THOMAS ATKINS
[To tke Editor of THE SPECTATOR] Snt,—The question as to who was the prototype of Thomas Atkins has long been a subject of speculation. The story commonly accepted associates the Duke of Wellington with the choice of this name for the soldier's. ledger about 1829 for more or less the reasons given by Mr. Burdon. - This incident with Sergeant Atkins, however, is gendrally placed during Wellington's early service as a young officer in•India. C bvio isly it is hardly likely that it could have happened during the
Peninsular War : such a situation could scarcely have arisen between the Duke as Commander-in-Chief, and a Sergeant.
Moreover the whole Wellingtonian origin of the legend is discredited by a most interesting communication made recently in the correspondence columns of the Daily Telegraph and Morning Post by Mr. Edward E. Burgess, F.R.S.A., of Leeds. He mentions a MS. letter in his possession, dated 1743 from Jamaica, in which the writer, an Anglo-Irish officer describing a mutiny among the hired soldiery says : " Except for those from N America (mostly Irish Papists) ye Marines and Tommy Atkins behaved splendidly." If this letter is unquestionably authentic, " Tommy Atkins " was a living personality some quarter of a century before Wellington's birth. It would be extremely interesting if Mr. Burgess or others could throw more light on the obscure birth of one of the best-known characters of all time.—I am, Sir, yours faithfully, 39 Golders Rise, N.W.4. J. T. GORMAN, Major, Retired.
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