James Carpenter

Notes on Officer

James Carpenter died, 16 March, 1845, at 26, Cumberland Street, Portman Square, London, in his 86th year.

This officer entered the Navy, 11 April, 1776, as Midshipman, on board the Foudroyant SO, commanded as a guardship at Plymouth by Capt. John Jervis, afterwards Earl St. Vincent. In the course of the same year he sailed for North America in the Diamond 32, Capt. Chas. Fielding; and, on next joining the Sultan 74, commanded successively by the latter officer and by Capt. Alan Gardner, he shared, as Master’s Mate, in Byron’s action with the Comte d’Estaing In 1779. After acting for some time in 1780 as Lieutenant of the Rover 10, Capt. John Thos. Duckworth, Mr. Carpenter resumed his duties, as Midshipman, on board the Sandwich, bearing the flag in the West Indies of Sir Geo. Brydges Rodney; but in the same year was again constituted an Acting-Lieutenant in the Intrepid 64, Capt. J. P. Molloy, part of the fleets under Graves and Hood in their actions off the Chesapeake and St. Kitt’s. Between the date of his confirmation in the latter rank, 18 April, 1782, and of his promotion to the command, 9 Jan. 1794, of the Nautilus 18, he appears to have been employed at intervals, on the Home and West India stations, in the Salisbury 50, Commodore Sir John Jervis, Bombay Castle 74, Capt. John Thos. Duckworth, and Prince and Boyne 98’s, both flagships of the former officer. We then find him serving on shore, with a detachment of seamen under the orders of Capt. Elias Harvey, at the reduction of Martinique, and receiving the public thanks of Sir Geo. Grey, the Military Commander-in-Chief, for his active co-operation. His patron, Sir J. Jervis, also testified the estimation in which he held his conduct, by investing him with the command of the Bien-Venu alias Undaunted, a prize frigate, to which the Admiralty confirmed him by commission dated 25 March in the same year, 1794. Capt. Carpenter, who next joined in succession the Veteran 64 and Alarm 32, further united, while in the latter ship, with the army under General Sir John Vaughan, in reducing to submission the Charibs and negroes of St. Vincent, Grenada, and Dominica, who, encouraged by the French republicans from Guadeloupe, were committing the most horrible acts of cruelty on the defenceless inhabitants. Sir John Vaughan, in his public despatches, particularly mentioned the zeal and activity at all times displayed by Capt. Carpenter on this service. About the same time the Alarm, in company with the Bellona 74, captured, off the island of Deseada, Le Duras, of 20 guns and 70 men, having on board 400 troops. After an interval of about four years’ half-pay, Capt. Carpenter, who had returned to England in the Quebec 32, assumed command, in 1799, of the Leviathan 74, Sir John Duckworth’s flag-ship, in which, when in company with the Swiftsure 74, and Emerald 36, in the Gut of Gibraltar, he contributed to the capture, in April, 1800 , of two Spanish frigates, each mounting 36 guns, and having on board 3000 quintals of quicksilver, together with 11 sail of richly laden merchantmen. Being ultimately compelled to invalid from the Leeward Islands, where Sir John Duckworth had been appointed to the chief command, Capt. Carpenter, while on his passage home in a merchantman, was taken, about the commencement of 1801, by the French, and sent as prisoner of war to Spain, whence, however, Earl St. Vincent soon procured his release, in exchange for a Lieut.-Colonel and two other officers. He then, until the peace of Amiens, commanded the San Josef 110; and afterwards had charge, from 1803 until 1810, and from 1811 until Aug. 1812, of an extensive district of Sea Fencibles in Devonshire, and of the Antelope 50, flag-ship at Newfoundland of his old friend Sir J. T. Duckworth. These were his last employments. He became a Rear-Admiral 12 Aug. 1812; a Vice-Admiral 12 Aug. 1819; and a full Admiral 10 Jan. 1837.

He had been left a widower 23 May, 1844. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.