A Naval Biographical Dictionary/King, James William

1779883A Naval Biographical Dictionary — King, James WilliamWilliam Richard O'Byrne

KING. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 17; h-p., 33.)

The Honourable James William King is sixth son of Robert, second Earl of Kingston, by Catherine, only daughter of Rich. Fitzgerald, Esq., of Mount Ophaley, co. Kildare. He is brother of the late Capt. Edw. King, R.N., as also of the late Major-General Sir Henry King, K.C.B.; brother in-law of the late Earl of Mountcashel; and uncle of the present Earl of Kingston. His nephew, Lieut. Rich. Fitzgerald King, R.N. (1832), died Senior of the Persian sloop, on the coast of Africa, in 1840.

This officer entered the Navy, 24 Aug. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Sans Pareil 80, Capt. Wm. Browell, bearing the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, at first in the Channel, and afterwards in the West Indies, where, subsequently to the reduction of Surinam, he became Midshipman, in 1801, of the Carnatic 74, Capt. Chas. Vinicombe Penrose. Quitting the latter ship in 1802, he was next, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 3 March, 1804, employed, on the Home station, in the Bittern sloop, Capt. Robt. Arlett, Jamaica 24, Capt. Jonas Rose, Unicorn and Ethalion frigates, both commanded by Capt. Chas. Stewart, and Minotaur 74, Capt. Chas. John, Moore Mansfield. In the following April he joined the Vanguard 74, Capts. Andrew Fitzherbert Evans and Jas. Newman Newman, with whom he served, again in the West Indies, until 1805. In Dec. of that year we find him appointed to the Aeolus 32, Capt. Lord Wm. FitzRoy, on the Irish station. Being advanced, 15 Aug. 1806, to the command of the Melville sloop, Capt. King was once more ordered to the West Indies, where, in Dec. 1807, he assisted at the reduction of the Danish islands. While on the same station he was removed, 29 July, 1808, to the Pelorus 18, and was posted, 18 Jan. 1809, into the Alcmène frigate. His last appointment was, on 2 June in the latter year, to the Jason 32; which frigate, after having been employed at Newfoundland and off Flushing, bore the flag of the Duke of Clarence when H.R.H. escorted Louis XVIII. to the French shore in April, 1814. Capt. King subsequently conveyed the Emperor Alexander [errata 1], the King of Prussia, and the Duchess of Oldenburgh to Calais, on their return from England. He paid the Jason off 14 Nov. 1814; and acquired his present rank 9 Nov. 1846.

The Rear-Admiral married, 28 Nov. 1815, Caroline, second daughter of the late Most Rev. Euseby Cleaver, Archbishop of Dublin, and has issue two sons and three daughters. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.


  1. Original: Alexandria was amended to Alexander : detail