Thomas Davies (British Army officer)

Thomas Davies, F.R.S., F.L.S., was a British Army officer, artist, and naturalist. He was born c. 1737 in Shooter's Hill (London), England and died 16 March 1812 in Blackheath (London). He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-general in the Royal Artillery. He studied drawing and recorded military operations in water-colours during several military campaigns in North America. He later became a noted artist and naturalist. He was the first to illustrate and describe the Superb Lyrebird.

Early life
Very little is known of his early life. In his will, he lists his father as David Davies from Shooter's Hill.

Military service
Davies began military service at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, in 1755. There he received training in topographic drawing to provide detailed and accurate drawings for military use. By 1757, he became second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery and began service abroad in Canada.

French and Indian War
His earliest work is a drawing of Halifax during the failed Louisbourg expedition in 1757. The next year, he recorded the military operations during the Siege of Louisbourg, including the Expulsion of the Acadians.

Starting in 1759, he was with General Jeffery Amherst's forces, first at the Fort Ticonderoga and then at Fort Crown Point. In 1760, he fought in the attack against Montreal and commanded a boat in a naval battle, which he also illustrated.

After the war, he surveyed the regions surrounding Lake Ontario for several years, producing both military maps and artistic landscapes. He painted a series of waterfalls, including views of Great Seneca Falls and Niagara Falls.

American Revolutionary War


In 1776, Davies returned to North America with General William Howe during the American War for Independence. After the Battle of Long Island in August, he illustrated the British fleet in the harbour. Later that year, he continued with General Howe at the Battle of White Plains and the subsequent Battle of Fort Washington, where he illustrated the battle scene.

Under the command of General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Fort Lee, Davies captured the landing at and ascent of the Palisades by the British forces. This work has sometimes been attributed to Lord Francis Rawdon since he later bought it from Davies.

In 1777, he was sent to command Fort Knyphausen, previously known as Fort Washington. In 1780, he returned to England.

Royal Artillery command
After the war, he received several promotions and was assigned to command posts in Gibraltar, the West Indies, and Canada. In 1799, he was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery. His last promotion was to the rank of Lieutenant-general in 1803.

Artist and naturalist
In 1781, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He was also a fellow of the Linnean Society of London and contributed several articles, especially regarding ornithology in Australia. In 1800, he was the first to illustrate and describe the Superb Lyrebird in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. He also read reports to the Society on the Southern Emu-wren of Australia and the Meadow jumping mouse of Canada.

Style
Davies' style combines the precision of military artists with the skills of naturalists. His works have been compared with Henri Rousseau, George Edwards, and Paul Sandby.