Thomas Briggs

Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs (1780 – 16 December 1852) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.

Early life and career The only surviving son of Francis Briggs, Chief Surgeon at Madras, and Magdalene Pasley, Briggs entered the Navy on 10 September 1791. He first served as a first class volunteer aboard the ship , under the command of his uncle Captain Thomas Pasley. He later followed him into the ship with the rank of midshipman. Between 1793 and 1798 Briggs served under Captain Charles Tyler in the , and , taking part in the operations against Toulon and Corsica in 1793–94, and saw action under Admiral William Hotham in the Battle of Genoa on 14 March and the Battle of Hyères Islands on 13 July 1795.

Briggs was promoted to lieutenant on 28 September 1797, and was transferred from Aigle to , flagship of Admiral Earl St. Vincent off Lisbon, and shortly afterwards moved to , flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Thomas Frederick off Cádiz. and from September served as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, flying his flag on , and dying in office in December 1852.

Personal life In 1814 he married Isabella Harriet Trepand, and had three sons and a daughter. His eldest son, George Campbell Briggs, died while serving in the Navy with the rank of lieutenant. His daughter married Captain George Bohun Martin, RN.