Thomas Dilkes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Thomas Dilkes
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Portrait of Dilkes c.1704, by Godfrey Kneller
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| Born | c. 1667 |
| Died | 12 December 1707 Livorno |
| Buried |
Old English Cemetery, Livorno
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| Allegiance |  Kingdom of England Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy (1683–1707) Royal Navy (1707) |
| Years of service | 1683–1707 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held | Charles Adventure Restoration Dunkirk Rupert Breda Somerset |
| Battles/wars | Nine Years' War |
Sir Thomas Dilkes (born around 1667, died 1707) was a brave officer in the Royal Navy. He became a Rear-Admiral, which is a high rank in the navy. He fought in many important sea battles for England and later Great Britain.
Contents
Thomas Dilkes was born around 1667. He came from a family connected to Maxstoke Castle in Warwickshire. In 1683, when he was about 16, he joined the Royal Navy. He started as a "Volunteer-per-order," learning how to be a naval officer.
- By 1687, he became a second lieutenant on the ship Hampshire.
- In 1688, he moved to the Henrietta.
- His first command came in 1689. He was put in charge of a fire ship called Charles. Fire ships were used to set enemy ships on fire.
Becoming a Captain
In 1692, Thomas Dilkes became a post-captain. This meant he was a full captain.
- He commanded the Adventure, a large warship.
- He fought in the battles of Barfleur and La Hogue that same year. These were big battles against the French navy.
- In October 1692, he and another ship captured two privateers. Privateers were armed ships allowed by a government to attack enemy ships.
- In December, he captured another large privateer by himself.
Over the next few years, he commanded several different ships. These included the Restoration (1693), Dunkirk (1694), Rupert (1695), and Breda (1696).
Challenges in the West Indies
In 1696, Captain Dilkes sailed to the West Indies as part of a naval squadron. Sadly, many sailors and officers, including the leader John Nevell, became very sick and died from a disease called yellow fever. Dilkes took over command and safely brought the remaining ships back home in 1697.
After a period of peace, he was seriously hurt in a shipwreck off the coast of Ireland in 1699.
War of the Spanish Succession
When Queen Anne became queen and the War of the Spanish Succession began in 1702, Dilkes got a new command.
- He took charge of the 80-gun ship Somerset.
- He joined Sir George Rooke for an attack on Cadiz in Spain.
- During the battle of Vigo Bay, Sir George Rooke even moved his flag to Dilkes's ship, the Somerset. This showed he trusted Dilkes, as his own flagship was too big to enter the harbor.
Rising to Admiral
On March 1, 1703, Dilkes was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the White. This was a very important promotion. He raised his admiral's flag on the ship Kent.
In July 1703, Admiral Dilkes led his fleet in a very successful operation.
- He learned that many French merchant ships were heading for Granville.
- When he arrived, he found 45 merchant ships protected by three small warships.
- The French ships moved into shallow water where the larger English ships couldn't follow.
- But Dilkes used his smaller ships and ships' boats to attack fiercely.
- Over three days, he captured one French warship and destroyed the other two.
- He also captured 15 merchant ships and burned or sank 26 others. Only four French ships escaped!
- Because of this great success, Queen Anne ordered special gold medals to be made for Dilkes and his captains.
Later that year, he was based in Cork, Ireland. He helped protect convoys of ships and patrolled the English Channel. He returned to England just before the Great Storm of 1703, a terrible storm that sank many ships.
Political Life
In 1703, Sir Thomas Dilkes was also elected to the Irish House of Commons. He represented the area of Castlemartyr in County Cork. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) until 1709.
More Battles and Knighthood
In 1704, Admiral Dilkes, still on the Kent, joined Sir Cloudesley Shovell and Sir George Rooke's fleet.
- He helped chase and capture three Spanish warships.
- He was not at the capture of Gibraltar, but he played a big part in the Battle of Málaga soon after.
- For his bravery and success, Queen Anne made him a knight on October 22, 1704. From then on, he was known as Sir Thomas Dilkes.
Further Promotions and Victories
Sir Thomas Dilkes was promoted again on January 18, 1705, becoming Rear-Admiral of the Red.
- He sailed to Lisbon, Portugal, with a convoy of merchant ships.
- He joined Sir John Leake and helped deal with a French fleet that was blocking Gibraltar.
- In the Battle of Cabrita Point, Dilkes led the capture of a 60-gun French ship. The other French ships were either captured or destroyed.
- He then took part in the successful siege of Barcelona before returning to England.
In 1706, he mostly worked on blocking the French port of Dunkirk.
Final Campaign and Death
In 1707, Sir Thomas Dilkes sailed to the Mediterranean again.
- He joined Sir Cloudesley Shovell's fleet to attack Toulon in France.
- The attack on Toulon did not go as planned, but Dilkes was ordered to bombard the French fleet inside the town.
- On August 21, 1707, he led a group of bomb ketches (ships that fired bombs) close to shore.
- They heavily bombed the town, destroying two French ships and damaging three more. The French then sank their own remaining ships to prevent them from being captured.
After the attack on Toulon, Sir Cloudesley Shovell left for England (and sadly died in a shipwreck). Sir Thomas Dilkes was left in command of the Mediterranean fleet. He went to Barcelona to talk with Archduke Charles, who wanted him to invade Sardinia. Dilkes decided not to, as it didn't fit his orders.
He then sailed to Italy, arriving in Livorno on November 30. There was a small disagreement about who should salute first. Dilkes got sick after a dinner on shore and died on December 12, 1707. He was buried in the British cemetery outside the city.
Family Life
Sir Thomas Dilkes married Mary, who was the daughter of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin. She was also the widow of Henry Boyle.
- They had one son, Michael O'Brien Dilkes, who later became a lieutenant-general in the army and died in 1774.
- After Sir Thomas Dilkes passed away, Mary married again. She died in 1727.
