James Littleton

James Littleton
Born 1668
Died 1723
Allegiance  Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch  Royal Navy
Rank Vice Admiral
Commands held HMS Swift Prize
HMS Portland
HMS Anglesea
HMS Medway
HMS Cambridge
HMS Royal Sovereign
Jamaica Station
Battles/wars War of the Spanish Succession

Vice Admiral James Littleton (1668–1723) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station.

Naval career

Littleton was promoted to post captain on 27 February 1693 on appointment to the command of the sixth-rate HMS Swift Prize.[1] He transferred to the command of the fourth-rate HMS Portland in January 1796, of the fourth-rate HMS Anglesea in 1698 and of the fourth-rate HMS Medway in 1702.[1] He went on to receive the command the third-rate HMS Cambridge in 1705 and saw action at the relief of Barcelona and in command of a naval brigade at the capture of Alicante[2] before taking command of the first-rate HMS Royal Sovereign in 1708.[1]

Promoted to commodore, Littleton became Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station with his broad pennant in the third-rate HMS Defiance, in 1710.[3] He secured the capture of the San Joaquin in August 1711 during the War of the Spanish Succession.[2]

He went on to be Commander-in-Chief at Chatham in 1714 and, having been promoted to rear admiral on 1 February 1717, second-in-command in the Baltic Sea that year.[4] He was promoted to vice admiral on 14 Mar 1718.[1]

Littleton served as Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis from 1710 to March 1711, when he was unseated by petition, and from April 1711 to May 1711 when he was again unseated by petition.[4] He was elected for that constituency, without being unseated, in 1713 and served until 1715.[4] He later served as Member of Parliament for Queenborough from 1722 to 1723.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "James Littleton". Three Decks. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 "James Littleton". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  3. Cundall, p. xx
  4. 1 2 3 4 "James Littleton". History of Parliament. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

Sources

Military offices
Preceded by
Charles Wager
Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station
1710–1712
Succeeded by
Sir Hovenden Walker
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
George St Lo
Charles Churchill
Edward Clavell
Anthony Henley
Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
1710–1711
With: Maurice Ashley
William Betts
Anthony Henley
Succeeded by
Maurice Ashley
Sir Thomas Hardy
William Harvey
Anthony Henley
Preceded by
Maurice Ashley
Sir Thomas Hardy
William Harvey
Reginald Marriott
Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
1713–1715
With: John Baker
Sir Thomas Hardy
Daniel Harvey
William Harvey
William Betts
Reginald Marriott
Succeeded by
John Baker
Thomas Littleton
Daniel Harvey
William Betts
Preceded by
Thomas King
Philip Jennings
Member of Parliament for Queenborough
1722–1723
With: John Cope
Succeeded by
Lord Forbes
John Cope
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