Sir Thomas Louis, 1758-1807, Rear-Admiral of the White, early 19th century (watercolour, gouache, ivory, gold,...

Creator: Richard Livesay Oval miniature in watercolour and gouache on ivory, in an oval gilt metal presentation frame. The back is also glazed, over a dark fabric, and bears an old label identifying the sitter as 'Lewis'. He is shown head and shoulders, head turned half to his left, against a background of pillars or a wall-end, with sky to the right. He wears rear-admiral's uniform, 1795-1812 and decorations. By family tradition, Louis's great-grandfather was an illegitimate son of Louis XIV of France, his father was a schoolmaster and he entered the Navy in 1769. From 1771, when he joined the frigate 'Southampton' he gained the patronage of her captain, later Admiral, John Macbride and fully justified it by early distinction including, as a lieutenant, action at the Battles of Ushant 1778 and in Rodney's 'Moonlight battle' off Cape St. Vincent in 1780, after which he was prizemaster in two captured Spanish ships, one of which he got to Gibraltar and later home despite its shattered condition. He was promoted captain in 1783 and his last service with Macbride was as his flag-captain in the 'Minotaur' in 1794. In 1798, still in that ship, he was one of Nelson's 'band of brothers' at the Battle of the Nile, fighting next in line to him. After further Mediterranean and other service, he became Rear-Admiral of the Blue in 1804 and returned there in the 'Canopus', joining Nelson's chase of the French to the West Indies in 1805 but missing Trafalgar through being sent with other ships to collect water from Gibraltar. In February 1806, still in 'Canopus', he was second-in-command to Sir John Duckworth at the Battle of San Domingo. For this he received a second Naval gold medal to add to that for the Nile, and was made a baronet. He also played a leading role in Duckworth's Dardanelles expedition of early 1807, and was subsequently left in command of the squadron at Alexandria. In May 1807 died there aged 49, probably of an illness contracted in the West Indies the previous year: he was buried on Manoel Island, Malta, in June. Louis was a successful and very well-regarded officer (not least by Nelson), an 1806 petition by sailors who had served under him calling him ‘our most noble Admiral … all that was good and just’. His eldest son, John, went to sea with him in 1793 and was also an admiral when he died in 1863: his third son, of four, fought in the Royal Horse Artillery at Waterloo in 1815.