Career
Born in Edinburgh, Keith enlisted in the 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot on 4 August 1804. He went with the 2nd battalion of the regiment to join John Stuart in the British campaign to Sicily 1806. Soon after, Keith was sent as part of the Alexandria expedition of 1807.
After being captured at First Rate (at Lloyd's) Hamed near Rosetta on 21 April 1807, Keith and a drummer in his regiment, William Thompson, were purchased by Ahmad Aga (nicknamed Ahmad Bonaparte).
Keith had a quarrel with one of Ahmad"s Mamluks, ironically a Sicilian. The Sicilian was killed in their duel and the Scot then sought the aid of the wife of Muhammad Ali Pasha, wali of Egypt.
After a successful campaign, Keith was made acting governor of Medina in 1815 in Tusun"s absence. He was killed in an ambush later that year.
Thomas Keith is the subject of the novel Blood and Sand (1987) by Rosemary Sutcliff.
