James Marr Brydone

James Marr Brydone
Born	1779 Selkirk, Scotland
Died	29 March 1866 (aged 86–87) Petworth, West Sussex, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1804–1834
Rank	Ship's Surgeon
Battles/wars	Napoleonic Wars  • Battle of Trafalgar  • Siege of Gaeta  • Battle of Anholt

James Marr Brydone (1779–29 March 1866), was a Scottish surgeon who served in the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. He is best remembered for being the first person in the main British battle fleet to sight the Franco-Spanish fleet, and did so without the use of a glass. The information was signalled to the fleet flagship, HMS Victory.

Brydone was born in Selkirk, Scotland, a descendant of William Brydone, who was town clerk of Selkirk at the time of the Battle of Flodden. He was educated at the local school alongside Mungo Park and Charles Malcolm. He qualified as a doctor of medicine from Edinburgh University and, after local experience, in 1804 found himself serving as assistant surgeon aboard the East Indiaman Calcutta. Whilst at sea the ship met a naval vessel whose surgeon had died. He was transferred over and thus began thirty years of service in the Royal Navy. Brydone later contracted yellow fever while at Calcutta, and was sent home to convalesce.

By October 1805 he was serving as assistant surgeon on HMS Thunderer with Nelson's fleet in search of the French and Spanish. In the days of sail, early information was important when advantage had to be gained with the use of the wind. The British commander, Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, had stationed a chain of frigates to watch the enemy fleet in Cadiz, which had already signalled the combined fleet had put to sea, and reported on its movements. Brydone was the first of the main battle fleet, patrolling off Cape Trafalgar, to see the sails on the horizon – without the use of a glass – and the location of the Franco-Spanish fleet was signalled to HMS Victory, three minutes later battle orders were signalled beginning the Battle of Trafalgar.

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