A Naval Biographical Dictionary/St. John, James
ST. JOHN. (Commander, 1842.)
James St. John entered the Navy, 6 July, 1799, as Ordinary, on board the Pelter gun-brig, Lieut.- Commander John Walsh, stationed in the North Sea. From March, 1800, until April, 1802, he served off Guernsey, in the Baltic, off Boulogne, and at Sheerness, as Midshipman, in the Tigress gun-brig, Lieut.-Commanders Wm. Henry Brown Tremlett, Wm. Davies, and John Gardner, and Hebe frigate, Capt. Geo. Reynolds; and after having been for some years employed on the Home and Mediterranean stations as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant in the Repulse 74, Capt. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge (part of the force engaged in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, 22 July, 1805, and at the passage of the Dardanells in Feb. 1807), Ocean 98, flag-ship of Lord Collingwood, and Queen 98, Capt. Thos. Geo. Shortland, he was confirmed a Lieutenant, 20 Sept. 1808, in his former ship the Repulse, commanded at first by Capt. Legge and next by Capt. John Halliday. In that ship he accompanied the expedition of 1809 to the Walcheren, and then returned to the Mediterranean. He invalided in Jan. 1811, and was subsequently appointed – 27 April, in the same year, to the Revenge 74, Capts. John Nash, Chas. Philip Butler Bateman, Wm. Stewart, and Sir John Gore, with whom he was for upwards of two years employed (part of the time under his former Captain, then Rear-Admiral Legge) at the defence of Cadiz, off Toulon, and on the coast of Catalonia – 14 Jan. 1814, to the Thisbe 28, as Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Legge in the river Thames, where he remained until the following Dec – and 29 April, 1820, 12 March and 10 April, 1826, and 16 June, 1829, to the command of the Fox and Dwarf Revenue-cruizers, and Dove and Lyra Falmouth packets. In the latter vessel he remained until Feb. 1837. He has since been on half-pay. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place 7 March, 1842. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.