A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Rains, James
RAINS. (Retired Commander, 1829. f-p., 32; h-p., 36.)
James Rains, born 8 June, 1769, is son of the late Capt. Stephen Rains, R.N.; and brother (with Retired Commander John Rains, R.N., who died in 1832 at Fatcham Field, aged 63) of Capt. Stephen Rains, R.N. (1802), who died 1 Feb. 1824, in his 59th year.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 Aug. 1779, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Loudonn armed ship, commanded by his father, with whom he served in the North Sea until May, 1781 – the latter part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman. From the following Dec. until July, 1783, he served on the Home and West India stations in the Seaford 20, Nemesis 28, and Endymion 40, all under the orders of Capt. Isaac Vaillant. He was then employed for nearly two years in the Channel in the Sprightly cutter, Lieut.-Commander Swan; and next, from Aug. 1786 until July, 1792, on general service in the Myrmidon 20, Capt. Thos. Rawe, Viper cutter, commanded by his brother Lieut. S. Rains, Cambridge 74, flag-ship of Admiral Graves, and Ranger and Viper cutters, Lieut.-Commanders Isaac Cotgrave and Robt. Graeme. In the latter vessel he discharged the duties of Pilot for nearly six months. In the early part of 1793 he became Master’s Mate of the Monarch 74, Captain, afterwards Commodore, Sir Jas. Wallace; of which ship he was created a Lieutenant 2 Dec. in the same year. While in her he assisted in silencing a battery in Martinique, and in bringing off a body of French royalists. His next appointments were – 31 May, 1794, to the Albion floating battery, Capt. Henry Savage, in the North Sea – 4 July, 1796, to the command (after three months’ half-pay) of the King George cutter, employed in the North Sea and off Boulogne – 27 Oct. 1800, as First, to the Sirius 36, Capt. Rich. King – and, 26 Sept. 1801, in a similar capacity, to the Magnificent 74, Capt. John Giffard, whom he accompanied to the West Indies. While serving in the Albion he brought a Colonel off from Ostend, just as the French were entering the town. In 1797, at which time he commanded the King George, he conveyed to Admiral Duncan information respecting the sailing of the Dutch fleet, which led to the victory of 11 Oct. On the issue of the battle he returned to England with Capt. Wm. Geo. Fairfax, the officer charged with the despatches of the Admiral; who, in consequence, ordered him to attend the King down the river Thames for the purpose of viewing the fleet on its arrival at the Nore. The severity of the weather not permitting his Majesty to proceed beyond Long Reach, the projected visit was deferred, and he in consequence lost the promotion which would have been secured to him. In the course of the same year Lieut. Rains captured a French armed lugger on the coast of Norway; he subsequently drove on shore on the coast of Jutland a French armed cutter, Le Petit Diable, which he succeeded in getting off and bringing to England; and in 1800 he engaged, and for an hour and a half sustained an action with, a large French lugger, carrying 20 guns and full of troops. The King George drawing more water than her opponent, the latter was enabled to escape into Ostend, after having materially shattered the British vessel. For the gallantry he displayed in the affair, Lieut. Rains, who was wounded in the leg, received the marked approbation of his Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Skeffington Lutwidge, and of Earl Spencer, the First Lord of the Admiralty. When in company, in the same vessel, with the Nautilus and the Seagull sloops, he contributed to the capture of several privateers on the Norwegian coast; where, in unison with the latter, he took, 23 July, 1797, the Capitaine Thurot cutter, of 2 guns, 4 swivels, and 22 men. As First of the Sirius, we find him assisting, in company with L’Oiseau 36 and Amethyst 36, at the capture, 28 Jan. 1801, after a chase of two days, of the French 36-gun frigate La Dédaigneuse. On the surrender of the enemy’s ship he was despatched by Capt. King to take charge of her; but on the coming up of L’Oiseau, commanded by Capt. Sam. Hood Linzee, that officer, being the Senior, superseded him and confided the care of the prize to his own First Lieutenant. He invalided home from the Magnificent in May, 1802; and was lastly, from May, 1803, until Dec. 1814, employed in command of a signal-station on the coast of Dorset. He accepted his present rank 25 April, 1829. Commander Rains married, first, in 1792, Miss J. Wallace, a niece of the late Sir Jas. Wallace; and secondly, in 1804, Miss R. T. Williams. He has issue two sons and one daughter.