A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Roberts, James Wolfe
ROBERTS. (Retired Commander, 1840.)
James Wolfe Roberts entered the Navy, in 1772, as a Boy, on board the Cumberland 74. In May, 1775, he joined the Barfleur 90, flag-ship of Sir Jas. Douglas at Spithead. Between the following Aug. and Nov. 1778 he was actively employed on the coast of North America in the Phoenix 44, Capt. Hyde Parker; and on 1 Dec. in the latter year, a few days after he had been removed to the Ardent 64, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Gambier, he was made Lieutenant into the {sc 32}}, Capt. John Orde. In the course of 1779 he had the misfortune from the effects of ulceration to lose the sight of both eyes. He was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 22 Sept. 1806; and invested with his present rank 9 July, 1840.
He married a daughter of the late Mr. John Irwin, of Deptford, and was left a widower 28 March, 1845.