WILLSHAW Thomas, - brother to the foregoing gentleman, was, in 1666, successively appointed to the Milkmaid, the Abigail, and the Malaga Merchant, all three said to have been fireships. In 1071 he was made captain of the Francis, and in the following year of the Castle, both fireships also. He was soon afterwards promoted to the Reserve of forty eight-guns. He had no command from the conclusion of the second Dutch war till the rupture with France appeared probable, in the year 1678. He was, on the 30th of March, appointed, by king Charles the Second, commander of the Royal Catharine. Early in the following year he removed into the Elizabeth, and on the 21st of October into the James galley. In 1680 he commanded the Albemarle, and in 1683 the Neptune. He does not appear to have had, after this time, any appointment in this line of service; nor do we meet with any thing farther relative to him till fome time after the revolution. In the year 1690 he was appointed successor to sir Richard Beach, as commissioner of the navy resident at Portsmouth. He held this office only two years; but, in 1693, was, on the death of sir John Ashby, on the 12th of July, appointed to succeed him as comptroller of the storekeeper's accounts.
He continued to hold this office till the time of his death, which happened in the year 1702. In 1700 he was elected master of the Trinity House, to which he bequeathed one hundred pounds. His arms are painted in one of the windows of the hall belonging to that corporation; under them is written, "captain Thomas Willshaw, one of the principal officers and commissioners of his majesty's navy, and master of the Trinity House, anno 1700."