serviceyears branch relations death_place death_date birth_place allegiance birth_date rank article_title name
1777 & nbsp ; -- 1828 23px royal navy coutts crawford -lrb- son -rrb- liverpool , lancashire 10 may 1828 dundee , scotland united kingdom of great britain and ireland 20 july 1760 post-captain james coutts crawford
 james coutts crawford
james coutts crawford

james coutts crawford -lrb- 20 july 1760 -- 10 may 1828 -rrb- 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 .
