Royal Naval Biography/Wigston, James
JAMES WIGSTON, Esq.
[Captain of 1830.]
Passed his examination, at Portsmouth, in Feb. 1811; obtained his first commission on the 13th June following; and served under Captains John Hayes and Willoughby T. Lake, in the Magnificent 74, from Sept. 1812 until Mar. 1815[1]. His next appointments were, – Feb. 2d, 1819, to the Pandora sloop, Captain Charles G. Randolph, fitting out for the Cork station, where he continued until Oct. in the same year; and, Aug. 29th, 1820, to the Sybille frigate, intended for the flag of Sir Charles Rowley, on the Jamaica station, where he was promoted to the command of the Bustard, a 10-gun brig, Jan. 14th, 1822; and removed from that vessel to the Scout 18, on the 12th June following.
In May, 1823, the Scout ran on a reef of rocks in the Gulf of Mexico, was obliged to throw all her guns overboard, and would probably have been lost but for the assistance rendered to her by the Grecian cutter. Lieutenant (now Commander) John Cawley. She returned home, and was paid off, in the summer of 1825.
Commander Wigston’s next appointment was, Jan. 22d, 1829, to be second captain of the Warspite 76, fitting out at Plymouth for the flag of Rear-Admiral (now Sir Thomas) Baker, with whom he proceeded to South America, where we find him serving when advanced to his present rank, July 22d, 1830.
Agents.– Messrs. Stilwell.