Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1025

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ROWLES—ROWLEY.
1011

Dec. 1845, as Senior, to the Waterwitch 10, Capt. Thos. Fras. Birch, on the same station. Shortly after the paying off of the latter vessel he was advanced, 23 Dec. 1847, to the rank he now holds. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



ROWLES. (Lieutenant, 1843.)

Byron George Rowles entered the Navy 16 Nov. 1833; passed his examination 23 June, 1840; and after serving on the coast of Africa and at Portsmouth as Mate in the Heroine brig, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Dilnot Stewart, and St. Vincent 120, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Rowley, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 7 July, 1843. His appointments have since been – 14 Sept. 1843, to the Hyacinth 18, Capt. Fras. Scott, lying at Sheerness – 6 Dec. following, as Additional-Lieutenant, to the Winchester 50, bearing the flag of Hon. Josceline Percy at the Cape of Good Hope, whence he returned in 1844 – 10 July, 1846, for a few months, to the Avenger steam-frigate, Capt. Woodford John Williams, attached to the Channel squadron – 22 July, 1847, to the Recruit 12, Capt. Adolphus Slade, employed on particular service – and, 16 Nov. in the same year, to the Queen 110, Capt. Henry Wm. Bruce, now in the Mediterranean.



ROWLEY, Bart., G.C.B., G.C.H., K.M.T. (Admiral of the White, 1841.)

Sir Charles Rowley was born 16 Dec. 1770, and died 10 Oct. 1845, at Brighton. He was fourth son of Vice-Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley (whose distinguished services procured him a Baronetcy 10 June, 1786, and who died 26 Feb. 1790), by Sarah, daughter of Bartholomew Burton, Esq., Deputy-Governor of the Bank of England; and grandson of Sir Wm. Rowley, K.B., Vice-Admiral of England, Admiral of the Fleet, and a Lord of the Admiralty, who died 1 Jan. 1768. His elder brother, Vice-Admiral Bartholomew Sam. Rowley, died Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica 7 Oct. 1811; his eldest sister, Philadelphia, was the wife of the late Admiral Sir Chas. Cotton, Bart.; and his nephew, the present Sir Joshua Ricketts Rowley, Bart., is a Rear-Admiral of the Blue. Sir Charles was first-cousin of the late Admiral Sir Josias Rowley, Bart., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., and of the late Rear-Admiral Sam. Campbell Rowley. His uncle, William Rowley, died a Major-General in the Army.

This officer obtained his first commission 8 Oct. 1789; and was advanced to Post-rank 1 Aug. 1795. He subsequently commanded the Cleopatra 32, L’Unité 36, Boadicea 38, Ruby 64, and Eagle 74. The Cleopatra, in April, 1796, made prize, on the coast of North America, of the French corvette Aurore of 10 guns; and L’Unité, while cruizing in the Channel, took, 17 Sept. 1797, La Brunette brig of 10 guns (pierced for 16) and 80 men, and assisted in taking, 24 of the same month and 7 Oct. following, the privateers Indian of 16 guns and La Découverte. The Ruby was stationed off the Texel and on the coast of Spain. While in command of the Eagle, Capt. Rowley, in May, 1806, served with the squadron under the orders of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith on the coast of Naples and Sicily; and on 11 of that month took an active part in the reduction of the island of Capri, where he had 2 men killed, and 11, including his First-Lieutenant, wounded.[1] In 1809 he accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren; in 1810 he co-operated in the defence of Cadiz; on 27 Nov. 1811 he captured La Corceyre French frigate, mounting 28 guns (pierced for 40), having on board 170 seamen (3 of whom were killed and several wounded) and 130 soldiers, and laden with 300 tons of wheat and a quantity ofmilitary and other stores, from Trieste, bound to Corfu;[2] and in 1813, besides assisting at the taking of Flumé, he reduced the Castle of Farasina, attacked the batteries of Rovigno,[3] and signalized himself in a remarkable manner at the capture of Trieste.[4] At Fiumé he led in his gig the first detachment of marines, took possession, on landing, of the enemy’s fort, and then dashed boldly through the town, although annoyed by musketry from the windows of the houses and a field-piece in the centre of the great street.[5] For his services in the Adriatic Capt. Rowley obtained, 23 May, 1814, the royal permission to accept and wear the insignia of a Knight of the Imperial Military Order of Maria Theresa, conferred on him by the Emperor of Austria. He attained Flag-rank 4 June, 1814; was nominated a K.C.B. 2 Jan. 1815; held the chief command at the Nore from the close of 1815 until 1818, and at Jamaica from 24 Aug. 1820 until 8 June, 1823; became a Vice-Admiral 27 May, 1825; filled a seat at the Board of Admiralty in 1834-5; was created a G.C.H. 7 Oct. 1835, a Baronet 22 Feb. 1836, and a G.C.B. 4 July, 1840; became a full Admiral 23 Nov. 1841; and commanded in chief at Portsmouth from 26 Dec. 1842 until Sept. 1845.

Sir Chas. Rowley married, 7 Dec. 1797, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Admiral Sir Rich. King, and was left a widower 11 Jan. 1838. His eldest son, the present Sir Chas. Rowley, is a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army; his secon,. Burton, who died in the West Indies in 1822, was a Lieutenant R.N.; his third, George, is a Captain in the Bombay Cavalry; and his fourth and fifth, Richard Freeman and Robert Hibbert Bartholomew, are both in the Navy – the former a Captain and the latter a Commander. His youngest daughter, Louisa, is the present Countess of Kinnoul. Agents – Messrs. Chard.



ROWLEY. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 9; h-p., 1.)

Charles Evelyn Rowley, born 30 June, 1824, at Clonrael, co. Tipperary, is son of the present Lieut.-Colonel Sir Chas. Rowley, Bart., by Frances, only daughter of Geo. Evelyn, Esq., of Wooton, co. Surrey; and grandson of the late Admiral Sir Chas. Rowley, Bart, G.C.B., G.C.H.

This officer entered the Navy, 1 April, 1837, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Queen Charlotte 104, Capt. Arthur Fanshawe, bearing the flag of Hon. Sir Robt. Stopford in the Mediterranean; where he continued employed until 1841 in the Sapphire 28, Capt. Robt. Freeman Rowley, Beacon surveying-vessel, Capt. Thos. Graves, Carysfort 26, Capt. Henry Byam Martin, and again in the Princess Charlotte. In the Carysfort he took a Midshipman’s part in the operations of 1840 on the coast of Syria, including the attacks upon Tortosa and St. Jean d’Acre. On leaving the Princess Charlotte he joined, in July, 1841, the Electra 18, Capt. Philip Gostling, fitting at Portsmouth; in the following Aug. he removed to the Madagascar 44, Capt. John Foote, whom he accompanied to the coast of Africa; and from Oct. 1842 until advanced to his present rank 14 Jan. 1846 he served at Portsmouth as Midshipman, Mate, Lieutenant (commission dated 25 Sept. 1843), and Flag-Lieutenant, under Sir Chas. Rowley and Sir Chas. Ogle in the St. Vincent 120. Agents – Messrs. Chard.



ROWLEY, Bart. (Rear-Admiral of the Blue, 1848. f-p., 17; h-p., 28.)

Sir Joshua Ricketts Rowley is second and eldest surviving son of the late Sir Wm. Rowley, Bart., of Tendring Hall, co. Suffolk (whom he succeeded as third Baronet 20 Oct. 1832), by Susannah Edith, daughter of Admiral Sir Robt. Harland, Bart.; and nephew of the late Admiral Sir Chas. Rowley, Bart., G.C.B., G.C.H. His brother, Robt. Chas. Rowley, a Captain in the Army, is married to a daughter of the second Lord Huntingfield. One of his sisters, Sarah Marianne, is the wife of Sir Geo. Dashwood, Bart., of Kirtlington Park, co. Oxford; and another, Susan Arabella, of Colonel Mercer. This officer entered the Navy, 1 Feb. 1802, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Boadicea 38, commanded in the Channel by his uncle Capt. Chas. Rowley. On his return in the Morne Fortunée from the

  1. Vide Gaz. 1806, p. 933.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 226.
  3. Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 2340.
  4. Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 2478.
  5. Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 2009.