Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet

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Sir Thomas Troubridge, from the painting by Sir William Beechey.

Sir Thomas Troubridge (1758-1807) by Sir Joshua Reynolds.

This page is about the Royal Navy admiral. For his descendant, the former husband of Princess Michael of Kent, see Thomas Troubridge (banker).

Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet (c. 1758 – 1 February 1807), English admiral, was educated at St Paul's School, London. He entered the Royal Navy in 1773 and, together with Nelson, served in the East Indies in the frigate Seahorse. In 1785 he returned to England in the Sultan as flag-captain to Admiral Sir Edward Hughes. Appointed to command the frigate Castor in May 1794, he and his ship were captured by the French while escorting a convoy, but he was liberated soon afterwards. On his return he was appointed to command the Culloden, a third-rate ship of the line, in which he led the line at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, being commended for his courage and initiative by Admiral Sir John Jervis. In July of 1797 he assisted Nelson in the unsuccessful attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and in August 1798, when getting into position for the attack on the French fleet, the Culloden ran aground on a shoal near the entrance to Aboukir Bay and was consequently unable to take any part in the Battle of the Nile. At Nelson's request, however, he was awarded the gold medal commemorating the victory. He then served in the Mediterranean and was created a baronet in 1799; from 1801 to 1804 he was a Lord of the Admiralty, being made a Rear-Admiral just before his retirement. In 1805 Troubridge was appointed to command the eastern half of the East Indies Station and he went out in the Blenheim. On his arrival the area of command was changed to that of the Cape Station. He left Madras in January 1807 for the Cape of Good Hope, but off the coast of Madagascar the Blenheim, an old and damaged ship, foundered in a cyclone and the admiral and all others on board perished.