A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Browne, Philip

by William Richard O'Byrne

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BROWNE. (Rear-Admiral of the White, 1846. f-p., 27; h-p., 38.)

Philip Browne, born 16 Sept. 1772, is only surviving son of the late Capt. Philip Browne, R.N., who lost his life from over exertion at the defence of Savannah in 1779, at the age of 38; and a close relative of Rear-Admiral E. W. Browne.

This officer entered the Navy, in 1782, on board the Ruby 64, Capt. Sir John Colleris. He next joined the Crown 64, Capt. Sam. Reeve, and, in May, 1787, as Fst.-cl. Vol., the Colossus 74, Capt. Hugh Cloberry Christian, stationed in the Channel; after which he became attached, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, to the Racehorse 18, Capts. David Stow and Thos. Foley, in the North Sea, Illustrious 74, flag-ship in the Channel of Hon. John Leveson Gower, and Minerva 38, and Crown 64, both commanded by Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, in the East Indies, where he was detached for some time in 1792 into the Despatch gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander John Whitby. While in the Minerva, in 1793, Mr. Browne assisted, as Master’s Mate, at the reduction of Pondicherry, and was employed in her boats cutting out a vessel from under fire of the batteries of that place. On 22 Dec. in the latter year he was made Lieutenant into the Bien Aimé 18, Capt. Rich. King, also on the East India station, and in that capacity he was subsequently appointed – 10 April, 1795, to the Nassau 64, Capt. Herbert Sawyer, flag-ship, ultimately, of Rear-Admiral Rich. Onslow in the North Sea – 17 Feb. 1798, to the Daphne 20, commanded by Capt. Sir Chas. Lindsay, for a short period too by himself, and next by Capt. Rich. Matson, in which he beheld the capture, in the Channel, of a large Swedish convoy by a squadron under Capt. John Lawford, in the following summer, and then proceeded to the West Indies – in Feb. 1800, to the command of the Chatham cartel, for the purpose of conveying to Old Spain the Walloon guards taken at the reduction of Surinam – 28 May in the same year, to the Ardent 64, Capt. Thos. Bertie – and, 26 Feb. 1801, and 17 March, 1802, to the command of the Swan cutter, and Vixen 14, gun-brig. On 25 Sept. 1806, he was promoted into the Plover 18, in which sloop he continued until his advancement to Post-rank, 19 June, 1810. His next appointments were – 31 May, 1811, pro tem., to the Dannemark 74, employed in blockading Cherbourg – and, 9 July following, to the Hermes 20, stationed for some time on the Brazilian coast. During the 12 years of Capt. Browne’s attachment to the Swan, Vixen, Plover, and Hermes, we find him cruizing against the enemies of his country, principally in the North Sea and Channel, with the most unparalleled success. He took 11 privateers,^[1] carrying in the whole 114 guns and 744 men; captured and detained 37 merchantmen, with cargoes amounting in value to 300,000l., which however became droits of Admiralty; re-took 13 valuable British trading-vessels; rescued 200 British seamen from captivity; made 868 French prisoners; and seized 20 smuggling-vessels, which produced to the Crown a clear profit of 47,214l. 11s. lOd. Capt. Browne, when in the Plover, thrice obtained official notice – first, for his zealous co-operation with Capt. Geo. M‘Kinley in support of the Spanish patriots, in the early part of 1809 – next, for the assiduity, skill, and propriety with which he managed the various details and arrangements of the flotilla under Commodore Cockburn, whose broad pendant was flying on board the Plover, at the ensuing reduction of Flushing^[2] – and on another occasion, at the capture, 18 Sept. 1809, of L’Aurore privateer (mentioned below), an exploit which we find attributed to the “great exertions of that indefatigable officer Capt. Browne.”^[3] He returned to England in 1814 in the Hermes sloop, and has since been on half-pay. His promotion to Flag-rank took place 9 Nov. 1846. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.

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1. The following is a list of the privateers taken by Capt. Browne:– Le Lionnais, of 2 guns and 21 men; Le Petit Diable, of 4 guns and 45 men; L’Elize, of 14 guns and 66 men; La Josephine, of 14 guns and 55 men (taken in company with Amethyst and Dryad); La Bohémienne, of 2 guns and 28 men; L’Amiral Martin, of 4 guns and 104 men; L’Aurore, of 16 guns and 69 men; L’Hirondelle, of 16 guns and 65 men; Le Lézard, of 57 men; Le Saratu, of 14 guns and 100 men; La Mouche, of 14 guns and 51 men (run down); and the Sword Fish, of 14 guns and 83 men (taken in company with the Elephant).
2. Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1326.
3. Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1515.