Capt James
Gilchrist
died 1777
James Gilchrist was commissioned as a Lieutenant, 28th August 1741. He served
on the Namur under Edward Boscawen in 1749. He was appointed a Commander,
16th January 1750. On 18th July 1755 he was made Captain
of the ship Experiment. He was present at Minorca
in 1756 on the ship Experiment and afterwards he testified against Admiral
Byng. He was later on the ships Deptford and Southampton. On
24 October 1757 he appointed George Marsh
as agent to handle the sale of his prize
ships L'Emerode and St.Denis. On 28 March 1759 he was severly
wounded in the left shoulder during the capture of the Danae
(or Melampe?) in the North Sea. He appointed George Marsh to handle the
sale of his prize ship Danae, 3 April 1759. He died in 1777 in Hunsfield,
Lanarkshire.
James married Ann Robertson
(Roberton?), (daughter of Major John Robertson 16th Laird of Earnock ) probably around 1750
and they had two daughters. The elder daughter may have been called Margaret. The second daughter was Ann and she married,
in 1784, Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald. Ann and Archibald had
a number of sons one being Rear Admiral Thomas Alexander Cochrane, 10th
Earl of Dundonald, Marquês do Maranhão GCB RN (1775 – 1860).
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Letter from Capt James Gilchrist to George Marsh,
10 October, 1774. |
The above letter reads as follows:
Dear
George
I wrote you the week before last and intended to have
mentioned an event that was likely to happen but Mrs Gilchrist's heart failed
her. However well knowing your sincere friendship for us and ours and as
the day is now fixt to fulfil as brother Willie tells me Mrs Marsh's
prophesy. She is set down with tears in her eyes to tell you we are in one
sense to lose one of our dear girls in a few days and I really don't know what I
shall do without her as she is truly a fine sweet girl yet can have no objection
as I hope its for her good to be joined for life to so good and worthie a young
man as Lord Cochrane who I look upon as an none such in this deprived age being
certainly possessed of ever amiable quality and I flatter myself she is
possessed of every disposition capable of making a man happy. Its my
youngest daughter Annie who way of addition to her goodness everybody reakons
hansome his Lordship's to all works is turning out to good account. They
are to be married here Monday next week Culross Abbey which is his house near 40
miles from this. She is not to leave us for
some weeks, the Parliament being disolved has given a great turn to
the mad work that was going on here as I suppose it has done with
you. Mrs Gilchrist and the girls goes to Edinburgh tomorrow to
get some things for Annie is very . . . with one thing and other and
begs youll forgive her for this odd scrall and that you will believe
both her and me Mrs Marshes and
My dear Commissioner
Yours most faithfully
Gilchrist
Annsfield,
October 10, 1774.
[The letter is addressed on the outside as
follows:]
George Marsh Esq
Navy Office
London
There is a hand written note
on the outside: Capt Gilchrist. His daughter's marriage
to Lord Cochrane, father to the famous Lord McDonald.
Captain Gilchrist has a mention in the diary of George Marsh, page
92. The relevant extract reads as follows:
24 October 1757
Captain Gilchrist
of His Majesty's Ship Southampton and his ships company appointed me their Agent
for L'Emerode a French prize and for the St.Denis which they had taken.
Page 93
16 March 1758
Having sold both
these prizes I made up the accounts and paid the prize money.
3 April 1759
I was
this day appointed one of the Agents to the Danae prize taken by Captain
Gilchrist in sight of other of our Ships, in which the brave Captain was
terribly wounded, but in reward for his great services, he having behaved most
nobly in many other engagements, King George the second settled a pension of
£300 a year upon him in addition to his whole or half pay, and directed that all
his expenses for the cure of his wounds should be paid and that he should be
allowed a year's wages also which altogether amounted to upwards of £800, as he
lay many months at Yarmouth and was attended by surgeon etc from London by the
King's express order. Two thirds of the Ball and cup of his shoulder bone
being shot away by a cannon ball, of which wound he languished (tho' to
appearance healed up, with the loss of the use of his arm) about two years, and
died at his house called Ansfield near Hamilton in Scotland. And in regard to
his service and gallant behaviour I got his good worthy wife a pension of £100
per annum. He was as honest and as good a man as I ever knew.
Captain Gilchrist is also mentioned
in the book 'Cochrane The Dauntless' by David Cordingly, published 2007.
If you can give me any information on these people please contact me
on jj@jjhc.info
(Home)
(Go to first half of this letter)
(Go to second half of this letter)
( George Marsh)
