IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0064 LOU
Held at: National Maritime Museum
Title: Louis family papers
Date(s): 1796-1848
Level of description: Collection
Extent:
Name of creator(s): Louis | Sir | Thomas | 1st Bt. | 1759-1807 | Rear-Admiral
Louis | Sir | John | 2nd Bt. | 1785-1863 | Admiral
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Thomas Louis entered the Navy in 1770, was promoted to lieutenant in 1777 and to captain in 1783. In 1794 he took command of the MINOTAUR, one of the ships in Nelson's squadron during the battle of the Nile, 1798; he continued under Nelson's orders in 1799, off the coast of Italy. Promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1804, Louis commanded the blockade off Boulogne, after which he hoisted his flag in the CANOPUS, off Toulon, in 1805. Still in the CANOPUS, Louis was second-in-command of the squadron which destroyed the French fleet at the battle of San Domingo, 1806; for this he was rewarded with a baronetcy. Later in 1806 he took charge of a small squadron in the Eastern Mediterranean and remained there until his death. See H.B. Louis, 'One of Nelson's Band of Brothers: Admiral Sir Thomas Louis, bart' (Malta, 1951). John Louis, son of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis (q.v.), entered the Navy in 1795, was promoted to lieutenant in 1801, to commander in 1805 and to captain in 1806. He served during 1810 off the coast of Ireland and off Cadiz, was in the Mediterranean in 1811 and then went out to the West Indies. After several years on half-pay, he served again in the West Indies, 1826 to 1830. In 1837 he was appointed Captain Superintendent of Woolwich Dockyard and also to the command of the WILLIAM AND MARY yacht. He was Superintendent of Malta Dockyard, 1838 to 1843, and of Devonport, 1846 to 1850. Louis became Rear-Admiral in 1838, Vice-Admiral in 1849 and Admiral in 1851.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Papers of Thomas Louis, 1796-1806, comprising thirty-eight items relating to the official honours Louis received for his services.
Papers of John Louis, 1811-1848, comprising personal letters and official appointments.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Conditions governing access:
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Finding aids:
Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
The papers were deposited on loan through the National Register of Archives in 1958.
ALLIED MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Archivist's note: Edited by Sarah Drewery, Sep 2011.
Date(s) of descriptions: 2011-04-19