James Coutts Crawford James Coutts Crawford ( 20 July 1760 – 10 May 1828 ) was an officer in the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic 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 the defence of Savannah and the siege of Charleston . Returning from North America with despatches , he was given a hired ship and acted in support of the British defences during the Great Siege of Gibraltar . During this conflict he was heavily engaged on numerous occasions with Spanish gunboats , and came to the attention of Roger 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 the Spanish 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 a prisoner of war until 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 to post - captain in 1802 , he was again unemployed for a time , until being given command of various frigates , at first supporting the Spanish in the Peninsular War , but later being sent to the East Indies . Here Crawford took part in the Invasion of Java in 1811 , before returning to Britain . He went on half - pay as the wars with France drew to a close , and died , still a post - captain , in 1828 . Family and early life . Crawford was born at Dundee on 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 firm Coutts . He initially went to sea aboard merchant ships , making several voyages to trade with the American colonies of Virginia and North and South Carolina , before joining the navy in April 1777 . American War of Independence . North America . His first posting was as a midshipman aboard the sloop , then serving off the North American coast under the command of Lieutenant John Henry . " Vigilant " was armed with heavy cannon for supporting shore - based operations during the American War of Independence . Crawford served aboard " Vigilant " until late in 1777 , when Henry was appointed to command the 20 - gun , 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 of " Fowey " s guns that had been landed to defend Savannah during its 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 , General Augustine Prévost . " Fowey " then moved to support the Siege 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 captured , with orders to take her back to Britain carrying despatches . Crawford again accompanied Henry , still with the rank of acting - lieutenant . Gibraltar . " Providence " was 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 - gun , the flagship of Vice - Admiral George Darby , until April 1781 when Darby gave him command of an armed vessel , the 5 - gun " Repulse " . " Repulse " had been fitted with Spanish - made 26 pounders , and was based at Gibraltar during the great 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 the brig - rigged , which had been becalmed in the entrance of the Bay of Gibraltar . The Spanish sent 14 gunboats from Algeciras to attack her , against which the senior British officer , Roger Curtis , dispatched Crawford ' s " Repulse " , and another armed vessel , the " Vanguard " , to defend her . Despite the superior Spanish numbers , the three British vessels were able to fight off the gunboats and " Helena " was towed into harbour . After thirteen months commanding " Repulse " , often closely engaged with Spanish gunboats , Crawford was appointed acting first lieutenant of the 32 - gun . 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 scuttled " Brilliant " , and Crawford went ashore to serve with the naval brigade encamped at Europa Point under Curtis . He served as Curtis ' s brigade major during the assault , which was eventually repulsed . With the attack decisively defeated , the sunken " Brilliant " was 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 line " San 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 the " San Miguel " was blown from her anchorage and had to be run aground . She stayed in British hands for the remainder of the war . " San Miguel " was eventually sailed to Britain under the command of Sir Charles Knowles , and Crawford joined Roger Curtis aboard the " Brilliant " in March 1783 . His lieutenant ' s commission was confirmed by the Admiralty on 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 the Spanish Armament . As the threat of war with Spain loomed , Curtis , by now captain of the fleet to Admiral Lord Howe recommended Crawford to Howe . Howe took Crawford aboard his flagship , the 100 - gun . 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 a prisoner of war until being exchanged in March 1797 , and allowed to return to Britain . Once there he was appointed lieutenant aboard the 98 - gun , which was at this time the flagship of Crawford ' s old patron , now Rear - Admiral Sir Roger Curtis , with the Channel Fleet . He remained with Curtis until his promotion to commander on 14 February 1799 , and his subsequent appointment to command the 14 - gun brig in March that year . He spent the rest of the war commanding her , principally off the British coast , and was promoted to post - captain on 29 April 1802 . Napoleonic Wars . After a long period without a ship , Crawford was assigned to the 24 - gun in 1808 . He commanded her off the Spanish coast during the Peninsular War , supporting Spanish patriots against the French forces , later moving to the 32 - gun to carry out the same service . During operations off Vigo Crawford 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 Marshal Michel Ney , causing Crawford to land a party of seamen and marines , and lead them against the French in defence of the city . The French were defeated at the Battle of Puente Sanpayo and forced back towards Lugo . Crawford commissioned the 38 - gun in late 1810 and sailed for the East Indies in February 1811 . He served at the reduction of Java between August and September 1811 . In 1813 he took command of the 36 - gun and on 6 February 1813 captured the 14 - gun privateer " Furet " off Sicily . " Modeste " was put out of commission towards the end of the wars and Crawford went on half - pay . He does not appear to have served at sea again . Family and later life . Crawford was twice married , his first wife was Anne Duncan , with whom he had a daughter , Mary . Mary married the naval officer Henry Duncan in 1823 . Crawford ' s second wife , Jane , was the eldest daughter of Vice - Admiral John Inglis . The couple had a son together , James Coutts Crawford , better known as Coutts Crawford . Captain James Coutts Crawford died at Liverpool on 10 May 1828 , at the age of 67 . He had been travelling to London , but was taken ill and died after a few days .