cxxxiv BIOGRAPHY OF THE VICTORY'S CREW. 



Plymouth, and he served his apprenticeship of seven years to a shipwright with Mr. 

 Tucker, the master builder. He was employed in His Majesty's Dock-yard until the 

 year 1814, when he volunteered to serve on the Lakes in America, assisted in the build- 

 ing of the St. Lawrence of one hundred guns, and Psyche frigate, and several small 

 vessels — shared in several actions, and returned to England in 1824, after ten years' 

 arduous service. On his homeward passage he suffered shipwreck in the Mary, of Liver- 

 pool, on the coast of Ayrshire, losing all his hard-earned property. Having entered on 

 board his Majesty's ship Boadicea, Commodore Sir James Brisbane, as carpenter's mate, 

 he sailed to the East Indies, where he served two years, during which time he was chiefly 

 at Rangoon, Arrawadda, Stc, on board the flotilla opposed to the Burmese ; was in several 

 storming parties, and was the next man to Captain Dawson when he was killed attacking 

 a large stockade. In 1826 he was appointed carpenter of the Slaney, by Admiral Gage, 

 and from thence to the Eurydice, in which ship he returned to England. He volunteered 

 on board the Victory in 1829, only the day before she left Woolwich, and was promptly 

 granted leave of absence by the Lords of the Admiralty, to enable him to join. Mr. 

 Thomas was a most excellent workman, and could produce very high testimonials of his 

 character and conduct : but his constitution was worn out by his servitude in the East 

 Indies and America, and could not withstand the severe trials which it was now exposed 

 to. and he sunk under the combined effects of cold and fatigue at the age of thirty-nine 

 years, leaving a widow (to whom he had been only a year married), and a daughter, to 

 deplore his loss. 



ALEXANDER BRUNTON, Chief ENaiNEER. 



Alexander Brunton was born at Temple, in Midlothian, is five feet four inches high, 

 blue eyes and brown hair, sallow complexion, having much the appearance of a half-worn 

 tradesman. He served his apprenticeship to Mr. Stevenson, the Engineer, at Edin- 

 burgh, with whom he continued some time afterwards as a workman ; he set up in business 

 for himself at Leith, as a scale-beam and edge-tool maker, but failed, and entered into 

 several steam-vessels as engineer. Having served five years, he came to London ; and 

 after working at printing-machine making, for some time, he got into Messrs. Maudslay's 

 manufactory, where he was five years ; from thence he went to Messrs. Braithwaite's, 

 and joined the Victory in 1829; having been one of those employed in constructing the 

 engine, I considered him a great acquisition, especially as he had a strong recommendation 



