{{short description|Royal Navy officer and politician}} {{for|the American attorney and politician|James C. Luttrell}} {{Use British English|date=September 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Captain |name =James Luttrell |image =James Luttrell.jpg |image_size = |caption = |birth_date ={{circa}} 1751 |death_date =23 December {{Death year and age|1788|1751}} |birth_place =Four Oaks, Warwickshire |death_place = |burial_place = |burial_label = |burial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --> |nickname = |birth_name = |allegiance = Great Britain |branch = Royal Navy |service_years = – 1788 |rank = Captain |service_number = |unit = |commands = {{Plainlist| *{{HMS|Merlin|1780|6}} *{{HMS|Portland|1770|6}} *{{HMS|Mediator|1782|6}} *{{HMS|Ganges|1782|6}} }} |battles = * American War of Independence **Action of 12 December 1782 |battles_label = |awards = |relations = Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton (father) |other_work = |signature = }}
'''James Luttrell''' ({{circa}} 1751 – 23 December 1788) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who represented Stockbridge and Dover in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1775 to 1788. Born into a prominent political family, the younger son of an earl, James Luttrell combined a career in politics with naval service, following in the footsteps of an elder brother. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1770, and entered parliament in 1775. From then on, his careers were intertwined.
He served off the North American coast during the American War of Independence, having some success against privateers and enemy shipping. He used his parliamentary platform however to oppose the war against the Americans, considering it unjust, but supported strong efforts against the American's French and Spanish allies. His political connections ensured his rise through the ranks and he commanded several warships during his career.
Luttrell won particular fame after an action he fought in late 1782, when his ship engaged a powerful convoy of American and French ships and defeated it, capturing two of the vessels and taking them as prizes. King George III commented on his skill and bravery during the fight. Luttrell saw little active service afloat after the end of the American War of Independence, but resumed his political career, voting mainly in the government interest. He was appointed to the post of Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, holding it along with his parliamentary seat until his death at a relatively young age in 1788.
==Family and early life== Luttrell was born at Four Oaks, Warwickshire c. 1751, the youngest surviving son of Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton and his wife, Judith Maria Lawes.<ref name="DNB">{{cite book |last=Laughton|title=Dictionary of National Biography|page=306}}</ref> The Luttrells were a significant political family, with James's father sitting as member of parliament for several constituencies, and his brothers Henry, John and Temple Simon all sitting in parliament, while Henry and John in turn inherited their father's earldom.<ref name="HC">{{cite book |title=The House of Commons 1754-1790|page=66}}</ref> Like his older brother John, James embarked on a career in the navy, and after a period of service was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 2 February 1770.<ref name="DNB"/>
==Parliamentary career and command== While pursuing his naval career, Luttrell also took the opportunity to follow his father and older brothers into politics. His brother John had held the seat of Stockbridge with his father, but vacated it in 1775 for James. James contested and won the seat at the by-election on 16 December 1775.<ref name="HC"/> He followed his family's stance in opposing the war which broke out with the American colonies, and promoted reconciliation, arguing that "I cannot agree to vote away the lives and properties of my fellow subjects, merely for the purpose of enriching and aggrandising a few favourites and flatterers placed near the throne."<ref name="HC"/> He nevertheless supported strong war measures against France and Spain when they entered the war on the American side.<ref name="HC"/> Luttrell's father, by now created Lord Irnham, negotiated advancement in the navy for his son, in exchange for political support, but his desire to be advanced to captain clashed with the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Sandwich, who argued that a post-captaincy in home waters was "utterly impractical", but offered instead a recommendation to the commander in chief on one of the foreign stations.<ref name="HC"/>
Sandwich communicated this to Luttrell's fellow MP John Robinson, who advised Luttrell to undertake a cruise, and in late July 1780 Luttrell was appointed first lieutenant of the 64-gun {{HMS|Belliqueux|1780|6}}.<ref name="HC"/> Robinson informed Luttrell that Sandwich had promised to keep the ''Belliqueux'' in home waters, and would arrange for him to be promoted to master and commander at the first opportunity.<ref name="HC"/> Luttrell did not have to wait long for this, he had been appointed commander by 20 October 1780, when he was given command of the 18-gun sloop {{HMS|Merlin|1780|6}} for service in the Downs.<ref name="DNB"/><ref name="Winfield281">{{cite book |last=Winfield |title=British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792|page=281}}</ref> His service at this rank did not last long, as he was advanced to post-captain on 23 February and on 28 February 1781 was appointed to command the 50-gun {{HMS|Portland|1770|6}}.<ref name="DNB"/><ref name="Winfield150">{{cite book |last=Winfield |title=British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792|page=150}}</ref> Luttrell took ''Portland'' out to Newfoundland in May that year and was active against French and American privateers and warships. In company with {{HMS|Venus|1758|6}} he captured two French ships, the 16-gun ''Royal Louis'' and 10-gun ''Lion'' on 12 July 1781, and followed this success up capturing, in company with {{HMS|Aeolus|1758|6}} and {{HMS|Vestal|1779|6}}, the 16-gun ''Disdain'' and 6-gun ''Captain''.<ref name="Winfield150"/> He left ''Portland'' after his appointment on 16 March 1782 to take command of the 44-gun {{HMS|Mediator|1782|6}}.<ref name="DNB"/><ref name="Winfield174">{{cite book |last=Winfield |title=British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792|page=174}}</ref>
===Convoy battle=== {{main|Action of 12 December 1782}} [[File:H.M.S. Mediator about to attack an enemy convoy off Cape Ortegal, 12th December 1782 CSK 2011.jpg|thumb|''H.M.S. Mediator about to attack an enemy convoy off Cape Ortegal, 12th December 1782'', Robert Cleveley]] On 12 December, Luttrell was cruising off Ferrol when a convoy of five sails was sighted, which stood to when Luttrell approached and formed a line of battle. The force consisted of several American and French privateer frigates, storeships and transport vessels under the command of Nicolas Baudin, intending to deliver reinforcements and supplies to America. Baudin, commanding from the 36-gun ''Aimable Eugénie'', had at his disposal the former 64-gun ship ''Ménagère'', now armed ''en flute'' and mounting 34-guns, the ''Dauphin Royal'' of 28 guns, and two American vessels, the 24-gun ''Alexander'' under Stephen Gregory, and the 14-gun brig ''American''.<ref name="Schomberg75">{{cite book |last=Schomberg |title=Naval Chronology|page=75}}</ref> Together the five ships had nearly 600 men and considerably more guns than the ''Mediator''.<ref name="DNB"/> Luttrell closed the ships, and exchanged fire with them, eventually breaking their line and forcing them to flee. Luttrell then cut off the ''Alexander'' and forced her to surrender, before pursuing the remaining ships. By the evening he had caught up with the ''Ménagère'' and after an exchange of fire, forced her to surrender.<ref name="Schomberg76">{{cite book |last=Schomberg |title=Naval Chronology|page=76}}</ref>
The surviving ships were still in sight on the morning of 13 December, but Luttrell had a large number of prisoners to guard, and with the hostile Spanish coast nearby, decided to head for a British port with his prizes. He had taken 340 prisoners, and only had 190 men to guard them.<ref name="Schomberg76"/> Six men had been killed and four wounded on ''Alexander'', while ''Ménagère'' had four killed and eight wounded. There were no casualties on ''Mediator'', their opponents having been aiming at their masts and rigging in an attempt to disable the British ship.<ref name="Schomberg76"/> The captured prisoners made an attempt to seize the ''Mediator'' during the voyage to Britain, but prompt action by the ship's officers quashed the rising without bloodshed. Captain Gregory was shown to be the main instigator of the plot, and he and several accomplices were placed in irons for the remainder of the voyage.<ref name="Schomberg76"/>
The capture of the heavily armed and manned convoy was greeted with considerable applause back in Britain. Marine artist Thomas Luny painted a depiction of the action, while Dominic Serres produced several views of the battle.<ref name="DNB"/> King George III wrote to Lord Keppel, the First Lord of the Admiralty, that "The skill as well as bravery shown by Captain Luttrell ... deserve much approbation."<ref name="HC"/>
==Later career== Following his success as captain of the ''Mediator'', Luttrell was moved to command the 74-gun {{HMS|Ganges|1782|6}} in April 1783, ''Ganges'' then serving as the guard ship at Portsmouth.<ref name="DNB"/><ref name="Winfield83">{{cite book |last=Winfield |title=British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792|page=83}}</ref> He continued to be active in parliament as the American War of Independence drew to a close, likely supporting the Shelburne Ministry's peace proposals, and launching an attack on Sandwich, blaming him for having failed to prepare the navy adequately for the war, and for having mismanaged it during it.<ref name="HC67">{{cite book |title=The House of Commons 1754-1790|page=67}}</ref> He played a less prominent role in the Pitt administration, usually avoiding party questions but supporting independents.<ref name="HC67"/> He was appointed Surveyor-General of the Ordnance in early 1784, King George writing to Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger on 30 March 1784 that "Mr. James Luttrell I have always understood to be the best of that strange family, I have therefore signed the appointment of him as surveyor of the Ordnance."<ref name="HC67"/>
James Luttrell left his Stockbridge seat at the 1784 election to contest Dover, which he won with government support.<ref name="DNB"/><ref name="HC67"/> He sat for Dover, voting for the government interest, while holding his post as Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, until his death on 23 December 1788 from consumption.<ref name="DNB"/><ref name="HC67"/>
==Citations== {{Reflist}}
==References== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |first1=Lewis Bernstein|last1=Namier|author-link1=Lewis Bernstein Namier|author2-link=John Brooke (British historian)|last2=Brooke|first2= John|title=The House of Commons 1754-1790|publisher=Boydell & Brewer|location=London|year=1985|isbn=9780436304200}} *{{cite book |first=J. K.|last=Laughton|author-link=John Knox Laughton|chapter=Luttrell, James (1751?-1788)|title=Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Elder Smith & Co.|year= 1893|volume=34}} *{{cite book |first=Isaac|last=Schomberg|author-link=Isaac Schomberg (Royal Navy officer)|title=Naval Chronology, Or an Historical Summary of Naval and Maritime Events from the time of the Romans, to the Treaty of Peace 1802|publisher=T. Edgerton|location=London|year=1802|volume=2}} *{{cite book |first=Rif|last=Winfield|title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|publisher=Seaforth|year=2007|isbn=978-1-84415-700-6}} {{refend}}
{{S-start}} {{s-par|gb}} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Stockbridge | with = The Lord Irnham 1775–80 | with2 = John Luttrell 1780–84 | before = John Luttrell<br />The Lord Irnham | after = Thomas Parkyns<br />John Luttrell | years = 1775–1784 }} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Dover | with = Robert Preston | before = John Henniker<br />John Trevanion | after = Robert Preston<br />John Trevanion | years = 1784–1788 }} {{s-mil}} {{succession box | before=John Courtenay | title=Surveyor-General of the Ordnance | years=1784–1788 | after=George Cranfield Berkeley}} {{S-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luttrell, James}} Category:1750s births Category:1788 deaths Category:Royal Navy captains Category:Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War Category:People from Warwickshire (before 1974) Category:British MPs 1774–1780 Category:British MPs 1780–1784 Category:British MPs 1784–1790 Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Dover Category:18th-century deaths from tuberculosis Category:Younger sons of earls Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:Tuberculosis deaths in England