Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Elphinstone Erskine, (2 December 1838 – 25 July 1911) was a

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officer. As a junior officer he served on the

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the ...

. This was a difficult time in relations between the United Kingdom and the United States following the

Trent Affair The ''Trent'' Affair was a diplomatic incident in 1861 during the American Civil War that threatened a war between the United States and Great Britain. The U.S. Navy captured two Confederate envoys from a British Royal Mail steamer; the Brit ...

, an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the

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when the

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frigate USS ''San Jacinto'' intercepted the British

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RMS ''Trent''. Erskine went on to be Private Secretary to Lord Northbrook,

First Lord of the Admiralty The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...

and then became Commodore on the

Australia Station The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.Dennis et al. 2008, p.53. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, ...

and in that capacity announced that, in order to provide support for the local people, the south coast of

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would become a British protectorate. He went on to be Junior Naval Lord under the

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and then Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station.

Early career

Born the son of James Erskine and Mary Eliza Erskine (daughter of Lieutenant-General Christopher Fagan), Erskine joined the

in 1852.Heathcote, p. 72 He was appointed to the paddle frigate HMS ''Valorous'' on the

in January 1858. Promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 28 June 1858, he became flag lieutenant to his uncle, Rear Admiral

John Elphinstone Erskine Admiral John Elphinstone Erskine (13 July 1806 – 23 June 1887) was a Royal Navy officer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1874. Background and education A member of Clan Erskine, he was the son of David Erskin ...

, Second-in-Command of the

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, in the

second-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a second-rate was a ship of the line which by the start of the 18th century mounted 90 to 98 guns on three gun decks; earlier 17th-century second rates had fewer gun ...

HMS ''Edgar'', in July 1859. Erskine transferred to the second-rate HMS ''Aboukir'' on the North America and West Indies Station in December 1860. This was a difficult time in relations between the United Kingdom and the United States following the

, an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the

when the

frigate USS ''San Jacinto'' intercepted the British

RMS ''Trent'' and removed, as contraband of war, two Confederate diplomats who were bound for the United Kingdom and France to press the Confederacy's case for diplomatic recognition and financial support for the Confederacy. In 1862 Erskine inherited Venlaw, a large Scottish Baronial style house in Peeblesshire. Promoted to commander on 4 August 1862, he became commanding officer of the

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HMS ''Speedwell'' on the West Coast of Africa Station in February 1865 and then commanding officer of the sloop HMS ''Columbine'' on the

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in January 1868. Promoted to captain on 4 November 1868, Erskine went on to be commanding officer of the corvette HMS ''Eclipse'' on the North America and West Indies Station in November 1873, commanding officer of the corvette HMS ''Boadicea'' at

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in April 1878 and then commanding officer of the corvette HMS ''Garnet'' on the South East Coast of America Station in October 1878. HMS Crescent

Erskine was appointed Private Secretary to Lord Northbrook,

, in May 1880 and became Commodore on the

, with his

broad pennant A broad pennant is a triangular swallow-tailed naval pennant flown from the masthead of a warship afloat or a naval headquarters ashore to indicate the presence of either: (a) a Royal Navy officer in the rank of Commodore, or (b) a U.S. Na ...

in the armoured cruiser HMS ''Nelson'' in January 1882. It was in this capacity that he announced that in order to provide support for the local people, the south coast of

would become a British protectorate and, in late 1884, he embarked on an expedition aboard the HMS Nelson to undertake proclamation and flag raising ceremonies, stopping at Port Moresby, Delena, Motu-Motu, Kerepunu, Argyle Bay, Stacey Island, Dinner Island and Teste Island. The expedition was joined by Charles Emanuel Lyne, a correspondent from ''

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'', and at least one photographer, to document and report on the events. Lyne's detailed reports were later published as a full account of the expedition.

Senior command

Promoted to rear admiral on 18 January 1886, Erskine became Junior Naval Lord under the

in February 1886 but left office six months later when the Government fell. He became Senior Officer,

Coast of Ireland Station The Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland was both an admiral's post and a naval formation of the Royal Navy. It was based at Queenstown, now Cobh, in Ireland from 1797 to 1919. The admiral's headquarters was at Admiralty House, Cobh. History T ...

, with his flag in the battleship HMS ''Triumph'', in 1888. Promoted to vice admiral on 14 February 1892, he significantly extended Venlaw that year adding an extra storey and a large south wing and turret. Erskine became Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station, with his flag in the cruiser HMS ''Crescent'', in May 1895. Appointed a

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on 22 June 1897 and promoted to full admiral on 23 August 1897, he joined a commission established to deal with fishing claims on the French Islands of

Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon (), officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (french: link=no, Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon ), is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in t ...

in August 1898. Erskine was appointed

First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp Below is a list of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp, an office established by William IV of the United Kingdom in 1830: First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp *1830-1846: Lord Amelius Beauclerk *1846-1866: Sir William Parker, Bt. *18 ...

to the King on 20 April 1901, promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 3 October 1902 and installed as Deputy Lieutenant of Peeblesshire on 25 February 1907. He retired in December 1908 and died at his home, Venlaw in Peeblesshire, on 25 July 1911, aged 72.Heathcote, p. 73

Family

In 1885, Erskine married Margaret Eliza Constable, daughter of Reverend John Constable; they had one son and one daughter.

References

Sources

External links

*
William Loney
Career History , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Erskine, James 1838 births 1911 deaths Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath James Deputy Lieutenants of Peeblesshire Justices of the peace Lords of the Admiralty