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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wilson, James Henry Richard

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2010733A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Wilson, James Henry RichardWilliam Richard O'Byrne

WILSON. (Lieutenant, 1825.)

James Henry Richard Wilson is son of the late Retired Rear-Admiral Alex. Wilson.[1]

This officer entered the Navy 4 June, 1813; passed his examination in 1820; and was made Lieutenant, 10 Jan. 1825, into the Leven 24, surveying-vessel, Capt. Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, on the coast of Africa. He returned to England in the course of the same year; and was afterwards, from 14 April, 1826, until 1 March, 1827, and from 3 June, 1831, until 18 Nov. 1834, employed in charge of the Semaphore stations on Cooper’s Hill and Putney Heath, and for a short time in 1837 in the Coast Guard. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.


  1. Rear-Admiral Alexander Wilson’s good conduct, when Coxswain to the late Lord Bridport, raised him to favour and promotion. He was a Lieutenant in that nobleman’s flagship, the Royal George, in Lord Howe’s victory, 1 June, 1794, and in the action off Ile de Groix, 23 June, 1795. His advancement to Post-rank took place 2 Sept. in the latter year. He afterwards commanded the Flora frigate, and the Trusty, a 50-gun ship armée en flûte. For his services in the Trusty, in the campaign of 1801 in Egypt, he was presented with a gold medal by the Turkish Government. During the late war, being unable to procure a ship, he accepted an appointment in the Sea-Fencibles. He was superannuated with the rank of Rear-Admiral 18 July, 1814; and died, in 1834, in Wexford.