James Maurice Frost (3 May 1838 – 9 November 1902), also known as Frost Pasha (Turkish: Frost Paşa), was a British inventor, military engineer and highly decorated brigadier general of Scottish descent. He was in the service of the Ottoman Empire at the Imperial Arsenal for nearly 45 years.
James Maurice Frost | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Frost (aged 61–64) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 May 1838 Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Died | 9 November 1902 (aged 64) Pera, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire |
| Resting place | Haidar Pasha Cemetery, Üsküdar, Istanbul, Turkey |
| Occupation | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 1859/1861–1902 |
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Battles/wars | |
Early life and career
editJames Maurice Frost was born on 3 May 1838 in Aberdeen to a Scottish family of humble origins. His father was William Frost who, for many years, worked as manager to John Clyne, a shoe and leather merchant based in Gallowgate. James Frost received his early education from the Aberdeen Mechanics' Institute located at the Adelphi. After this, he entered an apprenticeship with John Blaikie & Sons as a brass finisher. Soon before completing his apprenticeship, Frost was offered a job as an engineer at the Royal Arsenal. Within a short time, he had risen to the rank of manager at the Arsenal. Attracted by Frost's engineering capabilities, Sir John Anderson offered him to work at the Imperial Arsenal in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire. Frost accepted this offer.[1]
Life in the Ottoman Empire
editArrival and first years
editIt is unknown when exactly Frost had entered into Ottoman service. His arrival was between 1859 and 1861, when he was aged 21 to 23. In 1862, during Edward VII's (then Prince of Wales) visit to Istanbul, Frost showed him around the Imperial Arsenal. Following this, he was invited by the Prince to have a luncheon with him at the Royal Yacht.[2]
By 1868, he had already secured a high rank at the Imperial Arsenal. He was tasked with managing the Ottoman Arsenal and strove to establish a system similar to the British Royal Arsenal.[3]
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)
editAs the head of the Imperial Arsenal, it was Frost's duty to deliver firearms and torpedoes to the battlefields. He pioneered a strong logistics of the production and supplying of small arms at the Arsenal. Sir James Frost had invented a new gun and improved the design of a torpedo boat. He visited the front lines where both weapons were used against the Russians. Alongside arranging plans of defensive fortifications, Frost played a pivotal role in the signal corps of the Ottoman Empire. For his services in the course of the war, Frost was made a Pasha and decorated with two medals by Sultan Abdul Hamid II. He would carry out his duty effectively once again during the 1897 Greco-Turkish War.[4]
Later life
editBrief return to Aberdeen
editIn 1887, Frost returned to Aberdeen after nearly 30 years for a holiday that would last five months. During this period, two of his sons, Constantine and Henry, were apprenticed as engineers in the company Dalgety Brothers. Another of his sons, Rudolph, completed his apprenticeship at the North of Scotland Bank and now worked in a bank at Izmir. Frost's fourth son, Plevna (named as such since he was born during the Siege of Plevna), worked as an electrical engineer in Carlisle.[1]
Death
editAfter returning to the Ottoman Empire in 1887, Frost did not visit Scotland once again. He was ailing from an unknown illness in 1902. Letters were sent to his brothers in Aberdeen that he was doing well. However, Frost suddenly died on 9 November 1902 in Istanbul, aged 64. By the time of his death, Frost Pasha was highly decorated with medals (such as with the Orders of Osmanieh and Medjidie, as well as the Liakat, Imtiaz and 1897 Greek War Medals). Frost was survived by four sons, two daughters, and his widowed wife.[1]
Citations
edit- ^ a b c "Death of Brigadier-general Frost Pasha: A Distinguished Aberdonian". Aberdeen: The Press and Journal. 15 November 1902.
- ^ Bentley-Cranch, Dana (1992). Edward VII: Image of an Era, 1841–1910. London: Office of Public Sector Information. pp. 40–42. ISBN 9780112905080.
- ^ Grant, James (1889). The Scottish Soldiers of Fortune: Mercenaries in Foreign Service from the 14th to 19th Centuries (PDF). London: Routledge. p. 115. ISBN 9781103178728.
- ^ "The late Frost Pasha". Aberdeen: The Press and Journal. 18 November 1902.