A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wemyss, James Erskine
WEMYSS. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 12; h-p., 34.)
James Erskine Wemyss, born in 1789, is eldest son of Lieut.-General Wm. Wemyss, who died in 1822, by Frances, daughter of the late Sir Wm. Erskine, Bart.; and grandson of Hon. Jas. Wemyss, M.P. for Sutherland (himself the son of James, fifth Earl of Wemyss), who married a daughter of William, 16th Earl of Sutherland. He is brother of the present Lieut.-General Wm. Wemyss; brother-in-law of the Earl of Rosslyn; and first-cousin of the last Duchess of Gordon.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1801, as a Volunteer, on board the Unicorn 32, Capt. Chas. Wemyss, with whom he served in the Channel until the following year, part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman. After he had been for some months employed with Sir Edw. Pellew off Ferrol and Corunna, in the Tonnant 80, he sailed with that officer in 1804 for the East Indies, in the Culloden 74; from which ship he was lent, on his arrival, to the Victor sloop, Capt. Geo. Bell. In her he was present, as Acting-Lieutenant, 15 April, 1807, in a desperate affair with an armed proa, which terminated in the crew of the latter, who had attacked the Victor, being repulsed, with a loss to themselves, in the course of little more than half an hour, of 80 killed, and to the British of 6 killed, including the First-Lieutenant, H. Blaxton, and 26, among whom was Capt. Bell, wounded. Rejoining Sir Edw. Pellew, about July, 1808, in the Culloden, he continued to serve with him as his Flag-Lieutenant (commission dated 14 Aug. 1808) in the same ship and in the Christian VII. 80, and Caledonia 120, on the East India, North Sea, and Mediterranean stations, until April, 1812; on 12 of which month, having been advanced to the rank of Commander 1 Feb. preceding, he assumed command of the Pylades 18. He subsequently, 5 Oct. 1813, assisted, in company with the Edinburgh 74, Impérieuse 38, and Swallow and Éclair sloops, in silencing the fire of several batteries at Port d’Anzo, at which place a convoy of 29 vessels fell into the hands of the British; and in April, 1814, he received the public thanks of Capt. Josias Rowley, of the America 74, for the “ready assistance” he afforded during the operations connected with the reduction of Genoa. On 25 of the month last mentioned he was nominated Acting-Captain of the Rainbow 26; which ship he brought home from the Mediterranean and paid off in the following Dec. He has since been on half-pay. His Post-commission bears date 1 July, 1814.
With the exception of an interval in 1831, Capt. Wemyss retained, from 1820 until lately, a seat in Parliament for the co. Fife; of which he was nominated, 23 Dec. 1840, Lieutenant and Sheriff-Principal. He married, 8 Aug. 1826, Lady Emma Hay, daughter of William, 16th Earl of Erroll, by whom, who died 17 July, 1841, he has issue two sons and one daughter. Agents – Collier and Snee.