James Nicholson (1737 – 2 September 1804) was an officer in the Continental Navy during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

Early life

Nicholson was born in 1737 in

Chestertown, Maryland Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,252 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. History Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English col ...

. He was born into the prestigious Nicholson family of Maryland, a son of Joseph Nicholson (1709–1787) and Hannah ( née Smyth) Nicholson (1708–1767). Among his siblings were younger brothers Samuel and John Nicholson, who were also officers in the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary WarUSS Constitution Museum
/ref> He was also uncle to William Nicholson, an officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and grand-uncle to Rear Admiral James Nicholson, an officer in the U.S. Navy during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

and the Civil War.

Career

Nicholson began his career by serving in the colonial Navy with the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

in the assault on

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

in 1762, and was commissioned Captain in the Continental Navy 10 October 1776. He commanded ''Defense'', ''Trumbull'', and ''Virginia'', and when blockaded at

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, took his men to join

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

at the Battle of Trenton to aid in that key victory. Made the senior captain in the Continental Navy due to political influence, he nevertheless had an undistinguished career, never winning a victory or capturing a prize. He lost his first command, the frigate ''Virginia'', while trying to run past the British squadron blockading the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. He ran the ship aground and rather than fight the approaching British ships, fled to shore in a boat, leaving the ''Virginia'' and her crew to be captured. The next day he approached the captured ship under a flag of truce and asked for his personal effects. Nicholson styled his flight as an "escape" in his report to Congress, and with the only witnesses confined to British prisons, he was eventually given command of ''Trumbull''. That command he lost to HMS ''Iris'' when his crew refused to fight.

Later career

After the War, Nicholson moved to New York City and became a United States Commissioner of Loans. His home there became a meeting place for New York

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

politicians, including followers of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

and Aaron Burr. Nicholson greatly opposed

Josiah Ogden Hoffman Josiah Ogden Hoffman (April 14, 1766 – January 24, 1837) was an American lawyer and politician. Early life Josiah Ogden Hoffman was born on April 14, 1766, in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Nicholas Hoffman (1736–1800) and Sarah Ogden Hoffma ...

, including in relation to the

Jay Treaty The Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, commonly known as the Jay Treaty, and also as Jay's Treaty, was a 1794 treaty between the United States and Great Britain that averted ...

, and Alexander Hamilton, who challenged him to a duel in 1795, and his policies. On July 4, 1788, Nicholson was invited to attend the

Society of Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

as a member and at the meeting, naval officers of similar rank were determined to be entitled to be members of the New York Society.

Personal life

In 1763, Nicholson was married to Frances Witter (1744–1832), the daughter of Mary (née Lewis) Witter and Thomas Witter. Witter's father Thomas was born in

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

and became a successful merchant in New York. Together, they were the parents of six children, one son and five daughters, including: * Catherine "Kitty" Nicholson (1764–1854), who married William Few Jr., a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

and U.S. Senator from Georgia. * Hannah Nicholson (1766–1849), who married

Albert Gallatin Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin (January 29, 1761 – August 12, 1849) was a Genevan–American politician, diplomat, ethnologist and linguist. Often described as "America's Swiss Founding Father", he was a leading figure in the early years o ...

, a U.S. Senator,

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, and U.S. Minister to France and

the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. * Frances "Fanny" Nicholson (1771–1851), who married

Joshua Seney Joshua Seney (March 4, 1756 – October 20, 1798) was an American farmer and lawyer from Queen Anne's County, Maryland. He represented the state of Maryland in the Continental Congress, and the second district of Maryland in the House of Repres ...

, a U.S. Representative from Maryland. * James Witter Nicholson (1773–1851), who married Ann Griffin, daughter of

Isaac Griffin Isaac Griffin (February 27, 1756October 12, 1827) was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, serving two terms from 1813 to 1817. Early life and career Isaac Griffin (gr ...

, a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. * Maria Nicholson (1775–1868), who married John Montgomery, a U.S. Representative and

Attorney General of Maryland The Attorney General of the State of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits. To run for the office a person must be a citizen of and qua ...

. * Jehoiadden Nicholson (1783–1828), who married James Chrystie. Nicholson died on September 2, 1804, at his home in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. He was buried at Trinity Church in lower Manhattan.

Legacy

The ships named USS ''Nicholson'' were named for him, his younger brothers, John Nicholson and

Samuel Nicholson Samuel Nicholson (1743 – December 28, 1811) was an officer in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later in the United States Navy. Along with shipwright George Claghorn he oversaw the building of ("Old I ...

, his nephew, William Nicholson and his grandnephew,

James W. Nicholson Rear Admiral James William Augustus Nicholson (10 March 1821 – 28 October 1887) was an officer in the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Life and naval career The son of Nathaniel Nicholson and gra ...

. The town of

Nicholson Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Nicholson Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,728 at the 2020 census, down from 1,805 at the 2010 census. The Albert Gallatin Area School District serves the township. New Geneva, Martin, ...

was named in honor of Nicholson's son, James Witter Nicholson.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, James 1737 births 1804 deaths United States Navy officers People from Chestertown, Maryland