James Marr Brydone
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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, battle orders were signalled three minutes later beginning the Battle of Trafalgar.
Brydone, a descendant from the Byrdone who was town clark 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'.
Whist 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 to the Crown.
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.
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 Sussex emigrants to Canada. He laid down standards of accommodation on board ship and also of reception in Canada, making the four trips to check that all was well.
He retired to Petworth and died at the age of 84.
