James Erskine (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Erskine
Sir James Erskine
Born	(1838-12-02)2 December 1838 Rajkot, Bombay Presidency
Died	25 July 1911(1911-07-25) (aged 72) Venlaw, Peeblesshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1852–1908
Rank	Admiral of the Fleet
Commands	HMS Speedwell HMS Columbine HMS Eclipse HMS Boadicea HMS Garnet Australia Station Coast of Ireland Station North America and West Indies Station
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Elphinstone Erskine, KCB DL JP (2 December 1838 – 25 July 1911) was a Scottish Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he served on the North America and West Indies Station. This was a difficult time in relations between the United Kingdom and the United States following the Trent Affair, an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the American Civil War when the United States Navy frigate USS San Jacinto intercepted the British mail packet RMS Trent.

Erskine went on to be Private Secretary to Lord Northbrook, First Lord of the Admiralty and then became Commodore on the Australia Station and in that capacity announced that, in order to provide support for the local people, the south coast of New Guinea would become a British protectorate. He went on to be Junior Naval Lord under the third Gladstone ministry and then Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station.