A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pickard, James
PICKARD. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 18; h-p, 33.)
James Pickard, born 28 June, 1781, at Birmingham, is son of the late Mr. Jas. Pickard, of that town, who succeeded in effecting many great improvements in the steam-engine.
This officer entered the Navy, 5 Aug. 1796, as A.B., on board the Diana 38, Capt. Jonathan Faulknor,-stationed off the coast of Ireland. While serving next as Midshipman, between Aug. 1797 and March, 1801, in the Boadicea 38, Capts. Rich. Goodwin Keats and Chas. Rowley, he was long and arduously employed with the in-shore squadron at the blockade of Brest, assisted at the capture of many of the enemy’s privateers and merchantmen, and was present in an attack made 2 July, 1799, by Rear-Admiral Chas. Morice Pole on a Spanish squadron in Aix Roads. Rejoining Capt. Keats as Master’s Mate, in March, 1801, on board the Superb 74, he continued actively occupied in that ship on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations until nominated by Lord Nelson, 2 April, 1805, Acting-Lieutenant of the Canopus 80, Capt. Thos. Geo. Shortland, bearing the flag of the late Sir Thos. Louis. While in that ship, to which he was confirmed by commission dated 11 Oct. 1805, he visited various parts of the Mediterranean, and accompanied the hero to the West Indies and back in pursuit of the combined squadrons of France and Spain. He also enacted a part in the action off St. Domingo 6 Feb. 1806, and, after assisting at the capture on the coast of France of the French 40-gun frigate Le Président, returned to the Mediterranean, where, in 1807, the Canopus formed the van-ship of Sir John Duckworth’s squadron at the passage and re-passage of the Dardanells, and then proceeded to join the force engaged in the expedition to Egypt. On her arrival at Alexandria, Lieut. Pickard, with the launches of several transports under his orders, was sent up the river Nile for the purpose of carrying provisions for the use of the troops employed against Rosetta; on the failure of the attack on which place we find him bringing down many of the wounded soldiers. The siege being shortly afterwards renewed, he was placed in command of a party of 50 seamen attached to the naval brigade under Capt. Benj. HallowelL; with whom he continued for three weeks under the walls of Rosetta. The British were then again reduced to the necessity of retiring – six of the Canopus’ people falling, during the retreat, into the hands of the enemy. Subsequently to the death of Sir Thos. Louis, which took place 17 May, 1807, Lieut. Pickard was intrusted with the command of the gun-boats employed on the Egyptian lakes. In the following Aug. he removed with Capt. Shortland to the Queen 98; and he was afterwards appointed – 14 Oct. 1808, to the Onyx 10, Capt. Chas. Gill, lying at the Nore – 29 of the same month, to the Naiad 38, Capts. Thos. Dundas, Geo. Cocks, Henry Hill, and Philip Carteret, stationed chiefly off the coast off France – and 17 April, 1812, as Senior, to the Tenedos 38, Capt. Hyde Parker. In the Naiad, under Capt. Carteret, he shared, 20 and 21 Sept. 1811, in two actions with divisions of the Boulogne flotilla. On the last-mentioned occasion the Naiad sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 14 wounded, but succeeded in taking one of the enemy’s praams, La Ville de Lyon; which vessel had upwards of 30 of her people either killed or wounded. As Senior of the Tenedos Lieut. Pickard was most actively employed on the coast of North America, where he assisted in making a large number of prizes, and in blockading in the port of Boston the U.S. frigates President and Congress. He invalided home from the effects of the climate in May, 1814, and found on his arrival that he had been promoted, 7 June, 1814, to the command of the Rover sloop. The state of his health at the time did not permit of his joining, and although constant in his applications he has not been since able to procure employment.
Commander Pickard married, in March, 1815, Jane, only surviving child (she had had two brothers, one of whom, Benjamin Spencer, Lieut. R.M., had fallen on board the Edgar 74, at Copenhagen, 2 April, 1801) of the Rev. Benj. Spencer, LL.D., who was for 52 years Vicar of Aston, near Birmingham, for 44 years Rector of Wotton, in Lincolnshire, and lor 42 years a Magistrate for cos. Warwick and Stafford, in which latter capacity he rendered essential service to Government during the great Birmingham riots. With two daughters, Commander Pickard has issue three sons, two of them, Benj. Spencer and Spencer Hicks, Lieutenants R.N., and the other, James, a First-Lieutenant R.M. (1845). Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.