James Burney

James Burney (13 June 1750 – 17 November 1821) was an English explorer and writer. He served as a rear-admiral who accompanied Captain James Cook on his last two voyages. He later wrote two books on naval voyages and a third on the game of whist.

Family

Burney was born in London, although he moved to Lynn Regis (now King's Lynn) as a small child. He was the son of the composer and music scholar Charles Burney and his wife Esther Sleepe (c. 1725–1762). His notable siblings included the correspondent Susanna Phillips, scholar Charles Burney, novelist and diarist Fanny Burney, and the novelist Sarah Burney, a half-sister, who kept house for him from 1798 to 1803.

Voyages

Burney's father obtained him a berth as a midshipman on Cook's Resolution, which sailed for the South Seas in June 1772. Back in England in 1774, he acted as interpreter for Omai, the first Tahitian to visit Britain. He and his future brother-in-law witnessed Cook's killing in Hawaii in 1779. He was belatedly promoted, but in June 1782 commissioned captain of the 50-gun Bristol on a 12-ship convoy to Madras. He saw action as part of Sir Edward Hughes' squadron in the final engagement with the French fleet off Cuddalore on 20 June 1783.

Retired

At the end of 1784 Burney fell seriously ill and departed for England. This was the end of his active naval career. Repeated petitions for a new command were rebuffed, in part because of his openly republican political views. However, he became a prolific naval author, who enjoyed the friendship of Charles Lamb, Henry Crabb Robinson and other literary figures.