A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Thorne, James
THORNE. (Captain, 1829. f-p., 17; h-p., 22.)
James Thorne entered the Navy, 14 April, 1808, as Midshipman, on board the Invincible 74, Capt. Ross Donnelly, employed at first in the Downs and next in the Mediterranean. While on the latter station he served, on the night of 31 Oct. 1809, with the boats of a squadron under Lieut. John Tailour at the capture and destruction, after a desperate struggle and a loss to the British of 15 killed and 55 wounded, of the French store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grondeur, and armed xebec Normande, with a convoy of seven merchant-vessels, defended by numerous strong batteries, in the Bay of Rosas. In the following month he removed to the Hind 28, Capt. John Rich. Lumley, also in the Mediterranean; he next, in Aug. 1810, joined the Rebuff gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Chas. Jones, engaged in the defence of Cadiz; and from July, 1812, until Aug. 1815, he was employed under the present Sir Geo. Cockburn, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Grampus 50 and Marlborough and Sceptre 74’s, and, for upwards of 18 months, as Second-Master, in the Albion and Northumberland 74’s. In the Sceptre and Albion he took part, in 1813-14, in the operations against Crany Island, Hampton, Washington, and Baltimore, and in others of minor note; and in the Northumberland he escorted Napoleon Buonaparte to St. Helena, where he was nominated, 21 Aug. 1815, Acting-Lieutenant of the Peruvian sloop, Capt. Jas. Kearney White. In March, 1816, he was placed in charge, under Capt. Wm. Roberts, of the island of Ascension. He was officially promoted 5 Aug. following; was transferred, 14 May, 1817, to the command of the Hydra, a vessel in which he visited the coast of Brazil; and after he had again served for about five months at Ascension under Capt. Jas. Caimes, was appointed – 25 Jan. 1818, for a short period, to the Leveret 10, Capt. John Theed, on the St. Helena station – 20 March, 1823, to the Genoa 74, Capt. Sir Thos. Livingstone, employed at Sheerness, Plymouth, and Lisbon – in May, 1824, to the command, in the Mediterranean, of a small vessel whose name we have not – and, 5 Nov. following and 16 Aug. 1826, as First, to the Harlequin 18 and Scylla 18, Capts. Jas. Scott and Wm. Hobson, on the Cork and Jamaica stations. While serving in the vessel last named he was ordered, 8. Feb. 1828, to act as Commander in the Barham 50, flag-ship of Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming. He was confirmed 29 March following; and was advanced to Post-rank 30 March, 1829. He has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Thorne married, 1 Dec. 1831, Margaret Breakenrig, niece of the late Capt. Jas. Aberdour, R.N. (1812). Agents – Hallett and Robinson.