# Frederick Thomas Michell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Frederick_Thomas_Michell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Frederick_Thomas_Michell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Thomas_Michell > Source revision: 1344964581 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) [Vice-Admiral](/source/Vice_admiral_(Royal_Navy)) **Sir Frederick Thomas Michell**, [KCB](/source/Knight_Commander_of_the_Bath) (8 April 1788 – 14 January 1873) was a [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) officer and politician who served as the mayor of [Totnes](/source/Totnes) from 1855 to 1858. ## Life Frederick Thomas Michell was born in [Exeter](/source/Exeter), Devon on 8 April 1788. He was the son of Admiral [Sampson Michell](/source/Sampson_Michell) (1755–1809) and his wife Anne Shears (1755–1838). Michell was christened on 19 April at All Hallows on the Wall in Exeter (demolished in 1939).[1] His younger brother was [Charles Collier Michell](/source/Charles_Collier_Michell). In April 1800 he joined the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy). He trained at the [Royal Navy Academy](/source/Royal_Navy_Academy) in [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth) 1800 to 1803. He then served in the Channel, African coast and Mediterranean on [HMS *Eurydice*](/source/HMS_Eurydice_(1781)) as a [midshipman](/source/Midshipman). In 1805 in the latter he helped to capture the 6 gun Spanish privateer "Mestuo le Solidad" under Captain William Hoste. In 1806 he joined [HMS *Termagant*](/source/HMS_Termagant_(1796)) and the newly launched [HMS *Ocean*](/source/HMS_Ocean_(1805)) under [Lord Collingwood](/source/Lord_Collingwood).[2] He became a Lieutenant in May 1807 on HMS Ocean and soon after moved to [HMS *Active*](/source/HMS_Active_(1799)). In 1808 he was noted for his gallantry in the attack on the 16-gun brig-of-war "Friedland" in which he was wounded and received a compensation from the Patriotic Fund. From 1809 to 1815 he served on [HMS *Rhin*](/source/French_frigate_Rhin). During this period in 1809, his father died in [Rio de Janeiro](/source/Rio_de_Janeiro) and Frederick inherited his grandfather's estate.[3] In 1815, he began serving on the 104-gun [HMS *Queen Charlotte*](/source/HMS_Queen_Charlotte_(1810)). In the latter in 1816 he served at the [bombardment of Algiers](/source/Bombardment_of_Algiers_(1816)) and led the bombarding flotilla under Admiral [Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth](/source/Edward_Pellew,_1st_Viscount_Exmouth).[4] In December 1826 he was made commander of [HMS *Rifleman*](/source/HMS_Rifleman_(1809)) in place of William Carleton.[5] He was promoted to captain in February 1830.[6] In 1840 he became captain of [HMS *Magicienne*](/source/HMS_Magicienne_(1812)) and in August 1841 took command of [HMS *Inconstant*](/source/HMS_Inconstant_(1836)). In 1852 he became captain of the 110-gun [HMS *Queen*](/source/HMS_Queen_(1839)) and on this ship took part in first phase of the [siege of Sebastopol](/source/Siege_of_Sebastopol) in the [Crimean War](/source/Crimean_War). In this major conflict the ship was set on fire three times and forced to withdraw.[7] In 1855 he was senior officer under Lord Lyons and took the fleet to [Kerch](/source/Kerch) in the eastern [Crimea](/source/Crimea). The same year he was promoted to [rear admiral](/source/Rear_admiral_(Royal_Navy)) and was elected Mayor of [Totnes](/source/Totnes) and served this role for three years.[8] In 1862 he was promoted to [vice admiral](/source/Vice_admiral_(Royal_Navy)). He retired in April 1866 aged 78. [Queen Victoria](/source/Queen_Victoria) made him a [Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath](/source/Knight_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath) in 1867. In the same year he was also given the [Order of the White Eagle](/source/Order_of_the_White_Eagle_(Russian_Empire)).[9] In 1872 he received an extra pension from [Greenwich Hospital](/source/Greenwich_Hospital,_London) for long service. He died at North Gate House in [Totnes](/source/Totnes) on 14 January 1873 aged 84.[10] ## Family In 1821 he married 16-year-old Jane ("Jenny") Prideaux Philips (1805–1824) in [St Breock](/source/St_Breock) in Cornwall.[11] They had two daughters: Louisa Whitbread Michell (1822–1902) and Caroline who died in infancy in 1823. Jenny died of [consumption](/source/Tuberculosis) in [Lostwithiel](/source/Lostwithiel) in 1824. In May 1826 he married another 16 year old, Caroline Frances Prideaux (1810–1856) at [St Clement Danes](/source/St_Clement_Danes) in [Westminster](/source/Westminster), London. In the 1861 census (at North Gate in Totnes) he was living with two teenage sisters, Louisa (18) and Emily Fyson (16) of [Brighton](/source/Brighton) who are described as his "Wards in chancery".[citation needed] His sister, Emma Carolina Michell, married [Rev Sir John Stuart Page Wood](/source/Page_Wood_baronets). Their many children included [Henry Evelyn Wood](/source/Henry_Evelyn_Wood) VC.[12] ## Likenesses A marble bust of Michell, in his capacity as mayor, stands in the Guildhall of Totnes.[13] ## References 1. ["Exeter Memories - All Hallows on the Wall"](http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_churches/allhallows.php) 1. Vol. 14.4. pp. 758–759. 1. ["Admiral Sir Frederick Thomas MICHELL, R.N. K.C.B. B. 8 Apr 1788 Exeter, Devon. England d. 14 Jan 1873 Totnes, Devon. England: Devon Mitchells"](http://www.devon-mitchells.co.uk/getperson.php?personID=I353&tree=Bruton) 1. ["Genuki: Totnes: TAdmiral Sir Frederick Thomas Michell, K.C.B. (1900): Index, Devon"](https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/Totnes/WindeattTW1900b) 1. ["British sloop 'Rifleman' (1809)"](https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=6201) 1. ["British sloop 'Rifleman' (1809)"](https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=6201) 1. ["British First Rate ship of the line 'Queen' (1839)"](https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=23850) 1. ["Frederick Thomas Michell (1788-1873)"](https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_crewman&id=10487) 1. ["Frederick Thomas Michell (1788-1873)"](https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_crewman&id=10487) 1. ["Admiral Sir Frederick Thomas MICHELL, R.N. K.C.B. B. 8 Apr 1788 Exeter, Devon. England d. 14 Jan 1873 Totnes, Devon. England: Devon Mitchells"](http://www.devon-mitchells.co.uk/getperson.php?personID=I353&tree=Bruton) 1. ["Family Group Sheet for Frederick Cooper FARWELL / Louisa Whitbread MICHELL (F129) m. 9 Jun 1842 : Devon Mitchells"](http://www.devon-mitchells.co.uk/familygroup.php?familyID=F129&tree=Bruton) 1. ["Anna Caroline WOOD b. Dec Q 1840 Braintree, Essex. England d. Dec Q 1920 Brighton, Sussex. England: Devon Mitchells"](http://www.devon-mitchells.co.uk/getperson.php?personID=I395&tree=Bruton) 1. ["Admiral Sir Frederick Thomas MICHELL, R.N. K.C.B. B. 8 Apr 1788 Exeter, Devon. England d. 14 Jan 1873 Totnes, Devon. England: Devon Mitchells"](http://www.devon-mitchells.co.uk/getperson.php?personID=I353&tree=Bruton) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Frederick Thomas Michell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Thomas_Michell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Thomas_Michell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.