A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Montagu, James
MONTAGU. (Captain, 1824. f-p., 14; h-p., 30.)
James Montagu, born 10 April, 1791, is brother of Capt. John Wm. Montagu, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Princess Royal 98, Capt. Jas. Vashon, bearing the flag at Portsmouth of his father. Admiral Geo. Montagu; under whom, from 1804 to 1806, he served in the Royal William. He then joined the Medusa 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, in which frigate he participated, as Midshipman, in all the operations (including the capture of Maldonado and the island of Gorriti) that took place in the Rio de la Plata between Oct. 1806 and her return to England, in Sept. 1807, with Lieut.-General Whitelocke. After having further, in company with the Thalia 36, gone in fruitless pursuit of two French frigates to the latitude of Greenland, and endured three months of great privation on the coast of Labrador, he removed, in 1808, to the Africaine 38, Capt. Rich. Raggett, and sailed for the Mediterranean, where, in Jan. 1809, he was received on board the Tiger 74, Capt. Benj. Hallowell. On the night of 31 Oct. following we find him serving in the boats of a squadron under Lieut. John Tailour at the capture and destruction, after a desperate struggle and a loss to the British of 15 killed and 55 wounded, of the French store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grondeur, and armed xebec Normande, with a convoy of seven merchant-vessels, defended by numerous strong batteries in the Bay of Rosas. He had, a few days previously, assisted in causing the self-destruction of the French ships-of-the-line Robuste and Lion.[1] On 17 Aug. 1810 he was confirmed a Lieutenant (having been ordered to act as such on 21 of the preceding June) in the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Rich. Thomas; and he was next, 29 Sept. following, appointed to the Alceste 38, Capt. Murray Maxwell. In that ship he aided, in company with the Belle Poule 38, in destroying, 5 May, 1811, a French national brig lying in the harbour of Parenza and defended by a galling cross fire from two batteries. He also took part, 29 Nov. 1811, and obtained mention for the admirable manner in which he directed the main-deck guns, in an action of two hours and a half, fought with consummate gallantry, between the Alceste and Active 38 on one side, and the French 40-gun frigates Pomone and Pauline on the other, which terminated in the capture of the Pomone and escape of the Pauline, after a loss had been occasioned to the Alceste of 7 men killed and 13 wounded,[2] At the end of a period of two years passed as Lieutenant of the Sceptre and Albion 74’s, flag-ships of Rear-Admiral Geo. Cockburn on the North American station, Mr. Montagu was awarded a second promotal commission 7 June, 1814, and on 23 of the same month appointed to the command of the Thistle 12, which sloop he brought home and paid off in Sept. 1815. His last appointment was, 9 April, 1823, to the Rifleman 18, fitting for the Halifax station, where he remained until posted, 17 July, 1824. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.