A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Rattray, James
RATTRAY. (Captain, 1815. f-p., 15; h-p., 32.)
James Rattray, born in 1790, is eldest son of the late David Rattray, Esq., M.D., by Dora, daughter of John Arnold, Esq.; and brother of Colonel David Rattray, of the 63rd regt., who married a daughter of General Hamilton, of Dalzell, N.B. His grandfather, Jas. Rattray, of Runnygullion, Drimmie, and Corb, co. Perth – a gentleman devoted to the cause of the Royal House of Stuart, who remained amongst the last of the adherents of Charles Edward on the field of Culloden – was son and heir of Sir Rullion Rattray, of Runnygullion (a descendant of the ancient Scotch family of that name), and married a daughter of Sir Jas. Kinloch, Bart.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 June, 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Courageux 74, commanded by the late Sir Sam. Hood, whom, after attending the expedition to Ferrol, he followed, in Jan. 1801, into the Venerable 74, part of the force engaged in the following July under Sir Jas. Saumarez in the actions off Algeciras and Cadiz. In May, 1802, after having served for nearly five months at Portsmouth in the Texel 64, Capt. Robt. Incledon, and Ajax 74, Capt. Bradley, he joined the Achille 74, Capt. John Okes Hardy, lying at Plymouth, whence in a short time he sailed for the West Indies with that officer in his old ship the Courageux. In June, 1803, he assisted at the reduction of Ste. Lucie. He next, on his return to England, joined, in Nov. of the same year, the Britannia 100, Capt. (afterwards Rear-Admiral) the Earl of Northesk, under whom he fought as Master’s Mate at the battle of Trafalgar 21 Oct. 1805. In June, 1806, he became attached to the Royal George 100, Capt. Chas. Gill, lying at Plymouth, and, about a month afterwards, to the Centaur 74, Commodore Sir Sam. Hood, with whom he cruized among the Western Islands and off Rochefort until made Lieutenant, 24 March, 1807, into the Bulwark 74, Capt. Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming. During the three following years he served in the West Indies and Mediterranean; and in April, 1810, he was detached in a bomb-vessel to assist in the defence of Fort Matagorda, near Cadiz, before which latter place and Tarifa he was for nearly two years employed in command of a gunboat, with his name on the books of the Alfred 74, Capt. Joshua Sydney Horton. In April, 1812, having been advanced to the rank of Commander on 1 of the preceding Feb., he returned to England. His last appointments were, 25 Nov. 1812 and 18 Aug. 1815, to the Contest 12 and Childers 16. In the former vessel we find him, besides cruizing in the West Indies and Channel, serving with activity in the Chesapeake. In command of her boats and of those of the Mohawk 18 he succeeded, 14 July, 1813, in cutting out the U.S. gun-vessel Asp, of 3 guns and 25 men, hauled up close to the beach, under the protection of a large body of militia, after an action in which the British had 2 killed and 6 wounded, and the enemy 10, including their Commander, killed and wounded. He attained his present rank 20 Sept. 1815; and accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Rattray is a Magistrate for co. Warwick. He married, 2 June, 1828, Emily, third daughter of the late John Vivian, Esq., of Portland Place, London, and Claverton, co. Somerset, by whom he has issue.