Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Scott, James (1790?-1872)
SCOTT, Sir JAMES (1790?–1872), admiral, son of Thomas Scott of Glenluce in Wigtownshire, and of Ham Common in Middlesex, a cadet of the Scotts of Raeburn, was born in London on 18 June, probably in 1790. He entered the navy in August 1803 on board the Phaeton, with Captain, afterwards Sir George Cockburn (1772–1853) [q. v.], and served in her for two years on the East India station. In February 1806 he joined the Blanche with Captain Lavie, and was present at the capture of the French frigate Guerrière near the Färoe Islands on 19 July. In September 1806 he was entered on board the Captain, again with Cockburn; and in July 1807 in the Achille, with Sir Richard King. In April 1808 he rejoined Cockburn in the Pompée, and in her went out to the West Indies, where, in February 1809, he took part in the reduction of Martinique. He came home with Cockburn in the Belle-Isle, and under him commanded a gunboat in the reduction of Flushing in July and August. On 16 Nov. 1809 he was promoted to be lieutenant of La Flèche, in the North Sea, and was in her when she was wrecked off the mouth of the Elbe on 24 May 1810. In July he was appointed to the Barfleur on the Lisbon station, and in October was moved into the Myrtle, in which he served at the siege of Cadiz, and afterwards on the west coast of Africa till April 1812. He was then appointed to the Grampus, again with Cockburn, whom in August he followed to the Marlborough. In November that ship went out to the coast of North America, where Cockburn, with his flag in the Marlborough, and afterwards in the Sceptre and Albion, had command of the operations in the Chesapeake. Scott, closely following the admiral, was constantly employed in landing parties and cutting-out expeditions; and acted as the admiral's aide-de-camp at Bladensburg, Washington, and Baltimore. In consequence of Cockburn's very strong recommendation, Scott was promoted to be commander on 19 Oct. 1814.
In May 1824 he commanded the Meteor bomb in the demonstration against Algiers [see Neale, Sir Harry Burrard], and in the following November was appointed to the Harlequin in the West Indies. He was promoted to be captain on 8 Jan. 1828. From 1834 to 1836 he commanded the President in the West Indies, as flag-captain to Cockburn; and from 1837 to 1840 the President again, in the Pacific, as flag-captain to Rear-admiral Ross. In 1840–1 he commanded the Samarang on the China station, and had an active and important share in the several operations in the Canton river, leading up to the capitulation of Canton. He was nominated a C.B. on 29 June 1841. He had no further service, but was promoted in due course to be rear-admiral on 26 Dec. 1854, vice-admiral on 4 June 1861, and admiral on 10 Feb. 1865. On 10 Nov. 1862 he was nominated a K.C.B. In accordance with the terms of the orders in council of 24 March 1866, as he had never hoisted his flag, he was put on the retired list. Against this and the retrospective action of the order he protested in vain. He died at Cheltenham on 2 March 1872. He married in 1819 Caroline Anne, only child of Richard Donovan of Tibberton Court, Gloucestershire, and had issue one son.
[O'Byrne's Nav. Biogr. Dict.; Memorandum of Services, drawn up in 1846, and printed, with remarks, in 1866, in the intention (afterwards postponed indefinitely) of bringing his case before the House of Commons; Times, 9 March 1872; information from the family; cf. art. Nias, Sir Joseph.]