James Laughton

1777 - 1859  (81 years)

• Name	James Laughton
  Nickname	James the pirate
  Birth	25 Dec 1777	Orkney
  	The birthdate comes from his gravestone inscription. Whilst it is possible that he was born and christened on the same day, it is more likely that the date quoted as the christening date is actually the birthdate. It is unclear from the microfilm, as this appears to be of a transcript, rather than the original parish register. I beleive that the parish register was destroyed by fire in 1805.
  Christening	25 Dec 1777	Holm, Orkney
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1811	May (1796 Ship)
  	Master of May, trading between Liverpool and Lisbon
  Event	5 Dec 1812	Fanny (1807 Ship)
  	Letter of Marque issued to James Laughton https://www.1812privateers.org/1812IMAGES/165.jpg
  Occupation	1812-1814	Fanny (1807 Ship)
  	Master of Fanny, trading between Liverpool and South America
  Event	19 Apr 1814	Fanny (1807 Ship)
  	Master of armed merchantman Fanny. Captured by US privateer General Armstrong. "She had scarcely a shroud left standing, nor one brace, the sails completely reduced, several gun carriages disabled, not a breeching left whole, one shot between wind and water, several others through different parts of her hull, the maintopsail and topgallant yards shot through, not a running rope but what was cut to pieces, a complete wreck on the quarter deck, the second mate, my brother, killed by my side, and six others wounded, five severely, one slightly."
  Occupation	1815-1825	Caledonia (1813 Ship)
  	Master of ship Caledonia 366 tons trading between Liverpool and Valparaiso, Chile
  Event	1827	James Laughton (1827 Ship)
  	After James Laughton retired as a ship's captain. A ship names James Laughton was operating on the Liverpool Buenos Aires route. Thought to be named in his honour.
  Occupation	1827	Liverpool
  	Laughton James, wine and spirit merchant, 12, King st. Edge hill ....................office, Russel place, Dale street 1827 Gore's Liverpool directory
  Address	1832	West Derby
  	Listed in 1832 poll book as Wine Merchant, living in West Derby
  Occupation	24 Jan 1840	Liverpool
  	NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, as Wine, Spirit, and Porter Dealers, at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, was this day dissolved by mutual consent. All debts owing by or to the said partnership are to be paid or received respectively by the undersigned Joseph Potts. Witness our hands this 24th day of January 1840. James Laughton. Joseph Potts. {London Gazette) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/19818/pages/178/page.pdf
  1841 Census	1841	Andreas, Isle of Man
  	Gentleman of own means, age 50 (sic)
  1851 Census	1851	Toxteth Park, Lancashire
  	Address: Toxteth Park, Lancashire
  Death	5 Dec 1859	Liverpool
  	LAUGHTON December 5th, 1859, at his residence, Upper Parliament street, Liverpool, England, James Laughton, Esq., at the advanced age of eighty-four years. The Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 13 March 1860 Presumably placed in the SMH by his son, James Brotherston Laughton. This underlines the mail clipper transit times of 90-100 days during that era.
  Burial	St James' Cemetery, Liverpool
  Notes	There is a J Laughton listed in the London Times 22 Sep 1819 as 'earthenware dealer, Liverpool' - Our James perhaps? (probably not) JK Laughton's Who's Who entry described him as "Liverpool Mariner, wine merchant & in times of war captain of privateer"
  Person ID	I41	Bell
  Last Modified	28 Apr 2026

  
  

  Father	John Laughton,   b. Abt 1710
  Mother	Margaret Foubister,   b. ca 1756, Orkney?
  Marriage	19 Nov 1776	St Andrew, Orkney, Scotland
  Family ID	F11	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Ann Potts,   b. 17 Jun 1793, Carlisle, Cumberland, England d. 10 Apr 1865 (Age 71 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1813
  Children	+ 1. Rev James Brotherston Laughton,   b. 25 Sep 1814, Denton Hall, Nether Denton, Cumberland d. 23 May 1883, Paddington NSW (Age 68 years)   2. Margaret Laughton,   b. Abt 1817, Liverpool, Lancashire, England d. 1886 (Age 69 years)   3. Ann Laughton,   b. 5 Mar 1823, Liverpool, Lancashire d. 17 Feb 1869 (Age 45 years)   4. Mary Laughton,   b. 18 Jan 1825, Liverpool, Lancashire d. 17 Jun 1840 (Age 15 years)   5. Elizabeth Laughton,   b. 21 Nov 1826, Liverpool, Lancashire d. 27 Jul 1837 (Age 10 years)   6. Jane Laughton,   b. 5 Aug 1828, Liverpool, Lancashire d. 22 Jul 1837 (Age 8 years) + 7. Sir John Knox Laughton,   b. 23 Apr 1830, Liverpool d. 14 Sep 1915, Wimbledon (Age 85 years)
  Family ID	F10	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

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