James Pattison (1723-1805) was a distinguished officer in the Royal Artillery who made important contributions inter alia at the Battle of Fontenoy, in the American War of Independence, and as military commandant of New York City.
[1] James married Mary, daughter of Albert Borgard,[2] the man of Danish origin who was instrumental in the establishment of the Royal Regiment of Artillery.
[4] Pattison “served with distinction in Flanders (Battle of Fontenoy); later, at the end of the Seven Years' War, he was chosen to command the companies selected for service in Portugal.
In 1769 Colonel Pattison was sent to Venice to superintend the organisation of the Venetian Artillery, where his task was made difficult not so much by the Artillerymen but by the authorities.
[9] Pattison remained in command of the artillery in the field until Sir Henry Clinton, the British Commander-in-Chief, withdrew the army to New York the following year.
Letters to his brother show that he knew Consul Smith and Sir James Wright and that, with them, he was one of the few admitted to the circle of the self-exiled Lord Bute.