Captain James King
Encyclopedia
James King FRS
(1750 – October 1784) was an officer of the Royal Navy
. He served under James Cook
on his last voyage around the world, specialising in taking important astronomical readings using a sextant
. After Cook died he helped lead the ships on the remainder of their course, also completing Cook's account of the voyage. He continued his career in the Navy, reaching the rank of post captain, commanding several ships and serving in the American War of Independence.
, Lancashire
, in 1750, the son of the Reverend James King, who was at that time curate of St Mary Magdalene, Clitheroe. According to the parish registers young James King was baptised on 13 July 1750, presumably shortly after his birth. At an early age King entered Clitheroe Royal Grammar School
, where he remained until he was 12 years old.
, although in fact he was treated as a junior officer
, and then as a midshipman in the William and Mary. After further service as an able seaman or midshipman
in and , King joined , Captain James Chads, on 15 March 1768 as an able seaman for service on the Newfoundland station under Commodore Hugh Palliser
, a friend and patron of Captain James Cook, who was surveying the Newfoundland coast at the time. King then served aboard in the Mediterranean under Captain John Jervis
.
Having passed for lieutenant
on 7 March 1769, King was promoted to this rank on 10 January 1771, serving in several ships before being placed on half pay in May 1773. He was then granted leave to go abroad on his private affairs for one year, spending this time in Paris
in scientific study. This was followed by a period with his brother Walker King
at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
, where he made the acquaintance of the Reverend Thomas Hornsby
, Savilian Professor of Astronomy, who recommended him for Cook's third voyage.
with Cook, taking astronomical observations on board by sextant
to establish the Resolutions position at sea and on shore by sextant or by astronomical quadrant to establish the geographical position of salient points during the course of Cook's surveys. Thus King's geographical positions were an important contribution to the accuracy of the various surveys carried out during the voyage.
Following the death of Cook, King remained in the Resolution but on the death of Charles Clerke
, Cook's successor, King was appointed to command , the Resolutions consort, remaining in her for the rest of the voyage. After his return to England King was very much involved in the publication of the official account of Cook's third voyage, writing the third volume at Woodstock
, near Oxford, where his brother Thomas was rector of St Mary Magdalene. But shortly after his return King was promoted post captain and appointed commander of in the English Channel
.
to the West Indies, returning to England shortly afterwards with his health much impaired. He then returned to Woodstock to continue to work on Cook's third voyage. After the publication of the three-volume account of the voyage, advancing tuberculosis
drove him to Nice
, accompanied by his friends James Trevenen
, who had served with him in the Resolution and Discovery, and Captain William Young
, who had served with him in the Guernsey, where he died in October 1784 at the age of 34, although the memorial tablet in Woodstock parish church states erroneously that he died in his 32nd year. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1782 in recognition of his astronomical observations during Cook' third voyage he was also made an honorary L.L.D. Oxon.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(1750 – October 1784) was an officer of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. He served under James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
on his last voyage around the world, specialising in taking important astronomical readings using a sextant
Sextant
A sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. Its primary use is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon which is known as the altitude. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object, or taking a sight...
. After Cook died he helped lead the ships on the remainder of their course, also completing Cook's account of the voyage. He continued his career in the Navy, reaching the rank of post captain, commanding several ships and serving in the American War of Independence.
Early life
King was born in ClitheroeClitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, in 1750, the son of the Reverend James King, who was at that time curate of St Mary Magdalene, Clitheroe. According to the parish registers young James King was baptised on 13 July 1750, presumably shortly after his birth. At an early age King entered Clitheroe Royal Grammar School
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School
See Royal Grammar School for the other schools with the name RGS.Clitheroe Royal Grammar School is a co-educational secondary school in Clitheroe, Lancashire that used to be an all boys school...
, where he remained until he was 12 years old.
The Navy
King entered the navy on 19 November 1762 under the patronage of his kinsman William Norton, serving under him first in as an able seamanAble Seaman (rank)
In the British Royal Navy in the middle of the 18th century, the term able seaman referred to a seaman with at least two years' experience at sea...
, although in fact he was treated as a junior officer
Junior officer
The term junior officer is sometimes used to make clear that an officer in a military or paramilitary unit is not in overall command. The term senior officer is reserved for the officer in overall command....
, and then as a midshipman in the William and Mary. After further service as an able seaman or midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in and , King joined , Captain James Chads, on 15 March 1768 as an able seaman for service on the Newfoundland station under Commodore Hugh Palliser
Hugh Palliser
Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War...
, a friend and patron of Captain James Cook, who was surveying the Newfoundland coast at the time. King then served aboard in the Mediterranean under Captain John Jervis
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
.
Having passed for lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 7 March 1769, King was promoted to this rank on 10 January 1771, serving in several ships before being placed on half pay in May 1773. He was then granted leave to go abroad on his private affairs for one year, spending this time in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in scientific study. This was followed by a period with his brother Walker King
Walker King
Walker King was an English churchman and man of letters, bishop of Rochester from 1809 and with French Laurence editor of the works of Edmund Burke.-Life:...
at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
, where he made the acquaintance of the Reverend Thomas Hornsby
Thomas Hornsby
Thomas Hornsby FRS was a British astronomer and mathematician.Hornsby became a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1760....
, Savilian Professor of Astronomy, who recommended him for Cook's third voyage.
Service on Captain Cook's third voyage
King joined as second lieutenant, sharing the duties of astronomerAstronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
with Cook, taking astronomical observations on board by sextant
Sextant
A sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. Its primary use is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon which is known as the altitude. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object, or taking a sight...
to establish the Resolutions position at sea and on shore by sextant or by astronomical quadrant to establish the geographical position of salient points during the course of Cook's surveys. Thus King's geographical positions were an important contribution to the accuracy of the various surveys carried out during the voyage.
Following the death of Cook, King remained in the Resolution but on the death of Charles Clerke
Charles Clerke
Captain Charles Clerke RN was an officer in the Royal Navy who sailed on four voyages of exploration.Clerke started studying at the Royal Naval Academy in Portsmouth when he was 13. During the Seven Years' War he served aboard HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Bellona...
, Cook's successor, King was appointed to command , the Resolutions consort, remaining in her for the rest of the voyage. After his return to England King was very much involved in the publication of the official account of Cook's third voyage, writing the third volume at Woodstock
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
, near Oxford, where his brother Thomas was rector of St Mary Magdalene. But shortly after his return King was promoted post captain and appointed commander of in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
Later life
Then towards the end of 1781 he was appointed commander of the 40-gun as an escort for a large fleet of merchantmenCargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
to the West Indies, returning to England shortly afterwards with his health much impaired. He then returned to Woodstock to continue to work on Cook's third voyage. After the publication of the three-volume account of the voyage, advancing tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
drove him to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, accompanied by his friends James Trevenen
James Trevenen
James Trevenen was an officer in the Royal Navy and the Imperial Russian Navy.Born in Cornwall "of a very respectable family", he was educated at the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth and went to sea in 1776 as a midshipman on the Resolution under Captain James Cook, where he assisted Cook as a...
, who had served with him in the Resolution and Discovery, and Captain William Young
William Young (1751–1821)
Sir William Young GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
, who had served with him in the Guernsey, where he died in October 1784 at the age of 34, although the memorial tablet in Woodstock parish church states erroneously that he died in his 32nd year. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1782 in recognition of his astronomical observations during Cook' third voyage he was also made an honorary L.L.D. Oxon.