James Cranstoun, 8th Lord Cranstoun
Encyclopedia
James Cranstoun, 8th Lord Cranstoun (1755 – 1796) was an officer of the Royal Navy
.
The third son of James Cranstoun, 6th Lord Cranstoun, he succeeded to the title
on 1 August 1778 on the death of his elder brother William Cranstoun, 7th Lord Cranstoun.
Cranstoun reached the rank of Lieutenant
on 19 October 1776 and Captain
on 31 January 1780. He commanded HMS Belliqueux
at the Battle of St. Kitts
in January 1782 and after the Battle of the Saintes
in April was sent home with the despatches (in which he was mentioned) bearing news of the victory. From 1791 to 1793 he was Captain in HMS Assistance
and in 1795 commanded HMS Bellerophon
under Admiral Cornwallis
at the First Battle of Groix
.
He was appointed Governor of Grenada in 1796 but before taking up his appointment he died at Bishop's Waltham
on 22 September that year, as a result of lead-poisoning in cider
. He was buried at the Royal Garrison Church, Portsmouth
.
Lord Cranstoun was married on the 19 August 1792 to Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis Charles Montolieu and sister-in-law of Alexander Murray, 8th Lord Elibank and of James Bland Burges (later Sir James Bland Lamb, 1st Baronet). They had no children, so the title passed to Lord Cranstoun's nephew. Lady Cranstoun died on the 27 August 1797, aged twenty-seven.
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...
.
The third son of James Cranstoun, 6th Lord Cranstoun, he succeeded to the title
Lord Cranstoun
Lord Cranstoun was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 17 November 1609 for Sir William Cranstoun of that Ilk, sometimes designated 'of Morristoun', Berwickshire. On the death of the eleventh lord, unmarried, in 1869, the peerage became extinct.-Lords Cranstoun :*William...
on 1 August 1778 on the death of his elder brother William Cranstoun, 7th Lord Cranstoun.
Cranstoun reached the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 19 October 1776 and Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
on 31 January 1780. He commanded HMS Belliqueux
HMS Belliqueux (1780)
HMS Belliqueux was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 5 June 1780 at Blackwall Yard, London. She was named after the French ship captured in 1758....
at the Battle of St. Kitts
Battle of St. Kitts
The Battle of Saint Kitts, also known as the Battle of Frigate Bay, was a naval battle that took place on 25 and 26 January 1782 during the American Revolutionary War between a British fleet under Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and a larger French fleet under the Comte de Grasse.-Background:When Hood...
in January 1782 and after 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...
in April was sent home with the despatches (in which he was mentioned) bearing news of the victory. From 1791 to 1793 he was Captain in HMS Assistance
HMS Assistance (1781)
HMS Assistance was a 50-gun Portland-class fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She was launched during the American War of Independence and spent most of her career serving in American waters, particularly off Halifax and Newfoundland. Assistance was the flagship of several of the commanders of the...
and in 1795 commanded HMS Bellerophon
HMS Bellerophon (1786)
The first HMS Bellerophon of the Royal Navy was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched on 6 October 1786 at Frindsbury on the River Medway, near Chatham. She was built at the shipyard of Edward Greaves to the specifications of the Arrogant, designed by Sir Thomas Slade in 1758, the lead ship...
under Admiral Cornwallis
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...
at the First Battle of Groix
First Battle of Groix
The First Battle of Groix was a naval engagement that took place on 16 and 17 June 1795 during the French Revolutionary War off the west coast of France...
.
He was appointed Governor of Grenada in 1796 but before taking up his appointment he died at Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham is a small town in Hampshire, England situated at the head of the River Hamble. It is home to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, an English Heritage monument.-History:...
on 22 September that year, as a result of lead-poisoning in cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
. He was buried at the Royal Garrison Church, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
.
Lord Cranstoun was married on the 19 August 1792 to Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis Charles Montolieu and sister-in-law of Alexander Murray, 8th Lord Elibank and of James Bland Burges (later Sir James Bland Lamb, 1st Baronet). They had no children, so the title passed to Lord Cranstoun's nephew. Lady Cranstoun died on the 27 August 1797, aged twenty-seven.
Sources
- William Anderson, The Scottish Nation, vol. i, Edinburgh 1862 http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bLQEAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA697&lpg=PA697&dq=lord+cranstoun&source=web&ots=7m-j8oT4gr&sig=3s9dHI-_YlCVzVOf10-7yjL8Mlg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPP13,M1