Thomas Gray

Thomas Gray, C.B. (1832–1890), entered into the British Board of Trade as a boy clerk in 1851, becoming Head of the Maritime Department by 1869, a position he held for over 20 years, becoming deeply interested in everything related to ships and seafaring. In 1867, as assistant secretary, he wrote a pamphlet entitled "The Rule of the Road" also known as "The Rules in Rhyme", which became famous for its well-known mnemonic verses. e.g. According to Charles Dickens, Jr., Thomas Gray either owned or at the very least operated a little steam launch going by the name of Midge as a hobby. A variant of this poem was featured in "The Donkeyman's Widow" by Guy Gilpatric, a Glencannon story which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, 29 January 1938.