A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Simpson, James (a)
SIMPSON. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 9; h-p., 32.)
James Simpson (a) entered the Navy, 28 Aug. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Nightingale 16, Capt. Wm. Wilkinson, and in the following year accompanied the expedition against Copenhagen. Removing as Midshipman, in Dec. 1808, to the Sirius 36, Capt. Sam. Pym, he sailed in that frigate for the Cape of Good Hope, and was present in her at the capture, in Sept. 1809 and July, 1810, of the town of St. Paul’s and the Ile de Bourbon. On 9 of the latter month, after having assisted at the cutting-out of a privateer schooner under the batteries at St. Paul’s, he went in pursuit, in the barge, carrying 21 men, under the orders of Lieut. Wm. Norman, of Le Petit Edouard privateer, of 4 12-pounder guns (pierced for 16) and 30 men; which vessel, after a hard row of nearly 12 hours, was overtaken, boarded, and gallantly carried, under a heavy discharge of musketry, which wounded three of her assailants. In Aug. of the same year, Mr. Simpson (who had been placed in charge of Le Petit Edouard) served with the storming-party, and was slightly wounded, at the capture of the Ile de la Passe, the key to Grand Port, in the Isle of France; and on the ensuing recapture, off Port Louis, of the Wyndham Indiaman, he was sent in her as prize-master with despatches for the Government of Bourbon. The Sirius being destroyed during his absence (see Sir Samuel Pym), he was received, 12 Sept. 1810, on board the Boadicea 38, Capt. Josias Rowley, by whom, in the course of that month, we find him directed to assume charge of the British 38-gun frigate Africaine (then just retaken from the French). Continuing in that ship, with Capts. Benjamin Street and Thos. Graham, he served in her under the flag of Vice-Admiral Albemarle Bertie at the capture of the Isle of France; on which occasion he was also employed, in command of the launch belonging to the William Pitt Indiaman, in covering the landing of the right wing of the first division of the army. On the Africaine being paid off, he joined, in April, 1811, the Leopard 50, Capt. Wm. Henry Dillon, with whom he proceeded off Lisbon. During the summer of the same year he was engaged, as a Supernumerary, in the Druid 32, Capt. Thos. Searle, at the defence of Cadiz. Being again, in May, 1812, placed under the orders of Capt. Pym in the Niemen 38, he saw much service in that frigate on the coast of America, where he blockaded Delaware, assisted in the boats, four in number, at the cutting-out of three schooners, one of them mounting 6 guns, and was ultimately, 21 Sept. 1814, while Prize-Master of a packet-sloop, captured and taken into Boston by the York privateer. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 18 Feb. 1815; and was lastly, from 26 Aug. 1834 until the early part of 1835, employed in the Coast Guard.