Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet

Who was Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet?

Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet was a British naval commander and politician.

Troubridge was educated at St Paul's School, London. He entered the Royal Navy in 1773 and, together with Horatio 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 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.