1842.
Captain Tucker was the third son of the Rev. O. Tucker, vicar of
Borden in Kent, and was born in 1795. In 1809 he joined the
'Arniston' East Indiaman, but preferring the king's service he left
this ship in India, and was received as a volunteer on board the
'Diomede.' He afterwards served in the 'Ramillies,' and then in the
'Cumberland,' both 74's, the latter of which was successively
employed in the West Indies, and in watching the Dutch fleet in the
Texel during the last year of the war. He then sailed again to the
East Indies in the 'Liverpool,' Captain Collier, in which ship he had
the rating of mate. She was employed for five months on the Isle of
France station, during which time her boats captured five
slave-vessels. Mr. Tucker was constantly in command of a boat, and
was sometimes absent from the ship for six weeks at a time. His
exertions on this service were most conspicuous. At the attack on
Ras-ool-Khyma, in the Persian Gulf, in which the 'Liverpool'
subsequently assisted, he commanded one of the gun-boats, and nearly
lost his life. He was ashore when a night attack was made on the
camp, and two midshipmen were creased close to him. The sickness
caused by the weather during this expedition, when the thermometer
stood at 108° in the night, was a formidable addition to the other
dangers of the service. After twelve years of active service, Mr.
Tucker was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and served
successively in the 'Pylades,' the 'Atholl,' and the 'Maidstone.'
While on the coast of Africa, in command of the 'Maidstone's' tender,
the 'Hope,' a schooner of 140 tons, armed with a long traversing
12-pounder, and four 18-pounder guns, and manned with 32 officers and
men, including eight native Africans, he fell in with the 'Prince of
Guinea' slaver on the 5th August, 1826. She was a brig of 280
American tons, pierced for 16 guns, but having only 9 mounted, viz.,
a long traversing 24-pounder, four long 9-pounders, two long
6-pounders, and two swivels, and manned with 72 men. After a chase
of 28 hours, and upwards of two hours' hard fighting, Lieut. Tucker
having three out of his five guns disabled by the heavy fire of the
brig, resolved on boarding her, but being prevented from leading the
boarders by a very severe wound in the right foot, received at the
commencement of the action, he notwithstanding continued throughout
to fight the traversing gun. They were led in the most gallant
manner by Mr. R. N. Pengelly, Admiralty mate of the 'Maidstone,' and
they succeeded in obtaining a footing on the vessel's deck, and,
after a fight of several minutes, in getting possession of her. She
had but recently sailed from Whydah with 578 slaves on board.
Captain Tucker's commanding commission was sent out the moment the
news of the gallant capture arrived at the Admiralty. A handsome
watch presented to him by Commodore Bullen, bears in its inscription
that he had while in the 'Maidstone' "liberated 1,003
fellow-creatures from the bonds of slavery." In 1837 Captain Tucker
was appointed Inspecting Commander in the Coast Guard service, and
afterwards to the 'Wolverine' sloop, then at Malta, but destined for
the slave coast; with this vessel he captured 14 slavers, and also
destroyed the slave-factories at Corisco. His complete knowledge of
the coast, and of the habits of the slavers, enabled him not only to
terminate but to anticipate the horrors of the slave-ship, and to
turn all his energies with success to the task of capturing the
pirates before they got into the ports where they were to take in
their cargoes. When the West Coast station was separated from that
of the Cape of Good Hope, Captain Tucker, having then succeeded to
the command of the 'Iris' frigate, and having been made Post Captain
(Oct. 26th, 1840) became the senior officer, and continued the same
career most successfully, making upwards of 20 more captures. His
health, however, gave way, which obliged him to return to England.
He took his passage from the Cape of Good Hope in the 'Reliance' East
Indiaman, which was wrecked on the 12th November, 1842, in a dreadful
storm off Boulogne, and he was lost almost in sight of his native
land. The last seen of him was on the poop-deck until it was broken
up by the fall of the mizen-mast, supporting in his arms a young
midshipman of the name of Ford, whose leg had been broken by the fall
of the main-mast. Those who survived saved themselves by swimming.
Captain Tucker was himself an excellent swimmer, and had twice jumped
overboard to save the lives of others. It seems probable, and in
perfect accordance with his character, that he lost his life in
attempting to save his wounded companion, and the composure thus
evinced in remembering the duties of humanity when death is close at
hand, has at least as much of merit as the courage shown before an
enemy.