James Nicholson was born about 1736 in Chestertown, Maryland. He was a member of a notable Maryland family, many of whose members have been officers of high rank in the navy. The immigrant, William Nicholson, who was born at Berwick-upon-Tweed in Scotland, settled at Annapolis early in the eighteenth century. His grandson, James Nicholson, was born in Chestertown, Maryland, the son of Joseph and Hannah (Smith) Scott Nicholson.
Nicholson was educated in England.
James went to sea at an early age and was with the British fleet at the capture of Havana in 1762.
Early in the Revolution, having moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, he offered his services to his native state and was appointed captain of the Defence, the chief vessel of the Maryland navy. In March 1776 he checked the advance up Chesapeake Bay of the sloop-of-war Otter and recaptured several prizes.
On June 6 Congress appointed him captain in the Continental navy and later when it fixed the rank of the captains placed him at the head of the list. From January 2, 1778, when Esek Hopkins was dismissed from the service, until the Continental navy was disbanded at the end of the Revolution, Nicholson was its senior officer. He successfully maintained his right to this rank against the claim of John Paul Jones. His first Continental command, the frigate Virginia, built at Baltimore, was not ready for sea until early in 1777. In the meantime Nicholson and his crew had temporarily joined the army and participated in the battle of Trenton. Because of the close blockade of the Chesapeake maintained by the British, the Virginia was forced to remain idle until March 30, 1778, when she sailed from Annapolis for the West Indies.
Running on to a shoal the next day, within sight of two British men-of-war, the ship was captured, but Nicholson escaped in a boat, with the ship's papers.
An inquiry into the loss of the Virginia instituted by Congress acquitted him of blame, and he was never brought before a court-martial. Somewhat earlier he had been suspended by Congress for a brief period for writing a "contemptuous" letter to the governor of Maryland. As the number of captains was greatly in excess of the number of ships, Nicholson did not obtain another vessel until September 1779, when he was made commander of the frigate Trumbull, fitting for sea at New London, Connecticut.
In the spring of 1781, while he was temporarily in command of a fleet consisting of the privateer Nesbit and two other small vessels, Nicholson convoyed Lafayette's army from the head of Elk to Annapolis. In August he again went to sea on board the Trumbull, this time bound for Havana, having shipped an ill-assorted crew composed of British deserters. Dismasted in a storm, his vessel was overtaken by the British frigate Iris, 32 guns. When called to quarters, three-fourths of her crew, by reason of disaffection or cowardice, refused to fight. With the remaining fourth, Nicholson, aided by Lieutenants Richard Dale and Alexander Murray fought his ship for an hour and a half until forced to surrender. His next command was the frigate Bourbon, but the war came to an end before she was ready for sea.
In 1785 Nicholson still regarded himself as liable for naval service, for in that year he asked Congress for permission to go to sea in command of a merchantman.
A few years later he was living in New York as a retired naval captain in good circumstances and active in Republican politics and in the social life of the city.
His house on William Street, one of the most valuable in the metropolis, was the headquarters for the followers of Burr and Jefferson. The "commodore, " as he was now called, could always be counted upon to grace and dignify the ceremonies of state occasions.
In April 1789 he commanded the decorated barge that transported Washington from New Jersey across New York harbor. He once had a tiff with Alexander Hamilton and the duel that threatened possessed considerable charm for him, now a choleric old man.
In 1801 he sought and obtained from Jefferson the commissionership of loans for New York, a post that he was filling when he died.
In May 1780 Nicholson sailed on a cruise and to the northwest of Bermuda fought with the Liverpool letter of marque Watt, 32 guns, one of the most hotly-contested actions of the Revolution. After an engagement of two hours and a half both vessels withdrew seriously disabled and with difficulty reached friendly ports. The Continental Board of Admiralty congratulated Nicholson on his gallantry.
On April 30, 1763 he married Frances Witter. He had eight children. One of his daughters married Albert Gallatin.
