A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Saunderson, James
SAUNDERSON. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 8; h-p., 33.)
James Saunderson, born about 1795, is youngest son of the late Fras. Saunderson, Esq., for 30 years M.P. for co. Cavan, by Anne White, heiress of the Bassetts, of Miskin, Glamorganshire. He is brother of Alex. Saunderson, Esq., of Castle Saunderson, Colonel of the Cavan Militia, and lately M.P. for that co.; of Colonel Hardress Waller Saunderson, who served throughout the Peninsular war as Captain of the 39th Regt., and was wounded at Albuera; and of Capt. Wm. Bassett Saunderson, h.-p. unattached, who likewise fought in the Peninsula, and was there Captain of the 44th. The first-mentioned of these gentlemen is married to a sister of the present Lord Farnham; and the second to a daughter of the Earl of Carhampton. Another brother, Francis, Rector of Kildaller, married Lady Catherine Crichton, sister of the Earl of Erne. The Lieutenant is a cousin of Mr. John Sanderson, Lieutenant R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in Starch, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Tonnant 80, Capt. Thos. Brown, bearing the flag in the Channel of Rear-Admiral Elias Harvey, with whom, after having pursued to the West Indies a squadron which had effected its escape from Brest, he removed as Midshipman, in July of the same year, to the St. George 98. In that ship, attached to the force in the Baltic, he remained for a period of three months. In July, 1807, he was placed under the orders of Rear-Admiral Hon. Michael De Courcy in his old ship the Tonnant; and, in Oct. 1808, three months after he had been discharged, he went back to the St. George, then bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Fras. Pickmore; in which ship, deducting a few months passed on board the Phobbe 36, Capt. Jas. Hillyar, he continued employed until transferred, in May, 1810, to) the Menelaus 38, Capt. Sir Peter Parker. While in the latter frigate he assisted at the reduction of the Isle of France, and, on repairing to the Mediterranean, bore a prominent part, in the course of 1812, in many gallant boat affairs conducted by the present Capt. Rowland Mainwaring. He assisted, in particular, at the cutting out, without loss, of the St. Joseph, a beautiful French brig, pierced for 16 guns, lying within pistol-shot of one battery, flanked by another, and also by musketry from the shore, near the Bay of Frejus; at the boarding and carrying of the French xebec La Paix, mounting 2 long 6-pounders, with a complement of 30 men, protected by a galling fire from the towers of Terracina; at the capture, under a heavy fire from the batteries in the river Mignone, near Civita Vecchia, of the French letter-of-marque St. Esprit, pierced for 12 guns, but with only 2 6-pounders mounted; and at the destruction of the customhouse and magazines at Méjan, in the Bay of Marseilles. For the conspicuous gallantry he exhibited in the last-mentioned affair, which cost a Lieutenant, Yates, his life, Mr. Saunderson, who held the rating of Master’s Mate, was strongly recommended by his Captain to the favourable notice of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Edw. Pellew. On 18 May, 1812, the Menelaus (in company with the Havannah and Furieuse frigates and Pelorus brig) was chased by the French Toulon fleet; and on 29 of the same month, having pursued the French 40-gun frigate Pauline and 16-gun brig Ecureuil under the batteries in the vicinity of Toulon, she again effected a masterly retreat from the fleet that had come out to their protection, by passing through its line ahead of one 74 and astern of another. In command of two of her boats Mr. Saunderson succeeded, 4 Sept. 1812, in bringing out from the entrance of the Orbitello Lake La Fidelle, a government transport, loading with ship-timber;[1] and on 28 March, 1813, he contrived, after a night-chase of many hours, to board and carry Le Nouveau Phénix privateer of 6 guns and 75 men. This vessel he carried as prize-master to Gibraltar. He continued in the Menelaus, the latter part of the time in the capacity of Acting-Lieutenant, until Dec. 1813. He next, for some months in 1814, served off Lisbon and Gibraltar, as Midshipman, in the Redwing 18, Capt. Sir John Gordon Sinclair; and, attaining the rank of Lieutenant 25 April, 1815, was employed as such, from 2 June until 30 Dec. in that year, in the Iris 32, flag-ship of Sir Home Popham in the Thames. He has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Saunderson married Selina, fourth daughter of Colonel and Lady Ann Fox, and niece of John James, second and last Earl of Farnham. By that lady he has issue two daughters.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 2017.