James Alms
Encyclopedia
James Alms was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession
, the Carnatic
and Seven Years' War
and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of post-captain
.
Alms served in the navy from an early age, seeing his first actions in the Mediterranean and off the French coast, before going out to the East Indies
. He narrowly survived a shipwreck that claimed most of his shipmates, and returned to England shortly afterwards, having achieved the rank of lieutenant. He was briefly back in the East Indies for service during the early years of the Seven Years' War, before going to the West Indies in acting-command of a frigate
. After being involved in a number of important actions in the Caribbean, he returned to Britain after the end of the war, and retired ashore. Returning to active service after the outbreak of the American War of Independence, he went out to the East Indies in command of his own ship. He saw action at most of the engagements between Sir Edward Hughes and the Bailli de Suffren
, particularly distinguishing himself at the Battle of Providien
. He retired ashore after the end of the war, and died in 1791.
, Hampshire
on 15 July 1728, the son of John and Mary Alms. His father was said to be a servant of the Duke of Richmond
. After a period working in merchant ships he entered the navy in 1740, joining the 74-gun , and by the age of 14 was rated midshipman
and serving as aide de camp to Captain Charles Watson, of the 60-gun in the Mediterranean. He saw action at the Battle of Toulon
on 22 February 1744 and was praised by his commander for his actions in the engagement. He then joined the 74-gun , serving with Admiral George Anson's
fleet off the French coast. Anson's fleet engaged a French one at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre
on 14 May 1747, winning a decisive victory and capturing a number of French warships and merchants. Alms remained in Namur, and went out in her in October the following year to the East Indies
with Admiral Edward Boscawen
. Namur was one of three ship wrecked on the Coromandel coast
in a storm on 12 April 1749, with Alms one of just 23 saved from Namur. He was promoted to lieutenant on 14 May 1749 in the aftermath of the disaster, and was assigned to , a frigate returning to England in the spring of 1752.
and China. The Hardwick was requisitioned by the government to carry stores in the Carnatic Wars
, and was present with his old commander, now Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Watson, at the capture of Gheria on 12–13 February 1756. In 1758, after the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
, Alms returned overland to England and offered his services. He was appointed lieutenant of the 74-gun under Captain James Young, and was present at the Battle of Quiberon Bay
on 20 November 1759. Alms continued in Mars for a further two years, and was promoted to master and commander in June 1761. He was made commander of on 10 July 1761, and in November became acting-captain of the 32-gun , which he sailed to the West Indies with Admiral Sir George Pocock's
fleet in February 1762, arriving in time to take part in the capture of Martinique.
While cruising in Caribbean waters he captured two armed sloops, one of 18 guns and one of 12 guns. He had further success on 3 June, when while sailing to Havana
with the rest of the fleet, he came up on and captured two Spanish vessels, one of 22 guns, and one of 18 guns. The two ships put up a fierce resistance, and in the ensuing engagement several musket balls passed through Alms' hat, and he was wounded in the knee. On arriving at Havana he handed Alarm over to the captain appointed to her, and took up a post as commander of the sloop , moving to command in November that year.
He was subsequently heavily involved in the operations to capture Havana, and was on several occasions entrusted with important tasks. Admiral Augustus Keppel
said of him that he was an ‘alert, forceful man’, and he was given the task of carrying the dispatches home, with Keppel's recommendation that he be promoted. However he was not promoted to post-captain until 20 June 1765, after the end of the Seven Years' War.
. Through the interest of George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
, he was given command of in the Mediterranean in 1770, commanding her for three years. He became captain regulating the impress service for the Sussex district in 1776, but severe asthma
prevented him accepting any more active service until September 1780, when he was appointed to command the 64-gun . He went out to the East Indies again with a squadron under Commodore George Johnstone, becoming involved on the way in the Battle of Porto Praya
on 16 April 1781, against the Bailli de Suffren
. After arriving at the Cape of Good Hope
, Johnstone put Alms in command of the reinforcements and East India ships bound for India. Alms struggled with adverse winds and high incidences of sickness, eventually forcing him to leave the troopship
s on the coast of Arabia in order to bring his warships to reach India in time for the campaigning season.
The British fleet rendezvoused with Sir Edward Hughes at Madras on 11 February 1782, and Alms went on to be involved in a number of indecisive clashes between Hughes and the Bailli de Suffren; at Sadras
on 17 February, Providien
on 12 April, Negapatam
on 6 July, and Trincomalee
on 3 September 1782. It was at Providien on 12 April 1782 that he particularly distinguished himself.
. At one point in the action, Alms saw that Suffren had put up his helm with a view of boarding Hughes's ship, and luffed his ship into the "very eye of the wind," threw into the Frenchman's bows a raking broadside, and frustrated the enemy's plan. Subsequently to this manoeuvre, the Monmouth had to sustain a heavy fire from Suffren and his two seconds, which continued until the main and mizzen-masts of the former fell over the side. The British colours had already been twice shot away, but they were now nailed to the stump of the mizzen-mast, with Alms's direction, "never to be struck."
In this engagement, the Monmouth had seven guns dismounted,—the wheel twice cleared,—and two seamen only, besides the captain, left alive on the quarter-deck. Forty-five men were killed, and one hundred and two wounded. Alms himself received two splinter-wounds in the face, and two musket-balls went through his hat. His eldest son, George Pigot, who was serving as lieutenant of the Superb
, the flagship of Sir Edward Hughes, died early in the action.
in June 1784. Alms retired to his house at Chichester and died there on 8 June 1791 at the age of 64, survived by his wife and five children. His eldest son on his death was a lieutenant aboard , serving Rear-Admiral Sir Richard King, one of Alms's friends from his days in India. Alms was buried at Chichester Cathedral
on 14 June 1791.
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...
who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
, the Carnatic
Carnatic Wars
The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century on the Indian subcontinent...
and Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
.
Alms served in the navy from an early age, seeing his first actions in the Mediterranean and off the French coast, before going out to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. He narrowly survived a shipwreck that claimed most of his shipmates, and returned to England shortly afterwards, having achieved the rank of lieutenant. He was briefly back in the East Indies for service during the early years of the Seven Years' War, before going to the West Indies in acting-command of a frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
. After being involved in a number of important actions in the Caribbean, he returned to Britain after the end of the war, and retired ashore. Returning to active service after the outbreak of the American War of Independence, he went out to the East Indies in command of his own ship. He saw action at most of the engagements between Sir Edward Hughes and the Bailli de Suffren
Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez
Admiral comte Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren , French admiral, was the third son of the marquis de Saint Tropez, head of a family of nobles of Provence which claimed to have emigrated from Lucca in the 14th century...
, particularly distinguishing himself at the Battle of Providien
Battle of Providien
The Battle of Providien was the second in a series of naval battles fought between a British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren near India during the American Revolutionary War...
. He retired ashore after the end of the war, and died in 1791.
Family and early life
Alms was born in GosportGosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
on 15 July 1728, the son of John and Mary Alms. His father was said to be a servant of the Duke of Richmond
Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond
The 2nd Duke of Richmond has been described as early cricket's greatest patron. Although he had played cricket as a boy, his real involvement began after he succeeded to the dukedom...
. After a period working in merchant ships he entered the navy in 1740, joining the 74-gun , and by the age of 14 was rated 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...
and serving as aide de camp to Captain Charles Watson, of the 60-gun in the Mediterranean. He saw action at the Battle of Toulon
Battle of Toulon (1744)
The naval Battle of Toulon or Battle of Cape Sicié took place on 22 February 1744 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Toulon, France. A combined Franco-Spanish fleet fought off Britain's Mediterranean fleet...
on 22 February 1744 and was praised by his commander for his actions in the engagement. He then joined the 74-gun , serving with Admiral George Anson's
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
fleet off the French coast. Anson's fleet engaged a French one at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre
First battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
The First Battle of Cape Finisterre saw 14 British ships of the line under Admiral George Anson attack a French 30-ship convoy commanded by Admiral de la Jonquière during the War of the Austrian Succession. The British captured 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 7 merchantmen, in a five-hour...
on 14 May 1747, winning a decisive victory and capturing a number of French warships and merchants. Alms remained in Namur, and went out in her in October the following year to the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
with Admiral Edward Boscawen
Edward Boscawen
Admiral Edward Boscawen, PC was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands throughout the 18th Century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos...
. Namur was one of three ship wrecked on the Coromandel coast
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent between Cape Comorin and False Divi Point...
in a storm on 12 April 1749, with Alms one of just 23 saved from Namur. He was promoted to lieutenant on 14 May 1749 in the aftermath of the disaster, and was assigned to , a frigate returning to England in the spring of 1752.
East and West Indies
Alms had little interest and unable to get another position, took up the command of the former East Indiaman Hardwick, and spent three or four years trading between BombayMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and China. The Hardwick was requisitioned by the government to carry stores in the Carnatic Wars
Carnatic Wars
The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century on the Indian subcontinent...
, and was present with his old commander, now Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Watson, at the capture of Gheria on 12–13 February 1756. In 1758, after the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, Alms returned overland to England and offered his services. He was appointed lieutenant of the 74-gun under Captain James Young, and was present at the Battle of Quiberon Bay
Battle of Quiberon Bay
The naval Battle of Quiberon Bay took place on 20 November 1759 during the Seven Years' War in Quiberon Bay, off the coast of France near St. Nazaire...
on 20 November 1759. Alms continued in Mars for a further two years, and was promoted to master and commander in June 1761. He was made commander of on 10 July 1761, and in November became acting-captain of the 32-gun , which he sailed to the West Indies with Admiral Sir George Pocock's
George Pocock
Sir George Pocock, KB was a British officer of the Royal Navy. He rose to the rank of admiral.Pocock was from Chieveley in Berkshire, the son of Thomas Pocock, a chaplain in the navy. George Pocock entered the navy in 1718, serving aboard under the patronage of his maternal uncle, Captain...
fleet in February 1762, arriving in time to take part in the capture of Martinique.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
with the rest of the fleet, he came up on and captured two Spanish vessels, one of 22 guns, and one of 18 guns. The two ships put up a fierce resistance, and in the ensuing engagement several musket balls passed through Alms' hat, and he was wounded in the knee. On arriving at Havana he handed Alarm over to the captain appointed to her, and took up a post as commander of the sloop , moving to command in November that year.
He was subsequently heavily involved in the operations to capture Havana, and was on several occasions entrusted with important tasks. Admiral Augustus Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
said of him that he was an ‘alert, forceful man’, and he was given the task of carrying the dispatches home, with Keppel's recommendation that he be promoted. However he was not promoted to post-captain until 20 June 1765, after the end of the Seven Years' War.
Command
Alms spent a number of years ashore after this, living with his family at ChichesterChichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
. Through the interest of George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax
George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, KG, PC was a British statesman of the Georgian era.-Early life:...
, he was given command of in the Mediterranean in 1770, commanding her for three years. He became captain regulating the impress service for the Sussex district in 1776, but severe asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
prevented him accepting any more active service until September 1780, when he was appointed to command the 64-gun . He went out to the East Indies again with a squadron under Commodore George Johnstone, becoming involved on the way in the Battle of Porto Praya
Battle of Porto Praya
The Battle of Porto Praya was a naval battle which took place during the American Revolutionary War on 16 April 1781 between a British squadron under Commodore George Johnstone and a French squadron under the Bailli de Suffren....
on 16 April 1781, against the Bailli de Suffren
Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez
Admiral comte Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren , French admiral, was the third son of the marquis de Saint Tropez, head of a family of nobles of Provence which claimed to have emigrated from Lucca in the 14th century...
. After arriving at the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, Johnstone put Alms in command of the reinforcements and East India ships bound for India. Alms struggled with adverse winds and high incidences of sickness, eventually forcing him to leave the troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
s on the coast of Arabia in order to bring his warships to reach India in time for the campaigning season.
Battle of Sadras
The Battle of Sadras was the first of five largely indecisive naval battles fought between a British fleet under Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the east coast of India during the American War of Independence...
on 17 February, Providien
Battle of Providien
The Battle of Providien was the second in a series of naval battles fought between a British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren near India during the American Revolutionary War...
on 12 April, Negapatam
Battle of Negapatam (1782)
The Battle of Negapatam was the third in the series of battles fought between a British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the coast of India during the American Revolutionary War...
on 6 July, and Trincomalee
Battle of Trincomalee
The Battle of Trincomalee was the fourth in the series of battles fought between a British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the coast of India during the American Revolutionary War...
on 3 September 1782. It was at Providien on 12 April 1782 that he particularly distinguished himself.
Battle of Providien
On the day of the battle Monmouth was second in line to Sir Edward's flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. At one point in the action, Alms saw that Suffren had put up his helm with a view of boarding Hughes's ship, and luffed his ship into the "very eye of the wind," threw into the Frenchman's bows a raking broadside, and frustrated the enemy's plan. Subsequently to this manoeuvre, the Monmouth had to sustain a heavy fire from Suffren and his two seconds, which continued until the main and mizzen-masts of the former fell over the side. The British colours had already been twice shot away, but they were now nailed to the stump of the mizzen-mast, with Alms's direction, "never to be struck."
In this engagement, the Monmouth had seven guns dismounted,—the wheel twice cleared,—and two seamen only, besides the captain, left alive on the quarter-deck. Forty-five men were killed, and one hundred and two wounded. Alms himself received two splinter-wounds in the face, and two musket-balls went through his hat. His eldest son, George Pigot, who was serving as lieutenant of the Superb
HMS Superb (1760)
HMS Superb was a 74-gun Bellona-class third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 27 October 1760 at Deptford Dockyard.She was wrecked in 1783....
, the flagship of Sir Edward Hughes, died early in the action.
Death
Alms's health broke down over the winter, and he was forced to go ashore at Madras for several months. This marked the end of his active service, and he returned to England, arriving at SpitheadSpithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
in June 1784. Alms retired to his house at Chichester and died there on 8 June 1791 at the age of 64, survived by his wife and five children. His eldest son on his death was a lieutenant aboard , serving Rear-Admiral Sir Richard King, one of Alms's friends from his days in India. Alms was buried at Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...
on 14 June 1791.