Here's what I have to date on James Cottell, Captain in the Royal Marines.
I have seen reference on the WWW to a James Cottell of the Royal Marines on board the HMS Tonnant at Trafalgar. I also found a description on the WWW of a Lieut James Cottell's involvement in a landing at Mauritius.
The Capture of Mauritius in 1810, excerpts from Part 5 of “The Royal Navy, A History from the Earliest Times to the Present Day” by W.L. Clowes. “The Sirius reappeared before Ile de la Passe on August 13th, when, however, the other craft were still far to leeward. Anxious to effect a surprise, Pym decided not to wait for his consorts, and in the evening sent in five boats, containing 71 officers and men under Lieutenants William Norman, John Wyatt Watling, and Henry Ducie Chads, together with Lieutenants (R.M.) James Cottell and William Bate. The attack was most successful, although the enemy opened fire before the boats had landed. Norman fell, shot through the heart as he was endeavouring to enter a battery; but Watling took his place, carried the work in spite of a determined resistance, and then crossing the islet, joined hands with Chads, who had been similarly successful on the south-east side. Thereupon the French garrison, of about 80 regulars, surrendered, having inflicted a loss of 7 killed and 18 wounded.”
Web site:
http://home.planet.nl/~pdavis/Mauritius.htmThere is a naval biography on the WWW for a William Grant who had two cousins in the Royal Marines named William & James Cottell. “A Naval Biographical Dictionary – Every Living Officer in Her Majesty’s Navy”, 1849, pg 423, biography of Lieut William Grant (available on ancestry.com). This could be a good way to trace the Cottell lineage.
"William Grant was born 14 May 1789, at Taunton, in Somersetshire, and died 1 Dec. 1845. He was son of Capt. John Grant who obtained a medal for his services in the 40th Regt. during the first American war, and who afterwards, when belonging to the Prince of Wales' or Leicestershire Fencibles, fought in Ireland during the rebellion of 1798. One of his cousins, Wm. Cottell, Lieutenant R.M., was mortally wounded on board the ROBUST 74, at the defeat, in the latter year, of a squadron under Commodore Bompart ; and another, the late Jas. Cottell, R.M., who died in 1842, served in the TONNANT at Trafalgar. He has left a brother, a Surgeon in H.M. 10th Regt., now at Calcutta."
Google Books has a copy of the New Annual Army List, 1841 which contains the following details for James Cottell of the Royal Marines in its list of Captains:
2nd Lieut etc: 17 Sep 1798
Lieut: 5 May 1804
Captain: 18 April 1814
When placed on half pay: 20 Mar 1835
Note: Captain Cottell served at the battle of Trafalgar.
There is reference to a James Cottle, 2nd Lieutenant, Marine, on the web site of the National Archives, under Trafalgar Ancestors, HMS Tonnant. Ship’s pay book number ML123, 1 Nov 1804.
Web site:
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/trafalgarancestors/There was an exhibition held a few years ago of watercolours by James Cottell, Captain RM. SeaBritain, watercolour exhibition at Uppark near Petersfield, 6 Sep – 20 Oct 2005, collection of contemporary watercolours by Captain James Cottell, RM, a veteran of the Trafalgar campaign, the Ratepayer Magazine, Oct 2005, ph 01730825415.
Web site:
http://www.theratepayer.co.uk/Magazine%20Folder/RpMagOctober2005v4.pdfI'm wondering whether there was only the one James Cottell in the Royal Marines... Cottell is only a moderately common surname in the UK (mostly Devon & Cornwall). May need to look into naval records at Portsmouth to confirm the links.