A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Lamont, James
LAMONT. (Retired Commander, 1838. f-p., 10; h-p., 39.)
James Lamont entered the Navy, 28 Dec. 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Repulse 64, Capt. Jas. Alms, lying at Portsmouth; and in the course of 1799 joined the Queen Charlotte 100, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Thompson, and Charon 44, Capt. John Mackellar; in which latter ship, on his return from a visit to the Mediterranean, he assisted at the evacuation of the Holder. Becoming Midshipman, in Jan. 1800, of the Hebe, Capts. Wm. Birchall and Geo. Reynolds, he accompanied the expedition of 1801 to Egypt; after which he was for more than two years employed in the North Sea in the Clyde 38, flag-ship of Sir John Borlase Warren, and for nearly one, as Master’s Mate, in the Mediator and Rénommée; both commanded by Sir Thos. Livingstone on the Channel station. He was then, in Aug. 1805, appointed Sub-Lieutenant of the Staunch gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Benj. Street; and on 16 of the following Oct. he was confirmed a full Lieutenant of the Moselle 18, Capts. John Surman Carden and Alex. Gordon, employed at first in the Mediterranean and next in the West Indies. In 1808 it was Mr. Lament’s lot to be very severely wounded while boarding an enemy’s vessel in the Gulf of Mexico, for which he received a gratuity of 80l. 11s. 6d. He was obliged in consequence to invalid in June of that year.
Unable to procure further employment, he accepted his present rank 18 April, 1838.