# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Prevost, James

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​PREVOST. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 24; h-p., 39.)
James Prevost is second son of the late Major- General Augustine Prevost, by Anne, daughter of the Chevalier Geo. Grand, of Amsterdam, Knight of the Swedish order of Gustavus Vasa; and brother (with Major-General Wm. Augustus Prevost, who died 9 Aug. 1824) of Lieut.-General Sir Geo. Prevost, Colonel of the 16th Regt., and Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in North America, who was created a Baronet 6 Dec. 1805 and died 5 Jan. 1816.
This officer entered the Navy ill 1784, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Culloden 74, Capt. Cotton, guard-ship at Plymouth. From March, 1785, until June, 1793, he served on the Newfoundland and Jamaica stations in the Leocadia, Capt. Alex. Edgar, Expedition 44, Commodore Gardner, Chichester 44, Capt. H. Brydges, Nautilus 18, Capt. John Trigge, and Salisbury and Europa, flag-ships of Admiral Milbanke and Commodore Ford. He was then, on 19 of the month last mentioned, promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and placed in command of the Flying Fish schooner, in which vessel he witnessed the surrender of Jeremie, St. Nicholas Mole, Leogane, and other places ​in St. Domingo. His appointments, after he left the Flying Fish, were – 9 March, 1794, to the Hound 18, Capt. F. Gardner, on the Jamaica, station – 20 April, 1795, and 6 April, 1796, to the Defence 74, Capt. Thos. Wells and Barfleur 98, flagship of Rear-Admiral Hon. Wm. Waldegraye, both in the Mediterranean – 22 Feb. 1798, to the Agincourt 64, bearing the flag of the officer last mentioned at Newfoundland – and, 29 Aug. 1800, to the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Lord Keith, again in the Mediterranean. In the Defence he fought in Hotham’s first partial action 14 March, 1795; in the Barfleur he took part in the action off Cape St. Vincent 14 Feb. 1797, and assisted, in command of the launch, in Nelson’s bombardment of Cadiz; and in the Foudroyant he obtained the Turkish gold medal for his services on shore during the operations of 1801 in Egypt. On 8 Oct. in the latter year he was promoted to the command of the Bonne Citoyenne sloop, also on the Mediterranean station, where, in 1802, he removed to the Vincejo brig. In Aug. and Dec. 1804 (he had left the Vincejo in 1803), he assumed command, in succession, of the Explosion bomb and Saracen 18; in the latter of which vessels we find him recommended by Rear-Admiral Murray to the protection of the Admiralty as “an active and very zealous officer” for his conduct during the operations in the Rio de la Plata, whence he was sent home with the naval and military despatches announcing the disastrous result of the attack upon Buenos Ayres 5 July, 1807. He was advanced to Post-rank 13j March, 1809, and was lastly, from 11 Dec. 1812 until 4 June, 1814, employed at Chatham in the Ceres 32, as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Thos. Surridge. We may add that for a short time in 1802 he acted as Captain of the Success frigate at Malta. He accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846.
Rear-Admiral Prevost married, first, in 1798, Frances, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Haultain, Rector of Weybridge; and that lady dying 1 Feb. 1813, secondly, in Feb. 1814, Frances, only daughter of the late Lewis de Teissier, Esq., of Woodcote Park, co. Surrey. By his first wife he had issue one son (James Charles, now a Commander R.N.) and three daughters; and, by his second two sons (the elder Lewis de Teissier, also a Commander R.N.) and three daughters. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.