Thomas Davies (1737 - 1812)

Thomas was a military officer, naturalist and artist born in Shooter’s Hill (London), England.

Davies began military service at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, in 1755 where he also received training in topographic drawing to provide detailed and accurate drawings. By 1757, he became second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery and began service abroad in Canada .He spent a number of years fighting in the French and Indian Wars there as well as returning from Enland to fight in the War of Independence. 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.

In 1781, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society and was also a fellow of the Linnean Society of London, contributing several articles, especially on the ornithology of Australia. In 1800, he was the first to illustrate and describe the Superb Lyrebird in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London.