A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Stuart, James (b)
STUART. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 9; h-p., 32.)
James Stuart (b) was born 13 April, 1788. This officer entered the Navy, 24 Feb. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol, on board the Medusa 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, under whom he assisted at the capture of Monte Video and Maldonado, and took part in other operations in the Rio de la Plata. On his return to England in the summer of 1807 he joined the Brunswick 74, Capt. Thos. Graves, part of the force employed in the ensuing expedition to Copenhagen; and he served afterwards, between Dec. of the same year and Dec. 1814, on the Lisbon, Mediterranean, and Home stations, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Minotaur 74 and Hibernia 120, flag-ships of Sir Chas. Cotton, Nymphe frigate, Capt. Edw. Sneyd Clay, Crocus and Éclair sloops, both commanded by Capt. John Bellamy, Royal Sovereign yacht,[1] Capts. Sir John Poo Beresford and Sir Edw. Berry, and Elizabeth 74, flag-ship of Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming. While attached to the Hibernia he was lent to the Rapid 14, Lieut.-Commander Henry Baugh; and on 18 May, 1808, he was on board that vessel when she was sunk by the batteries in the river Tagus, in an attempted attack upon two feluccas. His conduct on this and on other occasions exhibited, as we learn from a certificate given to him by Lieut. Baugh, a spirit of great bravery and enterprise. He was afterwards taken in a prize belonging to the Nymphe and carried into North Bergen, where he appears to have been the first prisoner detained since the days of Admiral Wager, in the reign of Charles II. We may here mention that a testimonial bearing the signature of Capt. Clay describes him as being at that time, 1810, “a young man truly deserving promotion.” He was created a Lieutenant of the Zenobia sloop, Capt. Nich. Dobree, three weeks after he had been ordered to act as such, 23 Dec. 1814; was paid off in March, 1815; and has not been since afloat. It may be added that he was frequently, during the war, engaged in cutting out vessels along the coasts of France and Italy.
- ↑ Engaged in attendance on the allied sovereigns.