James Coutts Crawford

This article is about the naval officer. For his son, the naval officer and New Zealand official, seeCoutts Crawford.

James Coutts Crawford
Born	20 July 1760 Dundee,Scotland
Died	10 May 1828(1828-05-10)(aged 67) Liverpool,Lancashire
Allegiance	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1777 – 1828
Rank	Post-Captain
Commands held	HMSChilders HMSChampion HMSVenus HMSHussar HMSModeste
Battles/wars	American War of Independence Siege of Savannah Siege of Charleston Great Siege of Gibraltar French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars Peninsular War Invasion of Java
Relations	Coutts Crawford(son)

James Coutts Crawford(20 July 1760 – 10 May 1828) was an officer in theRoyal Navywho served during theAmerican War of Independenceand theFrench RevolutionaryandNapoleonic Wars.

Crawford first went to sea aboard merchant vessels, trading with North America, before joining the navy during the American War of Independence. He saw action on shore on several occasions, distinguishing himself in thedefence of Savannahand thesiege of Charleston.Returning from North America with despatches, he was given a hired ship and acted in support of the British defences during theGreat Siege of Gibraltar.During this conflict he was heavily engaged on numerous occasions with Spanish gunboats, and came to the attention ofRoger Curtis,later to become a prominent naval officer. After a period of unemployment following the end of the American War of Independence, Curtis saw to it that Crawford was offered a position in the fleet during theSpanish Armament.When war was averted, Crawford went out to the East Indies for several years on personal business.

While returning to Britain after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, Crawford's ship was captured by the French. He was kept as aprisoner of waruntil 1797, when he was able to return to the navy and joined the flagship of his old patron, Sir Roger Curtis. After two years in this post, he was given his own ship, which he commanded until the end of the French Revolutionary Wars. Promoted topost-captainin 1802, he was again unemployed for a time, until being given command of various frigates, at first supporting the Spanish in thePeninsular War,but later being sent to the East Indies. Here Crawford took part in theInvasion of Javain 1811, before returning to Britain. He went onhalf-payas the wars with France drew to a close, and died, still a post-captain, in 1828.

Family and early life

Crawford was born atDundeeon 20 July 1760, the son of James Crawford and his wife Helen, née Coutts. Helen was a cousin of the owners of the large London banking firmCoutts.He initially went to sea aboard merchant ships, making several voyages to trade with the American colonies ofVirginiaandNorthandSouth Carolina,before joining the navy in April 1777.

American War of Independence

North America

His first posting was as amidshipmanaboard the sloopHMSVigilant,then serving off the North American coast under the command of LieutenantJohn Henry.Vigilantwas armed with heavy cannon for supporting shore-based operations during the American War of Independence. Crawford served aboardVigilantuntil late in 1777, when Henry was appointed to command the 20-gunHMSFowey,upon which Crawford moved with his captain to the new ship.He continued as midshipman until one of the ship's lieutenants was wounded during operations around Boston. Henry then appointed him acting lieutenant on 24 October 1778.

Crawford took part in several important battles during the remainder of the war, commanding a battery ofFowey's guns that had been landed to defendSavannahduringits siege.The besieging forces were eventually repulsed and for his good service there, Crawford was mentioned in the despatches written by Captain Henry, and the commander of the land forces, GeneralAugustine Prévost.Foweythen moved to support theSiege of Charleston,which ended in the capitulation of the city to the British.Following this success, Captain Henry was again transferred, taking over command of the newly capturedHMSProvidence,with orders to take her back to Britain carrying despatches. Crawford again accompanied Henry, still with the rank of acting-lieutenant.

Gibraltar

Providencewas placed out of commission shortly after her arrival in Britain, and Crawford reverted to his former rank of midshipman. He spent two months serving aboard the 100-gunHMSBritannia,theflagshipof Vice-AdmiralGeorge Darby,until April 1781 when Darby gave him command of an armed vessel, the 5-gunRepulse.Repulsehad been fitted with Spanish-made 26-pounders, and was based atGibraltarduring thegreat siege.The siege was intensified about this time, with the Spanish making determined efforts to oust the British.On 7 August 1781 he played an important role in the defence of thebrig-riggedHMSHelena,which had been becalmed in the entrance of theBay of Gibraltar.The Spanish sent 14 gunboats fromAlgecirasto attack her, against which the senior British officer,Roger Curtis,dispatched Crawford'sRepulse,and another armed vessel, theVanguard,to defend her.Despite the superior Spanish numbers, the three British vessels were able to fight off the gunboats andHelenawas towed into harbour.After thirteen months commandingRepulse,often closely engaged with Spanish gunboats, Crawford was appointed acting first lieutenant of the 32-gunHMSBrilliant.

The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782,byJohn Singleton Copley.Depicting the September assault, which Crawford served throughout.

All the previous assaults having failed to capture Gibraltar, a Franco-Spanish forced launched the biggest assault yet on the fortifications, on 13 September 1782. Anticipating the assault, and the danger to shipping, the British scuttledBrilliant,and Crawford went ashore to serve with the naval brigade encamped atEuropa Pointunder Curtis. He served as Curtis'sbrigade majorduring the assault, which was eventually repulsed.With the attack decisively defeated, the sunkenBrilliantwas re-floated within a few days and Crawford resumed his post aboard her, serving under Curtis. He remained her until October 1782, when he was moved to the recently captured Spanish ship of the lineSan Miguel,which had run aground off Gibraltar and forced to surrender.The Spanish made several attempts to recapture or destroy her, sending flotillas against her on 12 November and 18 December. Both attempts failed, though several days later theSan Miguelwas blown from her anchorage and had to be run aground. She stayed in British hands for the remainder of the war.San Miguelwas eventually sailed to Britain under the command ofSir Charles Knowles,and Crawford joined Roger Curtis aboard theBrilliantin March 1783.His lieutenant's commission was confirmed by theAdmiraltyon 10 August 1783, but with the conclusion of the American War of Independence and the drawdown of the navy, there was little service available. Crawford does not appear to have served at sea for some time after his commission.

Spanish Armament and French Revolutionary Wars

Crawford's former service with Curtis, now Sir Roger Curtis following his knighthood for his service at Gibraltar, brought dividends during theSpanish Armament.As the threat of war with Spain loomed, Curtis, by nowcaptain of the fleetto AdmiralLord Howerecommended Crawford to Howe. Howe took Crawford aboard his flagship, the 100-gunHMSQueen Charlotte.The crisis passed without breaking into open war, and Crawford took a period of absence from the navy, going out to the East Indies where he attended to his personal affairs.He took passage back to Britain aboard a merchant ship at some point after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, but the ship was captured by a French warship en route.He was held as aprisoner of waruntil beingexchangedin March 1797, and allowed to return to Britain. Once there he was appointed lieutenant aboard the 98-gunHMSPrince,which was at this time the flagship of Crawford's old patron, now Rear-Admiral Sir Roger Curtis, with theChannel Fleet.He remained with Curtis until his promotion to commander on 14 February 1799, and his subsequent appointment to command the 14-gun brigHMSChildersin March that year.He spent the rest of the war commanding her, principally off the British coast, and was promoted topost-captainon 29 April 1802.

Napoleonic Wars

After a long period without a ship, Crawford was assigned to the 24-gunHMSChampionin 1808.He commanded her off the Spanish coast during thePeninsular War,supporting Spanish patriots against the French forces, later moving to the 32-gunHMSVenusto carry out the same service.During operations offVigoCrawford arranged for the capitulation of the French garrison of the fort there, which caused his senior officer to write approvingly of his "liberal attention and zealous services".Vigo was then besieged by a French army led by MarshalMichel Ney,causing Crawford to land a party of seamen andmarines,and lead them against the French in defence of the city. The French were defeated at theBattle of Puente Sanpayoand forced back towardsLugo.

Batavia,on the island ofJava,target of the British force in mid-1811

Crawford commissioned the 38-gunHMSHussarin late 1810 and sailed for the East Indies in February 1811. He served at thereduction of Javabetween August and September 1811.In 1813 he took command of the 36-gunHMSModesteand on 6 February 1813 captured the 14-gun privateerFuretoffSicily.Modestewas put out of commission towards the end of the wars and Crawford went onhalf-pay.He does not appear to have served at sea again.

Family and later life

James Coutts Crawford,a naval officer like his father, and later a prominent citizen of New Zealand

Crawford was twice married, his first wife was Anne Duncan, with whom he had a daughter, Mary. Mary married the naval officerHenry Duncanin 1823. Crawford's second wife, Jane Inglis, was the eldest daughter of Vice-AdmiralJohn Inglis.The couple had a son together, James Coutts Crawford, better known asCoutts Crawford.Captain James Coutts Crawford died atLiverpoolon 10 May 1828, at the age of 67. He had been travelling to London, but was taken ill and died after a few days.

References

• The Annual Biography and Obituary.Vol. 13. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. 1829.
• The Gentleman's Magazine.Vol. 98, Part 1. London: A. Dodd and A. Smith. 1828.
• The Naval and Military Magazine.Vol. 4. London: T. Clerc Smith. 1828.
• James, William(1847).The Naval History of Great Britain: From the Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV.Vol. 6. London: R. Bentley.
• Winfield, Rif (2008).British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates.Seaforth.ISBN978-1-86176-246-7.