Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Clowes, William Laird
CLOWES, Sir WILLIAM LAIRD (1856–1905), naval writer, born at Hampstead on 1 Feb. 1856, was the eldest son of William Clowes, sometime registrar in chancery and part editor of the 5th edition (1891) of Seton's 'Forms and Judgments.' Educated at Aldenham school and Bang's College, London, he entered as a student of Lincoln's Inn on 16 April 1877. He had already, in 1876, published 'Meroe,' an Egyptian love tale in verse, and on 11 March 1879 he left Lincoln's Inn for the profession of journalism. Employed at first in the provinces, he returned to London in 1882 and gained his first insight into naval affairs on the staff of the 'Army and Navy Gazette.' Concentrating his attention on naval questions, Clowes accompanied the home fleets during the manoeuvres as special naval correspondent successively of the 'Daily News' (1885), the 'Standard' (1887-90), and 'The Times' (1890-5). His reputation for expert naval knowledge was soon established. Articles by him, some under the pseudonym 'Nauticus,' on topics like the mission of torpedo-boats in time of war, the gunning of battleships, and the use of the ram, were widely translated and influenced expert opinion in all countries. His series of anonymous articles on 'The Needs of the Navy,' in the 'Daily Graphic' in 1893 (Clowes, Royal Navy, vii. 83), was credited with substantially affecting the naval estimates. Naval interests did not monopolise his attention. In the autumn of 1890 he paid one of many visits to America, commissioned by ‘The Times’ to study racial difficulties in the southern states. The results appeared first in a series of ten letters to ‘The Times’ (November and December 1890), and then in 1891 in ‘Black America: A Study of the Ex-slave and his Master.’ In view of the growing birth-rate and exclusion from political power of the black, Clowes foretold a race war incomparably terrible between black and white in America.
Clowes gradually gave up journalism for research in naval history. Between 1897 and 1903 he compiled ‘The Royal Navy: its History from the Earliest Times’ (7 vols.) in collaboration with Sir Clements Markham, K.C.B., Captain A. T. Mahan, W. H. Wilson, and others. The value of this work was generally recognised. He was knighted in 1902, but owing to ill-health was compelled to live abroad, settling for some years at Davos. He was granted, in 1904, a civil list pension of 150l. He was awarded the gold medal of the United States Naval Institute in 1892, was an associate of the Institute of Naval Architects, and in 1896 was elected an honorary member of the Royal United Service Institution, where he gave several lectures. In 1895 he was elected a fellow of King's College. He died at Eversleigh Gardens, St. Leonards-on-Sea, on 14 Aug. 1905.
Clowes married in 1882 Ethel Mary Louise, second daughter of Lewis F. Edwards of Mitcham, by whom he had one son, Geoffrey S. Laird (b. 1883). A civil list pension of 100l. was granted to his widow, 30 Nov. 1905.
An excellent linguist, Clowes contributed frequently in his later years to reviews in England, France and Germany. Besides his historical and technical books he wrote many tales, mainly of the sea, and some verse. He was part-author of ‘Social England’ (6 vols. 1892–7), and founded in 1896, and for some years edited, the ‘Naval Pocket Book.’ He also edited Cassell's ‘Miniature Encyclopædia’ (16mo, 1898), and did much to promote the issue of cheap reprints of standard literature, being advisory editor of the ‘Unit Library,’ 1901.
Besides the works cited, Clowes's long list of publications includes: 1. ‘The Great Peril, and how it was Averted,’ a tale, 1893. 2. ‘The Naval Campaign of Lissa,’ 1901. 3. ‘The Mercantile Marine in War Time,’ 1902. 4. ‘Four Modern Naval Campaigns,’ 1902.
[Who's Who, 1905; The Times, 16 Aug. 1905; Standard, 15 Aug. 1905; Army and Navy Gazette, 18 Aug. 1905; Men and Women of the Time, 15th edit. 1899; the New International Encyclopædia, 1910.]