A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Heyland, James
HEYLAND. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 11; h-p., 31.)
James Heyland, born 29 Sept. 1790, is son of a gentleman (himself the son of the Rev. Robt. Heyland, D.D., Rector of Coleraine) who lost his right leg when Midshipman of H.M.S. Thetis – was afterwards attached to the Ordnance service in Ireland – and in 1798 was killed by the rebels while commanding a division of gun-boats for the relief of New Ross. He is first-cousin of the present Capt. Wm. Cuppage, R.N. – that gentleman’s father, Lieut.-General Cuppage, having married his paternal aunt.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 May, 1805, as Third-cl. Boy, on board the Helena sloop, Capts. Woodley Losack and Jas. Andrew Worth, in which vessel he served for nearly five years on the Cork station, and was instrumental to the capture, during that period, of many of the enemy’s privateers and merchantmen. From the early part of 1810 until the summer of 1812 he was next actively employed with Capt. Fras. Beaufort, as Midshipman, in the Blossom sloop, Ville de Paris 110, and Frederickstein frigate, chiefly on the Mediterranean station, where he took part in the survey of the coast of Karamania. He then joined the Salsette and Endymion frigates, both commanded by Capt. Henry Hope, under whom he served, latterly on the coast of North America, until Nov. 1814. The number of prizes he there assisted in making was extremely great. He was also for some time engaged in the blockade of New London; and on one occasion, 8 April, 1814, he served in the boats under Capt. Rich. Coote, at the gallant destruction, near Pettipague Point, on the Connecticut River, with but trifling loss to the British, of 27 of the enemy’s vessels, three of which were heavy privateers, and the aggregate burden of the whole upwards of 5000 tons. He left the Endymion, as above, having been advanced to the rank of Lieutenant by commission dated 19 July, 1814, and has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Heyland married, 19 April, 1819, Miss Mary Matilda Barrett, and by that lady has issue a son and daughter. Agents – Pettet and Newton.