James Athol Wood
Encyclopedia
Sir James Athol Wood British rear-admiral. Younger brother of Sir Sir Mark Wood, 1st Baronet
. After serving on merchant ships for the East India Company
from a young age, he entered the Royal Navy
in 1774. Wood served in the navy for almost his whole life, and took part in several of the wars fought by Kingdom of Great Britain
throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century. During his career he was involved in several personal conflicts and feuds, which resulted in him being the subject of two court-martials.
. He was younger brother of Sir Sir Mark Wood, 1st Baronet
, and of Major-general Sir George Wood. First going to sea, for the East India Company
, in 1772, he entered the navy in September 1774, as able seaman
on board the Hunter sloop on the coast of Ireland and afterwards on the North America station. In July 1776, as master's mate, he joined the HMS Barfleur
, flagship of Sir James Douglas
at Portsmouth
. In April 1777 he was moved into the HMS Princess Royal
, the flagship of Sir Thomas Pye
, and from her was lent to the HMS Asia
, as acting lieutenant, during the spring of 1778. He rejoined his ship in time to go out with Vice-admiral John Byron
to North America, where, on 18 October 1778, he was promoted to be lieutenant of the 50-gun ship HMS Renown
, with Captain George Dawson. After taking part in the Siege of Charleston
in April 1780, the Renown returned to England; for some months Wood was employed in small vessels attached to the Channel Fleet
, but in November 1781 he was appointed to the 64-gun ship with Captain William Blair, in which he was in the Battle of the Saintes
on 12 April 1782, and continued till the peace. The next two or three years he passed in France, and then, accepted employment in merchant ships trading to the East Indies, and later on to the West Indies.
(afterwards Earl of St. Vincent) arrived at Barbados
in January 1794, Wood happened to be there, and, offering his services to Jervis, was appointed to the flagship, the . After the reduction of Martinique
he was sent to France with the cartels in charge of the French prisoners; but on their arrival at Saint-Malo
in the end of May the ships were seized and Wood was thrown into prison. The order to send him to Paris, signed by Robespierre
and other members of the committee of public safety
, was dated 13 Prairial (1 June), the very day of Lord Howe's victory
. In Paris he was kept in close confinement till April 1795, when he was released on parole and returned to England. He was shortly afterwards exchanged, was promoted (7 July 1795), and was appointed to command the sloop, which he took out to the West Indies. There he was sent under (Sir) Robert Waller Otway to blockade St. Vincent and Grenada
. While engaged on this service he had opportunities of learning that Trinidad
was very insufficiently garrisoned; and after the reduction of the revolted islands he suggested to the commander-in-chief, Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian
, the possibility of capturing it by an unexpected attack. Christian was on the point of going home and would not commit his successor (Sir) Henry Harvey
, to whom, on his arrival, Wood repeated his suggestion. Harvey sent him to make a more exact examination of the state of the island, and, acting on his report, took possession of it without loss. Of four ships of the line which were there, only half manned and incapable of defence, the Spaniards burnt three; Wood was appointed, by acting order, to command the fourth, and sent home with convoy. His captain's commission was confirmed, to date 27 March 1797.
Early in 1798 he was appointed to the frigate, which was sent out to the Cape of Good Hope
and thence to Mauritius
. Stretching over to Madagascar
, a large French ship was sighted close in shore. Wood stood in towards her, but when still a mile off the Garland struck heavily on a sunken reef, and was irretrievably lost, 26 July. The French ship proved to be a merchantman, which Wood took possession of and utilised, together with a small vessel which he built of the timber of the wreck, to carry his men and stores to the Cape, whence he returned to England, where on 15 December 1798 he and his officers were acquitted at the court martial for the loss of their ship.
.jpg)
In April 1802 he was appointed to the frigate of 40 guns, which, on the renewal of the war in 1803, was attached to the fleet off Brest and in the Bay of Biscay under Admiral (Sir) William Cornwallis
. In November 1804 the Acasta was sent out to the West Indies in charge of convoy, and there Sir John Thomas Duckworth
, wishing to return to England in her, superseded Wood and appointed his own captain. As no other ship was available for Wood, he went home as a passenger in the Acasta, and immediately on arriving in England applied for a court-martial
on Duckworth, charging him with tyranny and oppression and also with carrying home merchandise. The court-martial, however, decided that, in superseding Wood, Duckworth was acting within his rights, and, as Duckworth denied that the goods brought home were merchandise, the charge was pronounced "scandalous and malicious." When Wood's brother Mark moved in the House of Commons that the minutes of the court-martial should be laid on the table, the motion was negatived without a division.
at the reduction of Curaçao
— a service for which a gold medal was awarded to the several captains engaged. In December 1808 Wood was moved into the 74-gun ship HMS Captain
, in which he took part in the Invasion of Martinique
in February 1809. In July he was transferred to the , and sailed for England with a large convoy. On his arrival he was knighted, 1 November 1809, and in the following March he was appointed to the Pompée
, one of the Channel fleet, off Brest and in the Bay of Biscay. On 10 March 1812 broad off Ushant
he sighted a French squadron some twelve miles distant. Of their nationality and force he was told by the frigate which had been watching them. It was then late in the afternoon, and when, about six o'clock, two other ships were sighted apparently trying to join the enemy's squadron, and that squadron wore towards him as though hoping to cut him off, Wood judged it prudent to tack and stand from them during the night. The night was extremely dark, and in the morning the French squadron was no longer to be seen; but the other two ships, still in sight, were recognised as English ships of the line.
The affair gave rise to much talk; Lord Keith was directed to inquire into it, and as his report was indecisive, the question was referred to a court-martial, which, after hearing much technical evidence—as to bearings, distances, and times—pronounced that Wood had been too hasty in tacking
from the enemy, and that he ought to have taken steps at once to ascertain what the two strange ships were; but also, that his fault was due to "erroneous impressions at the time, and not from any want of zeal for the good of his majesty's service." That the sentence was merely an admonition which left no slur on Wood's character is evident from the fact that he remained in command of the Pompée — sent to join Lord Exmouth's
flag in the Mediterranean
— till November 1815. On 4 June 1815 he was nominated a C.B.
; on 19 July 1821 he was promoted to be rear-admiral. He died at Hampstead
, apparently unmarried, in July 1829.
Sir Mark Wood, 1st Baronet
Sir Mark Wood, 1st Baronet was an army officer and engineer. He was a Member of Parliament for Milborne Port, Gatton and Newark. He received a baronetcy on 3 October 1808.-References:...
. After serving on merchant ships for the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
from a young age, he entered the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1774. Wood served in the navy for almost his whole life, and took part in several of the wars fought by Kingdom of Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century. During his career he was involved in several personal conflicts and feuds, which resulted in him being the subject of two court-martials.
Early life and the American Revolutionary War
Born in 1756, James Athol Wood was the third son of Alexander Wood (died 1778) of Burncroft, PerthshirePerthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
. He was younger brother of Sir Sir Mark Wood, 1st Baronet
Sir Mark Wood, 1st Baronet
Sir Mark Wood, 1st Baronet was an army officer and engineer. He was a Member of Parliament for Milborne Port, Gatton and Newark. He received a baronetcy on 3 October 1808.-References:...
, and of Major-general Sir George Wood. First going to sea, for the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, in 1772, he entered the navy in September 1774, as able seaman
Able seaman
An able seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
on board the Hunter sloop on the coast of Ireland and afterwards on the North America station. In July 1776, as master's mate, he joined the HMS Barfleur
HMS Britannia (1762)
HMS Britannia was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was ordered on 25 April 1751 from Portsmouth Dockyard to the draught specified in the 1745 Establishment. Her keel was laid down on 1 July 1751 and she was launched on 19 October 1762. The cost of building and fitting...
, flagship of Sir James Douglas
Sir James Douglas, 1st Baronet
Admiral Sir James Douglas, 1st Baronet naval officer and Commodore of Newfoundland.-Naval career:Douglas became a captain in the Royal Navy in 1744 In 1745 commanded the HMS Mermaid at Louisbourg and in 1746 he commanded the HMS Vigilante at Louisbourg. In 1746 was appointed Commodore of...
at Portsmouth
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
. In April 1777 he was moved into the HMS Princess Royal
HMS Princess Royal (1773)
HMS Princess Royal was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 18 October 1773 at Portsmouth. During her career she was upgraded to a 98-gun ship, by the addition of eight 12 pdr guns to her quarterdeck....
, the flagship of Sir Thomas Pye
Thomas Pye
Sir Thomas Pye was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Seven Years' War, and the American War of Independence...
, and from her was lent to the HMS Asia
HMS Asia (1764)
HMS Asia was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 3 March 1764 at Portsmouth Dockyard. She participated in the American Revolutionary War and the capture of Martinique in 1794....
, as acting lieutenant, during the spring of 1778. He rejoined his ship in time to go out with Vice-admiral John Byron
John Byron
Vice Admiral The Hon. John Byron, RN was a Royal Navy officer. He was known as Foul-weather Jack because of his frequent bad luck with weather.-Early career:...
to North America, where, on 18 October 1778, he was promoted to be lieutenant of the 50-gun ship HMS Renown
HMS Renown (1774)
HMS Renown was a 50-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy.On 13 August 1778, she attacked the 90-gun Languedoc, which had been dismasted the day before in a storm, and raked her.She was eventually broken up in 1794....
, with Captain George Dawson. After taking part in the Siege of Charleston
Siege of Charleston
The Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies. After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln...
in April 1780, the Renown returned to England; for some months Wood was employed in small vessels attached to the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
, but in November 1781 he was appointed to the 64-gun ship with Captain William Blair, in which he was in the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
on 12 April 1782, and continued till the peace. The next two or three years he passed in France, and then, accepted employment in merchant ships trading to the East Indies, and later on to the West Indies.
The West Indies and shipwreck of Madagascar
When the fleet under Sir John JervisJohn Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
(afterwards Earl of St. Vincent) arrived at Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
in January 1794, Wood happened to be there, and, offering his services to Jervis, was appointed to the flagship, the . After the reduction of Martinique
Battle of Martinique (1794)
The Battle of Martinique was a successful British invasion in 1794 of the island of Martinique in the West Indies, during the French Revolutionary Wars. On 5 February, a fleet under the command of Admiral Sir John Jervis landed troops under the command of General Charles Grey. The invasion was...
he was sent to France with the cartels in charge of the French prisoners; but on their arrival at Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
in the end of May the ships were seized and Wood was thrown into prison. The order to send him to Paris, signed by Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre is one of the best-known and most influential figures of the French Revolution. He largely dominated the Committee of Public Safety and was instrumental in the period of the Revolution commonly known as the Reign of Terror, which ended with his...
and other members of the committee of public safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
, was dated 13 Prairial (1 June), the very day of Lord Howe's victory
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
. In Paris he was kept in close confinement till April 1795, when he was released on parole and returned to England. He was shortly afterwards exchanged, was promoted (7 July 1795), and was appointed to command the sloop, which he took out to the West Indies. There he was sent under (Sir) Robert Waller Otway to blockade St. Vincent and Grenada
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
. While engaged on this service he had opportunities of learning that Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
was very insufficiently garrisoned; and after the reduction of the revolted islands he suggested to the commander-in-chief, Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian
Hugh Cloberry Christian
Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian KB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary Wars....
, the possibility of capturing it by an unexpected attack. Christian was on the point of going home and would not commit his successor (Sir) Henry Harvey
Henry Harvey
Admiral Sir Henry Harvey, KB was a long-serving officer of the British Royal Navy during the second half of the eighteenth century. Harvey participated in numerous naval operations and actions and especially distinguished himself at the Glorious First of June in command of...
, to whom, on his arrival, Wood repeated his suggestion. Harvey sent him to make a more exact examination of the state of the island, and, acting on his report, took possession of it without loss. Of four ships of the line which were there, only half manned and incapable of defence, the Spaniards burnt three; Wood was appointed, by acting order, to command the fourth, and sent home with convoy. His captain's commission was confirmed, to date 27 March 1797.
Early in 1798 he was appointed to the frigate, which was sent out to the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
and thence to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. Stretching over to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, a large French ship was sighted close in shore. Wood stood in towards her, but when still a mile off the Garland struck heavily on a sunken reef, and was irretrievably lost, 26 July. The French ship proved to be a merchantman, which Wood took possession of and utilised, together with a small vessel which he built of the timber of the wreck, to carry his men and stores to the Cape, whence he returned to England, where on 15 December 1798 he and his officers were acquitted at the court martial for the loss of their ship.
Feud with Duckworth and court martial
William Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
. In November 1804 the Acasta was sent out to the West Indies in charge of convoy, and there Sir John Thomas Duckworth
John Thomas Duckworth
Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British naval officer, serving during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as the Governor of Newfoundland during the War of 1812, and a member of the British House of Commons during his...
, wishing to return to England in her, superseded Wood and appointed his own captain. As no other ship was available for Wood, he went home as a passenger in the Acasta, and immediately on arriving in England applied for a court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
on Duckworth, charging him with tyranny and oppression and also with carrying home merchandise. The court-martial, however, decided that, in superseding Wood, Duckworth was acting within his rights, and, as Duckworth denied that the goods brought home were merchandise, the charge was pronounced "scandalous and malicious." When Wood's brother Mark moved in the House of Commons that the minutes of the court-martial should be laid on the table, the motion was negatived without a division.
Later years
Public opinion, however, ran strongly in favour of Wood, and he was at once appointed to the Uranie, from which, a few months later, he was moved into the HMS Latona, again attached to the fleet off Brest, and again sent with convoy to the West Indies, where in January 1807 he was second in command under (Sir) Charles BrisbaneCharles Brisbane
Sir Charles Brisbane KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence, and with distinction under Lords Hood and Nelson....
at the reduction of Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
— a service for which a gold medal was awarded to the several captains engaged. In December 1808 Wood was moved into the 74-gun ship HMS Captain
HMS Captain (1787)
HMS Captain was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 26 November 1787 at Limehouse. She served during the French revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars before being placed in harbour service in 1799...
, in which he took part in the Invasion of Martinique
Invasion of Martinique (1809)
The invasion of Martinique of 1809 was a successful British amphibious operation against the French West Indian island of Martinique that took place between 30 January and 24 February 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars...
in February 1809. In July he was transferred to the , and sailed for England with a large convoy. On his arrival he was knighted, 1 November 1809, and in the following March he was appointed to the Pompée
French ship Pompée (1793)
Pompée was a Téméraire-class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.During the Siege of Toulon, Captain Poulain, her commanding officer, joined the British. She fled Toulon when the city fell to the French Republicans and sailed to Britain....
, one of the Channel fleet, off Brest and in the Bay of Biscay. On 10 March 1812 broad off Ushant
Ushant
Ushant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
he sighted a French squadron some twelve miles distant. Of their nationality and force he was told by the frigate which had been watching them. It was then late in the afternoon, and when, about six o'clock, two other ships were sighted apparently trying to join the enemy's squadron, and that squadron wore towards him as though hoping to cut him off, Wood judged it prudent to tack and stand from them during the night. The night was extremely dark, and in the morning the French squadron was no longer to be seen; but the other two ships, still in sight, were recognised as English ships of the line.
The affair gave rise to much talk; Lord Keith was directed to inquire into it, and as his report was indecisive, the question was referred to a court-martial, which, after hearing much technical evidence—as to bearings, distances, and times—pronounced that Wood had been too hasty in tacking
Tacking (sailing)
Tacking or coming about is a sailing maneuver by which a sailing vessel turns its bow through the wind so that the direction from which the wind blows changes from one side to the other...
from the enemy, and that he ought to have taken steps at once to ascertain what the two strange ships were; but also, that his fault was due to "erroneous impressions at the time, and not from any want of zeal for the good of his majesty's service." That the sentence was merely an admonition which left no slur on Wood's character is evident from the fact that he remained in command of the Pompée — sent to join Lord Exmouth's
Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary, and the Napoleonic Wars...
flag in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
— till November 1815. On 4 June 1815 he was nominated a C.B.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
; on 19 July 1821 he was promoted to be rear-admiral. He died at Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, apparently unmarried, in July 1829.
Further reading
- R. G. Thorne, ‘Wood, James Athol’, R. G. Thorne, ed., The history of parliament: the House of Commons, 1790–1820, 5 vols. (1986)
- Hansard's Parliamentary debates, 1st ser. (1803–20) (1812), 5.194–210
- W. James, The naval history of Great Britain, from the declaration of war by France in 1793, to the accession of George IV [5th edn], 6 vols. (1859–60)
- W. P. Gosset, Lost ships of the Royal Navy (1986)
- Letters and papers of Charles, Lord Barham, ed. J. K. Laughton, 3 vols., Navy RS, 32, 38–9 (1907–11)
- Selections from the correspondence of Admiral John Markham*, ed. C. Markham, Navy RS, 28 (1904)
- J. Leyland, ed., Dispatches and letters relating to the blockade of Brest, 1803–1805, 2 vols., Navy RS, 14, 21 (1899–1902)
- "Obituary" in The Gentleman's Magazine, 1st ser., 99/2 (1829), 177–9