Vice-Admiral James Gambier (1723–1789) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, North American Station.

[2] In 1773 he was made commissioner of victualling accounts on the Navy Board in an attempt to make amends to him for his political removal from his command in North America.

However, Gambier was not very successful or content with this position, as he was completely unprepared for managing a large civilian organization such as that at Portsmouth.

[1][2] During his time in the post, Gambier was repeatedly accused of corruption and he was despised by many of his contemporaries.

He followed the court's transfer to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1808, and returned to England in 1814.