A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Nixon, James
NIXON. (Lieutenant, 1812. f-p., 12; h-p., 33.)
James Nixon died in 1847.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 May, 1802, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Aurora 28, Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild, lying at Spithead; and in the following month removed to the Diamond 38, Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, in the Channel. In March, 1803, he rejoined Capt. Caulfeild as Midshipman on board the Grampus 50, on the Guernsey station, whence he ultimately proceeded to the East Indies, and there accompanied the same Captain into the Russell 74. Between Sept. 1807 and May, 1809, we find him alternately serving in the Sir Francis Drake and Phaeton frigates, Capts. Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew, Clement Sneyd, and Geo. Harris; and on 11 Dec. in the former year contributing in the boats of the Sir Francis Drake to the destruction at Griessee, in the island of Java, of the dockyard and stores, and all the men-of-war remaining to Holland in the East Indies. After again serving for 10 months with Capt. Caulfeild in the Russell, he was nominated, 15 March, 1810, Acting-Lieutenant of the Hesper sloop, Capts. Henry Drury, David Paterson, Edw. Lloyd, and Barrington Reynolds. Continuing in that vessel until Sept. 1811, he succeeded, in command of her cutter, in boarding and carrying, 15 Nov. 1810, with a loss to the British of himself and 2 men wounded, the French national schooner La Mouche, bound to the Isle of France with despatches, 2 of whose people were killed, and 5, including their Commander, wounded;[1] and he assisted also at the reduction of Java, where he was employed on shore at the storming of Fort Cornells. On his arrival home in the Caroline 36, Capt. Christopher Cole, he was confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 3 Jan. 1812. Being next, 10 Sept. following, appointed to the Pembroke 74, Capt. Jas. Brisbane, he was afforded an opportunity of sharing in a partial action fought with the French fleet off Toulon, 5 Nov. 1813, and of witnessing the fall of Genoa in April, 1814. He was placed on half-pay in Aug. of the latter year, and did not afterwards go afloat. Agents – Burnett and Holmes.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 897.