GAMBIER, JAMES, Baron, 1756-1833: an English admiral. b. Bahamas, where his father was lieut. governor. He entered the navy as a midshipman in 1767, was post captain in 1778, and after the peace with America was placed on half pay. On the com mencement of the French revolution, he was appointed to the command of the 74-gun ship Defense under lord Howe; and had an honorable share in the action oft Ushant, June, 1794. In recognition of his services on this occasion, G. receiVed the gold medal, and was made a colonel of marines; the following year he was advanced to the rank of rear-admiral, and appointed one of the lords of the admiralty. In 1799, he was made vice-admiral. In 1802, he was appointed governor of Newfoundland and com mander-in-chief of the ships on that station. In 1804, he returned to the admiralty, and in 1805 was raised to the rank of admiral; and in the summer of 1807, whilst still a lord of the admiralty, he was appointed to the command of the fleet ordered to the Baltic, which, in concert with the army under Lord Cathcart, reduced Copenhagen and enforced the surrender of the Danish navy, consisting of 19 ships of the line, besides frigates, sloops, gun-boats, and naval stores. For this service admiral G. was
rewarded with a peerage. In the spring of the following year he gave up his seat at the admiralty on being appointed to the command of the channel fleet; and in that capacity he witnessed the partial, and prevented the total, destruction of the French fleet in Basque road, April 12, 1809. It is in connection with this event that lord Gambier's name is now best known: A court-martial, assembled by order of a friendly admiralty, and presided over by a warm partisan, most honorably acquitted" him on the charge "that, on April 12, the enemy's ships being then on fire, and the signal having been made that they could be destroyed, he did, for a considerable time, neglect or delay taking effectual measures for destroying them." In 1814, he acted as chief com missioner for negotiating a treaty of peace with the United States; for his exertions in which business, lie was honored with the grand cross of the bath. In 1830, he was raised to the high rank of admiral of the fleet.