A painting by Tobin of HMS Thetis run aground near Currituck Inlet, North Carolina on 23 Dec 1794'Turf Entrance to Exeter Canal, 1829'. Watercolour painting by Tobin in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum's collection (31/1938/1)
On his return to England Tobin learned that by his absence he had avoided being appointed third lieutenant of HMS Agamemnon, captain Horatio Nelson: Nelson through his wife was connected with Tobin's family. He was instead appointed second lieutenant of the frigate HMS Thetis, captain Alexander Cochrane, which he considered a better outcome. Nelson, however, regretted it, writing of Tobin, on 12 July 1797, "The time is past for doing anything for him. Had he been with me, he would long since have been a captain, and I should have liked it, as being most exceedingly pleased with him."[1]
Captain
Tobin was made a commander on 12 July 1798. He was advanced to the rank of captain in the major promotion of the Peace of Amiens, 29 April 1802; and in September 1804 was appointed to HMS Northumberland. It was the flagship of his old chief Cochrane, off Ferrol and then in the West Indies. In September 1805 Tobin was moved into HMS Princess Charlotte, a 38-gun frigate, and in her, off Tobago, captured the French corvette Cyane.[1]
After much convoy service Tobin, still in the same frigate, renamed HMS Andromache in 1812, co-operated during 1813–14 with the army in Peninsular War operations in the north of Spain and the west of France. In July 1814 Andromache was paid off, and Tobin had no further service at sea.[1]
Retirement and death
On 8 December 1815 Tobin was nominated a C.B. He became a rear-admiral on 10 January 1837, and died at Teignmouth on 10 April 1838.[1]
Family
Tobin married, in 1804, Dorothy, daughter of Captain Gordon Skelly of the navy, widow of Major William Duff of the 26th Regiment. They had one son and one daughter.[1]
