Thomas Kevill (firefighter)
| Thomas Kevill | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Ireland |
| Occupation | firefighter, artillery officer |
Thomas Kevill was an American, born in Ireland, who settled in Norfolk, Virginia, prior to the American Civil War.[1][2]
Kevill lead a company of volunteer firefighters, in Norfolk.[1] Kevill, and all the volunteer firemen in his company, heeded a call to enlist in a Virginia militia, prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. His volunteers agreed to enlist, so long as they were under Kevill's command.
Kevill and his men were assigned to the artillery.[1][2] However, whe the CSS Virginia was being commissioned while the Confederate Navy had officers who had formerly served in the United States Navy, they had trouble finding enough trained seamen. Kevill and his men were transferred to the Navy, to man the vessel's guns.
Kevill served aboard the Virginia during the Battle of Hampton Roads.[1][2]
After the war Kevill returned to firefighting.[1] During the late 19th century, when firefighting was transitioning from departments staffed entirely by volunteers, to departments staffed entirely by full-time professionals, there was a period when only the Chief would be paid. Kevill was Norfolk's first paid Fire Chief.
In 2013 Norfolk named a new fireboat after him.[3][4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Error on call to Template:cite web: Parameters url and title must be specifiedCindi Verser (2013-06-26). . https://blog.marinersmuseum.org/2013/06/1148/. Retrieved on 2019-09-10. “Kevill was the first paid Fire Chief in Norfolk and a Civil War veteran who served on the CSS Virginia during the Battle of Hampton Roads March 8-9, 1862 as the officer in charge of gun #9.”
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Anna Gibson Holloway. Ironclad Revolution: The History, Discovery and Recovery of the of the USS Monitor, College of William & Mary, 2012. Retrieved on 2019-09-10.
- ↑ Roy Bahls. Norfolk's newest fireboat named for city's first fire chief, Virginia Pilot, 2013-06-23. Retrieved on 2019-09-10.
- ↑ Steve Earley. Photos, Virginia Pilot, 2013-06-22. Retrieved on 2019-09-10.