James Marr Brydone

James Marr Brydone (1779–1866), born in Selkirk, Scotland, was a Scottish surgeon who served in the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar.

He is best remembered for being the first person in the main British battle fleet to sight the Franco-Spanish fleet, and did so without the use of a glass. The information was signalled to the fleet flagship, HMS Victory.

Brydone, a descendant from the Byrdone who was town clerk 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'.

Whilst 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 in the Royal Navy.

21 October 1805 saw him as the ship's surgeon on HMS 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. The British commander, Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, had stationed a chain of frigates to watch the enemy fleet in Cadiz, which had already signalled the combined fleet had put to sea, and reported on its movements. Byrdone was the first of the main battle fleet, patrolling off Cape Trafalgar, to see the sails on the horizon - without the use of a glass - and the location of the Franco-Spanish fleet was signalled to HMS Victory, three minutes later battle orders were signalled beginning the Battle of Trafalgar.

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 Petworth Emigration Scheme emigrants to Canada. He laid down standards of accommodation on board ship and also of reception in Canada, making four trips from 1834 to 1837 to supervise and maintain discipline on board and see the migrants settled on arrival.

In the summer of 1838 Brydone travelled to Ireland with Colonel George Wyndham, the 3rd Earl's son and heir, to inspect family estates in County Clare and Limerick, assisting the earl and encouraging emigration to Canada. After spending the winter on secretarial work for the Colonel he was asked to return to Ireland in 1839 to organise emigration. Most people by now preferred Australia as their destination. 183 people from Limerick sailed on the Waterloo at the end of May.

He settled at Petworth where he became accountant and later acting land agent for Colonel George Wyndham, the 3rd Earl's son and heir and died at the age of 84.