James Scott
James Scott (b. 6 March 1785, Melby, Sandness, d. 20 Dec 1859, Musselburgh, East Lothian) was a surgeon and Lerwick Town Councillor.
Biography
James entered the Navy in 1803 as assistant surgeon of HMS Fisgard and saw action in 1804 off Porto Severa (location unknown). Having been promoted to the rank of Surgeon in 1805 and appointed to HMS Rose, he continued his service in the Mediterranean and West India stations until 1807, when he joined the Bantern, which participated in the Battle of Copenhagen. He was with the Rose until her loss in 1809 at Bic Island in the St Lawrence River. Through the shipwreck he experienced extreme hardships due to the ice, but eventually returned to England and joined the Euryallus, captained by George Dundas, who was twice MPs for Orkney and Shetland.
In 1811, he joined the HMS Centaur and until 1815 was also a member of the crew on the Sybile and Rivole.
After many years at sea, he was ashore long enough to graduate from the University of Paris, but was called again into active service in 1824 with the HMS Britannia, serving until 1826. That year, he was selected by Sir William Burnett, the late Director-General of the Medical Department of the Navy for the honour position of Lecturer to the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar, Gosport, and as curator of its museum. In 1830, he was appointed to run the Lunatic Asylum at the same facility.
He resigned from his position at Haslar in 1838, was involved in the new Denham Park Asylum in Uxbridge, but by November of that same year he had resigned his position "in consequence of the proprietors wishing to interfere with his arrangements" (Salisbury & Winchester Journal 12 Nov 1838). He moved to settle in Portsmouth. He sustained severe injuries during an accident wherein he was crushed between a drawbridge and a cart that limited his ability to move. In 1846, he received the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets.
