The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals

The First China War medal to Commander T. E. Rogers, Bombay Marine, thanked by Government and presented with a 100 guinea sword for his services in command of the Atalanta in China

China 1842 (T. E. Rogers, Commander H.E.I.C.S. Atalanta) nearly extremely fine £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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Thomas Eales Rogers was appointed Midshipman in the Indian Navy on 1 October 1818 and became Lieutenant on 24 June 1824. He was warmly remembered as a Midshipman by Lieutenant-General Bayly of the Bombay Army for ‘turning out of his cabin’, when Bayly, as a young officer, was desperately sick during a voyage from Kishim to Bombay. In 1830 Rogers was Assistant Surveyor in the Palinurus (Commander Robert Moresby, I.N.) during the survey of the northern half of the Red Sea from Suez to Jiddah, but was relieved after a year, probably due to sickness, by Lieutenant J. R. Wellstead, I.N. Rogers was promoted First Lieutenant on 27 March 1827 and Commander on 13 December 1837. In 1839 the Court of Directors reduced the establishment of the Indian Navy and Rogers was one of the officers who accepted the Company’s ‘privilege of retiring from the Service ... on the pension of the rank next above that to which they had attained’.

In 1840, however, he was in command of the Atalanta, a steam sloop of 617 tons and 210 horse-power. Lowe’s History of the Indian Navy describes the active part played by Rogers in the Opium War: ‘In 1840 war broke out with China, and a large fleet and army were despatched thither, a great portion of the latter being drawn from the three Presidencies ... The Atalanta only arrived from sea on the 9th of April 1840, when she was immediately fitted with heavy guns, and Commander T. E. Rogers placarded Bombay for ‘fifty young and active sailors,’ to fill up his complement of European seamen. The Atalanta sailed on the 28th of April, and arrived off Canton river on the 20th of June, in company with the Wellesley, bearing the broad pennant of Commodore Sir Gordon Bremer, and H.M’s ships Cruiser, Algerine and Rattlesnake, with eighteen transports, having troops on board. The Bocca Tigris was blockaded, and, on the 28th of June, Admiral Elliot, Commander-in-Chief, arrived in the Melville, seventy-four guns. The first operation was the capture of Chusan, on the 5th of July, by Sir Gordon Bremer. The Atalanta, which had been employed on the previous day reconnoitring, towed the Wellesley into position, and, after a few broadsides from the fleet, the troops landed and took possession of the works, upon which were mounted ninety-one guns. In his despatch to Admiral Elliot, who arrived on the following day, Sir Gordon Bremer does justice to the ‘zeal and alacrity’ displayed by the officers and men of the Atalanta and Queen, no less than those of H.M’s ships. The Admiral says in his despatch of the 17th of July, that he proceeded to Ningpo on the 13th, in the Atalanta, the squadron, with the exception of the Wellesley, having preceded him, and, after establishing a blockade of the river returned to Chusan.’

In January 1841 the preliminaries of peace were signed between the British and Chinese commissioners, but the latter’s duplicity necessitated further forceful action. ‘At the capture of the strong chain of forts defending Canton, by the military and naval forces under Sir Hugh Gough, between the 23rd and 27th of May, the Atalanta was of great service towing the boats and other craft carrying the right column of attack, the left division being towed by the Nemesis. The Atalanta, says Sir H. Senhouse, senior naval officer, ‘was then placed so as to enfilade the line of the batteries in front of the city’ ... Captain Warren, of the Hyacinth, also says in his despatch to Sir H. Senhouse, ‘I cannot conclude without expressing my approbation of the steadiness of Commander Rogers, of the Indian Navy, in conducting the Atalanta to her station.’ Again, in a despatch of 2nd of June, he says: - ‘By the indefatigable attention of Commander Rogers, of the Hon. Company’s steam vessel Atalanta, who, for three days, was almost in constant motion, all the transports and ships of war were assembled, excepting two of the former which grounded.’ The operations at Canton were completely successful, and the forts, mounting forty-nine guns, were captured with the loss of fifteen killed and one hundred and twelve wounded.’

‘On the 24th of August the Atalanta left China with Sir Gordon Bremer, and arrived at Bombay on the 26th of September. Commander Rogers, who was suffering from ill-health, had arrived at the Presidency shortly before, and, on the occasion of his being placed in orders on the 21st of September, to proceed to Europe for the benefit of his health, the following notification was issued from Bombay Castle: - ‘The Hon. the Governor in Council regrets the necessity which has compelled Commander Roger’s departure from China at a juncture of such importance, and desires to take the occasion of recording his sense of the distinguished services of this officer, while in command of the Hon. Company’s steam sloop-of-war Atalanta, during the recent operations in China. These services, which have been reported in terms of marked approbation by Her Majesty’s Chief Superintendent, the Hon. the Governor in Council will have much satisfaction in bringing to the notice of the Hon. Court of Directors.’ The Court, on his arrival in England, presented Commander T. E. Rogers with a sword of the value of one hundred guineas in acknowledgement of his services, and appointed him to the lucrative post of Master-Attendant at Calcutta.’



He retired from the Indian Navy on 1 October 1841, and from that date to 1846 his appointment was styled Chief Naval Officer under the Government of Bengal. From 1846 the same post which he continued to hold was titled Superintendent of the Marine Department of Calcutta. It is recorded that he was responsible for the introduction of the ‘electric telegraph into India’. He retired in October 1857, a stirring moment in marine affairs at Calcutta, for Captain Peel’s Naval Brigade had just been despatched up country. Following his second retirement, Rogers stood for Parliament as the candidate for Liskeard in April 1859. He married in 1845, at Calcutta, Emblyn Middleton who died at the age of twenty-five at Alipore on 13 March 1848.

Refs: Hodson Index (NAM); History of the Indian Navy 1613-1863 (Lowe).