A Naval Biographical Dictionary/James, William
JAMES. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 12; h-p., 29.)
William James entered the Navy, 12 Feb. 1806, as Fst.-cl Vol., on board the Experiment packet, Capt. Jas. Manderson, on the Falmouth station. After serving off Guernsey as Midshipman of the Uranie 38, Capt. Christopher Laroche, he joined, in Aug. 1807, the Bulwark 74, Capt. Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming, off Cadiz; and he was next, from May, 1808, until March, 1814, employed in the Mediterranean on board the Espoir 18, Capts. Robt. Mitford and Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer. During that period, besides witnessing the surrender of the islands of Ischia and Procida, and participating in the capture, 26 June, 1809, of 18 French gun-boats, as also in an action with the French 40-gun frigate Cérés, Mr. James, on 4 April, 1810, assisted at the destruction, by the boats of the Espoir and Success 32, under Lieut. Geo. Rose Sartorius, of several vessels well protected on the beach abreast of Castiglione. On another occasion he contributed, in the boats of the same sloop and of the Spartan 38, to the capture of other craft from beneath the fire of a battery and musketry at Terracina; and, on 18 Aug. 1813, we find him serving in the boats of a small squadron under Capt. Thos. Ussher in a very gallant attack on the batteries at Cassis, where, after sustaining a loss of 4 men killed and 16 wounded, the British, In four hours, succeeded in capturing 3 heavy gun-boats and 26 vessels laden with merchandize. In March, 1814, having returned to England and removed with Capt. Spencer to the Carron 20, Mr. James sailed for Gibraltar. In the course of the same year he further joined the Caledonia 120, and Prince Frederick, bearing the flags in the Mediterranean and at Hamoaze of Lord Exmouth and Rear-Admiral Thos. Byam Martin. At the period of bis promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 16 Feb. 1815, he was serving as a Supernumary on board the York 74, Capt. Alex. Wilmot Scomberg. He assumed charege, 30 Oct. 1824, for a short period, we believe, of the Frolic; and he had lastly the command, from 25 Nov. 1839, of the Echo steam-vessel, on the North America and West India station.