Thomas Baker (Royal Navy officer)

Sir Thomas Baker
Rear-Admiral Thomas Baker (1771-1845)
Born	1771 Kent
Died	26 January 1845 Walmer, Kent
Allegiance	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1781 – 1845
Rank	Vice-Admiral
Commands held	HMS Fairy HMS Princess Royal HMS Nemesis HMS Phoebe HMS Phoenix HMS Didon HMS Tribune HMS Vanguard HMS Cumberland
Battles/wars	Battle of Cape Ortegal
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight of the Military Order of Wilhelm

Sir Thomas Baker KCB, KWN (1771 – 26 January 1845) was an officer of the Royal Navy, who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He had obtained his own command during the French Revolutionary Wars and was to play a part in bringing about three of the battles of the Napoleonic Wars, the Battle of Copenhagen, the Battle of Trafalgar, and the Battle of Cape Ortegal. He only directly participated in the third, but his actions there, and the capture of the French frigate Didon (1805) beforehand brought him honours and rewards. While towing the Didon to a British port, he and another vessel were sighted by the combined Franco-Spanish fleet under Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, and mistaken as scouts for the Channel Fleet. He therefore turned south to Cadiz, leading to the abandonment of the planned invasion of England, and the destruction of the French fleet at Trafalgar by Horatio Nelson some months later. He rose through the ranks after the end of the wars with France, and was commander of the South American station during Charles Darwin's voyage aboard HMS Beagle. He eventually died with the rank of vice-admiral in 1845 after a long and distinguished career.

Baker was born in 1771 in Kent, where his family were residents of Walmer. His naval career began on 23 August 1781 when he joined the storeship HMS Dromedary as a midshipman, serving in the Downs under Captain John Stone. He remained with the Dromedary until 26 June 1782, and joined HMS Kite under Captain John Peyton on 17 October that year, also on the Downs station. He and Peyton left Kite on 21 January 1783, as Peyton had been given command of the 74-gun HMS Carnatic, serving with the Channel Fleet. Baker returned to serve under his original commander, Captain Stone, on 15 March 1783, Stone by now commanding the 32-gun fifth rate HMS Hermione. He sailed out to Halifax with her, and left Hermione on 5 October 1785 when she was paid off. The end of the American War of Independence left Baker without a ship, but he was able to gain employment sailing on the ships of the East India Company. This occupation lasted for the next two and half years, until he rejoined the navy on 22 March 1788, serving aboard the 28-gun HMS Dido. He and the Dido sailed to Halifax, where Baker transferred aboard the 24-gun sloop HMS Brisk on 22 July 1790 in order to sail home.