Rear-Admiral Joshua Rowley was sent to reinforce Jamacia against a possible Spanish threat. However, in October 1780 a hurricane formed off the coast of South America and would damage many British vessels, with the transport ship Monarch being sunk. Dumaresq, who was the Captain of the Ulysses was caught in this storm on October 6, 1780 resulting in only the foremast standing on the Ulysses. Having to drop all guns on the upper deck, Dumaresq would not get to Jamaica until the 26th of October 1780.[6]

References
  1. Clowes, W. Laird. The Royal Navy : a history from the earliest times to the present Vol III. p. 520.
  2. "Thomas Dumaresq". more than Nelson. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  3. "Thomas Dumaresq (1729-1802)". threedecks.org. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  4. EDWARD, FRASER (1904). FAMOUS FIGHTERS OF THE FLEET. London: MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited. p. 129.
  5. "The Project Gutenberg eBook of Famous Fighters of the Fleet, by Edward Fraser". www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  6. Hiscocks, Richard (2017-04-20). "The 'Great Hurricanes' devastate the Caribbean - October 1780". more than Nelson. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
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