A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Maurice, James Wilkes
MAURICE. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 21; h-p., 37.)
James Wilkes Maurice was born 10 Feb. 1775, at Devonport. His twin brother, Ferdinand Moore Maurice, was lost in command of the Magnet sloop in the autumn of 1811.
This officer (whose name had been borne in 1783-4 on the books of the Monkey, Lieut.-Commander Jas. Glassford) embarked, in Aug. 1789, as A.B., on board the Inspector sloop, Capts. Alex. Mackey and Jas. Leakey, and was employed in that vessel on the Channel station until Oct. 1791. Becoming Midshipman, in Dec. 1792, of the Powerful 74, Capts. Thos. Hicks and Wm. Albany Otway, he escorted a fleet of outward-bound Indiamen, at the commencement of hostilities with France, to the Cape of Good Hope, and on his return he successively, in Jan. and May, 1794, joined the Cambridge 74, Capt. Rich. Boger, and La Concorde 36, Capts. Sir Rich. John Strachan and Anthony Hunt. In Aug. 1795, after having participated in Lord Bridport’s action, he was nominated by Sir John Borlase Warren Lieutenant of the Thunderer 74, Capt. Albemarle Bertie; but the appointment not being confirmed, he went back, about Jan. 1796, to La Concorde, and continued in that ship, under Capts. Hunt and Rich. Bagot (witnessing intermemediately the capture, among other vessels, of the French frigates Unité and Virginie, and the destruction of La Volage corvette, of 26 guns), until transferred, in Feb. 1797, to the Royal George 100, flag-ship in the Channel of Lord Bridport, who, on 17 of the ensuing month, promoted him into the Glory 98, Capt. Jas. Brine – the Admiralty confirming the appointment by a commission dated 3 April, 1797. In Jan. 1799 Mr. Maurice removed to the Canada 74, Capts. Hon. Michael De Courcy and Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke, in which ship, bearing the flag for some time of Sir John Borlase Warren, he served in the Channel and Mediterranean until May, 1802. Obtaining an appointment, in the following Sept., to the Centaur 74, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Sam. Hood, he added in that ship at the capture of Ste. Lucie, Tobago, Demerara, and Essequibo, and on 26 Nov. 1803 he landed at the head of 40 seamen, with the greater part of the marines under Capt. Crozier, at Petite Ance d’Arlette, Martinique, and assisted in destroying a battery of 6 24-pounders.[1] In the performance, however, of this service he received a wound, occasioned by the explosion of the magazine, and was in consequence presented by the Patriotic Society with a sword valued at 50l. On 3 Feb. 1804, after nearly a month had been expended in planting 5 guns (3 24-pounders and 2 long 18’s), and placing provisions, stores, &c., upon an all but inaccessible eminence, situated in the sea near the south-west end of Martinique, and called the Diamond Rock, the rating was assigned it of a sloop-of-war, and the command given to Lieut. Maurice, as a reward for the arduous and prominent part he had borne in the equipment. Being confirmed in his new appointment, 7 May in the same year, he continued to hold it until 2 June, 1805, when, owing to a want of ammunition and water, he was under the necessity of surrendering to a French squadron of 2 sail-of-the-line, 1 frigate, 1 brig, a schooner, and 11 gun-boats, together with 1500 troops, after sustaining a three days’ attack with a degree of gallantry that had the effect of subsequently procuring him not only the honourable acquittal but the high admiration of a Court-Martial, and the warm applause of Lord Nelson. The enemy, during the operations, appear to have had about 30 killed and 40 wounded on shore, independently of their ships and boats, and to have lost 3 gun-boats and 2 row-boats. The British, of whom there were in the whole not more than 107, had but 2 killed and 1 wounded. Capt. Maurice arrived in, England with despatches from Rear-Admiral Hon. Alex. Cochrane 3 Aug. 1805, and in less than a fortnight was appointed to the command of the Savage, a new 18 gun-brig. In that vessel he appears, until June, 1807, to have been employed in convoying the trade from different ports in St. George’s Channel and the Downs. He next escorted a fleet of merchantmen from Cork to the West Indies; and in Dec. 1807 contrived, while cruizing on the Jamaica station, to capture the Don Quixote, Spanish privateer, of 8 guns and 99 men. In the autumn of 1808 Capt. Maurice was nominated by Sir Alex. Cochrane Governor of Marie-Galante, a post appointment, which the Admiralty sanctioned with its approbation 18 Jan. 1809. After having administered the affairs of the colony for 12 months under circumstances of a very trying character, but in a manner that gained him a most flattering address from the legislative body and the principal inhabitants, he found himself, in Oct. 1809, compelled, from the effects of intermittent fever, to invalid. His next appointment, we find, was to the Governorship, 30 July, 1810, of the island of Anholdt, where, in March, 1811, he rendered his name for ever famous by the brilliant manner in which he defeated an attempt made to reduce it by a Danish flotilla and army, consisting in all of nearly 4000 men, who, after a close combat of four hours and a half, were driven back to their ports, with the loss of 3 pieces of cannon, 14 shells, 484 muskets, 470 swords, 16000 musket-ball cartridges, and upwards of 500 prisoners – a greater number by 150 than the garrison itself. Although the loss of the assailants was most severe, that of the British was confined to 2 killed and 30 wounded.[2] The glorious defence of Anholdt, indeed, became the universal theme of praise, and its gallant conductor, as a matter of course, received the warm plaudits of the Admiralty. His second in command, Lieut. H. L. Baker, was promoted to superior rank; and, as a compliment to himself, his brother, the gentleman alluded to at the commencement of the present narrative, was placed in command of a sloop-of-war. Capt. Maurice, whom the garrison of Anholdt united in presenting with a valuable sword “in token of their admiration of his personal bravery in the battle of 27 March, and as a grateful memorial for his liberal, forbearing, and kind consideration of their feelings during his government,” remained in that island until Sept. 1812, and has not been since employed. He accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846.
He married, 5 Oct. 1814, Miss Sarah Lyne, of Plymouth, and was left a widower in June, 1815. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.