James King (Royal Navy officer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James King
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King in 1782
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| Born | 1750 Clitheroe, Lancashire, Great Britain |
| Died | 16 November 1784 (aged 34) Nice, France |
| Buried |
Nice, France
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| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/ |
Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1762–1784 |
| Rank | Post captain |
| Commands held |
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| Battles/wars | |
Captain James King (1750 – 16 November 1784) was a brave officer in the Royal Navy. He sailed with the famous explorer James Cook on his final trip around the world. King was very good at using special tools like a sextant to figure out where the ships were by looking at the stars.
After Captain Cook passed away, King helped lead the ships for the rest of their journey. He also finished writing Cook's important book about the voyage. King kept serving in the Navy, becoming a high-ranking officer called a post-captain. He commanded several ships and fought in the American War of Independence.
Early Life and Education
James King was born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, in 1750. His father, also named James King, was a priest. Young James was baptized on July 13, 1750.
He went to Clitheroe Royal Grammar School when he was very young. He studied there until he was 12 years old.
King joined the Navy on November 19, 1762. He was helped by a relative, William Norton. Even though he was listed as an able seaman, he was treated like a junior officer. He served on ships like HMS Assistance and the William and Mary.
He continued to serve on other ships, including HMS Gibraltar and HMS Liverpool. In 1768, he joined HMS Guernsey to serve in the Newfoundland Station. This was under Hugh Palliser, who was a friend of James Cook. However, King and Cook did not meet at this time.
King became a lieutenant on January 10, 1771. He served on several ships before taking a break in May 1773. During this time, he traveled to Paris and then visited his brother in Auxerre. He also spent time at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. There, he met Thomas Hornsby, a professor of astronomy. King was then recommended to join Captain Cook's third voyage.
Sailing with Captain Cook
King joined HMS Resolution as the second lieutenant. He shared the important job of being the astronomer with Captain Cook. King used a sextant and a special clock called a timekeeper (K1) to measure the ship's position at sea.
He also used these tools on land to map important places. King's careful measurements helped make the maps from the voyage very accurate. His use of early chronometers also proved how useful they were for finding longitude at sea.
After Captain Cook died, King stayed on the Resolution. When Charles Clerke, who took over from Cook, also passed away, King was given command of HMS Discovery. This was the Resolution's partner ship. King commanded the Discovery for the rest of the voyage.
After the Voyage
When King returned to England, he worked hard on publishing the official story of Cook's third voyage. He wrote the third volume of the book while staying near Oxford. Soon after his return, King was promoted to Post-captain. He was put in charge of HMS Crocodile in the English Channel.
Towards the end of 1781, King became the commander of the 40-gun HMS Resistance. He led a group of merchant ships to the West Indies. He even captured a French warship called La Coquette.
King returned to England in 1783 after the American Revolutionary War ended. His health was not good. He went back to Woodstock to finish working on Cook's third voyage book. After the book was published, King became very ill with tuberculosis. He traveled to Nice, France, hoping the warmer climate would help.
He was joined by his friends James Trevenen and Captain William Young. Sadly, James King passed away in Nice on November 16, 1784, at the age of 34.
King was recognized for his achievements. He became a member of the Royal Society in 1782. He also received an honorary degree from Trinity College, Dublin, for his astronomy work during Cook's voyage. He donated his collection of items from the Pacific to the college.
King Island in British Columbia was named in 1793 by George Vancouver. This was to honor Captain James King's family. Vancouver had served under King as a midshipman on the Discovery during Cook's third voyage.
