James Robert Mosse was born in 1745 and was baptised on 5 December 1745 at Little Missenden in Buckinghamshire. He was the son of Reverend John Mosse and his wife Jane Bur.
On 6 August 1757, aged 11 years at 8 months, he took on the role of captain's servant (then a standard route into a commissioned rank) on the newly built HMS Burford, where he served until October 1758.
James went on to serve on many different ships, at the same time rising through the ranks more master's mate, to midshipman, then lieutenant and finally captain. Whilst serving in the Americas and West Indies he was captured by the Americans and held prisoner for some time.
He married Ann Grace Kinchin on 16 March 1780 at Deane, Hampshire[1].
They had six children, four of whom were:
Soon after his marriage he was redeployed in October 1780 to the West Indies, where he served on the ships Alfred and the Vengeance.
In April 1782 he received a post of first lieutenant under Lord Howe on HMS Victory and was present at the Great Siege of Gibraltar in October of that year, where he commanded the fireship Pluto as part of the attack.
From 1790 until 1793 he was out of commission, probably taking a well deserved break. He resumed in February 1793 as captain of Sandwich patrolling the sandbanks of the Thames at Nore. In 1797 he was heavily involved in the Nore Mutiny and was part of the prosecution and execution of its ringleader Richard Parker, both of which took place on board his ship. He then served in the North Sea for 18 months until April 1799, during which time he commanded both the Braak and Veteran.
He was then appointed Captain the ship Monarch on 1 May 1799 (which was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Adam Hayes and launched on 20 July 1765 at Deptford Dockyard) and was part of Admiral Horatio Nelson's fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen. On 2 April 1801 he was killed soon after adopting his required position, his last orders being to "cut away the anchor".
James was buried at sea.
The British government erected a joint monument to Captain James Robert Mosse and a second naval hero, Edward Riou, who also fell in the Battle of Copenhagen, in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral in London.
The following was published on page 3 of the Star (London) dated 17 April 1801:
His Will was proved at London on 17 September 1801.
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M > Mosse > James Robert Mosse RN
Categories: Royal Navy | Great Siege of Gibraltar | Nore Mutiny | Battle of Copenhagen | Wounded in Battle | Notables