A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Fairholme, James Walter
FAIRHOLME. (Lieut., 1842. f-p., 11; h-p., 2.)
James Walter Fairholme was born 10 Jan. 1821.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 March, 1834, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Gannet 16, Capt. John Balfour Maxwell, with whom, and with Commodore Sir John Strutt Peyton, of the Madagascar 46, he served on the West India station, part of the time as Midshipman, until despatched as second in command of a prize-slaver to the coast of Africa, where he was wrecked 7 April, 1838, and taken prisoner by the Moors. Being, however, rescued on the banks of the Senegal 16 days afterwards, while on his journey inland with the rest of his shipmates, by a party of French negroes under a government officer, Mr. Fairholme returned to England, and in Dec. 1839 joined the Ganges 84, Capt. Barrington Reynolds. After sharing in the bombardment of Beyrout and in the early operations of the Syrian war, he became attached, towards the close of 1840, to an expedition fitting for the exploration of the Niger, whither he sailed in 1841, as Mate, on board the Albert steamer, Capt. Henry Dundas Trotter. Having ascended that river as far as Egga, a distance of 350 miles from the sea, he returned to Cape Coast Castle in the month of Sept., and in March, 1842, he invalided home. Mr. Fairholme, who had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 of the previous Jan., has been since appointed in succession – 20 April, 1843, to the Excellent gunnery-ship, at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings – 14 Dec. 1844, to the Superb 80, Capt. Armar Lowry Corry, at Devonport – and, 13 March, 1845, to the Erebus discovery-ship, Capt. Sir John Franklin, now employed in an attempt to explore a north-west passage through Lancaster Sound and Bering Strait. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.