James Peacock (naval officer)

He is first mentioned as captain of the Constant Warwick frigate for the Parliament, and commanding a squadron of ships-of-war in the North Sea in the summer of 1647.

During this time he made several prizes, apparently Royalist privateers hailing from Jersey or from Ireland; convoyed the trade from Elsinore, and was repeatedly warned to station vessels near the Orkney Islands, to surprise Irish pirates, or on the coast of Norfolk, from Cromer to Lynn, to look out for 'pickaroons', 'pilfering sea-rovers'.

In 1650 the Tiger was one of a squadron sent to the Mediterranean under Vice-admiral Edward Hall in charge of convoy and for the security of trade against pirates and the Royalist privateers, and also with letters of reprisal against the French.

A month later he was appointed to command a squadron going to the Mediterranean to reinforce Richard Badiley, but the defeat of Blake on 30 November prevented his sailing.

He left a widow, Mary, and five children, to whom Parliament voted a gratuity of 750l., vested in trustees belonging to Ipswich, where they desired that the money might be paid.

The Battle of Scheveningen , 10 August 1653, by Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten ( c. 1654 ). In the centre, the artist shows Tromp 's flagship, the Brederode , surrounded by English warships. To the right, the two burning ships are probably the Andrew and the Triumph , which had been attacked from the weatherside by Dutch fireships. With great effort both ships extinguished the fires and were saved, but Peacock was mortally wounded. [ 3 ]