James Marr Brydone

James Marr Brydone Born in Selkirk, Scotland (1779 – 1866) was a Scottish surgeon who served in the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar.

He is best remembered for sighting the French fleet without the use of a glass, the location was signalled to the Victory.

Brydone, a descendant from the Byrdone who was town clerk of Selkirk at the time of Flodden, was educated at the local school along with Mungo Park. He took full qualifications as a doctor of medicine and, after local experience, found himself ship's surgeon on a merchant ship, the 'Calcutta'.

Whilst at sea the ship met up with a naval vessel, or "King's ship" as they were then known, whose surgeon had died. He was transferred and thus started thirty years of service in the Royal Navy.

October 21 1805, saw him as the ship's surgeon on The Thunderer with the fleet in search of the French and Spanish fleet.

In the days of sail, early information was important when advantage had to be gained with the use of the wind. It was Byrdone who first saw the sails on the horizon - without the use of a glass - and the location of the French fleet and this was signalled to the Victory, three minutes later battle orders were signalled beginning the Battle of Trafalgar.

Brydone won renown in later years when, after his retirement from the Navy, he was engaged by the Earl of Egremont to supervise the transport of Petworth Emigration Scheme emigrants to Canada. He laid down standards of accommodation on board ship and also of reception in Canada, making four trips from 1834 to 1837 to supervise and maintain discipline on board and see the migrants settled on arrival.

In the summer of 1838 Brydone travelled to Ireland with Colonel George Wyndham, the 3rd Earl's son and heir, to inspect family estates in County Clare and Limerick, assisting the earl and encouraging emigration to Canada [Sheila Haines and Leigh Lawson, Poor Cottages & Proud Palaces. The life and work of the Reverend Thomas Sockett of Petworth 1777–1859 The Hastings Press 2007 ISBN 978-1-904109-16-7 p201] . After spending the winter on secretarial work for the Colonel he was asked to return to Ireland in 1839 to organise emigration. Most people by now preferred Australia as their destination. 183 people from Limerick sailed on the "Waterloo" at the end of May.

He settled at Petworth where he became accountant and later acting land agent for Colonel George Wyndham, the 3rd Earl's son and heir [Peter Jerrome, Petworth from 1660 to the present day. The Window Press 2006 p134] and died at the age of 84.

Children

Brydone married Elizabeth Hislop on 11 June 1818 and the couple had four children;

*Henrietta Jane, who mixed with the social elite of the Petworth district and married George New, the Rector of Duncton [Peter Jerrome, Petworth from 1660 to the present day. The Window Press 2006 p136-7] .

*Walter Marr

*Elizabeth Caroline

*Henry Gray was an executor of the Reverend Sockett's will in 1859 [Sheila Haines and Leigh Lawson, Poor Cottages & Proud Palaces. The life and work of the Reverend Thomas Sockett of Petworth 1777–1859 The Hastings Press 2007 ISBN 978-1-904109-16-7 p231] .

References