Fencibles in the river Medway; where he remained until ordered, in June, 1809, to join the Namur 74, Capt, Rich. Jones, part of the force employed in the ensuing expedition to the Scheldt. In June, 1810, he was again (in the Salvador del Mundo) placed under the orders of Sir Robt. Calder, then Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth, who successively invested him, 9 Nov. 1812, and 20 Jan. and 29 March, 1813, with the charge of the Favorite, Sealark, and Achates sloops. In the first-mentioned of those vessels he retook a West Indiaman that had been only the night before captured by a French frigate; and conducted safely info Bristol and Liverpool a convoy for which he had been sent to cruize between the 44th and 47th degrees of West longitude. He was confirmed in his present rank on the occasion of Sir Robt. Calder hauling down his flag 29 Oct. 1813; and has since been on half-pay.
During his career afloat Commander Lowcay was at times employed at the blockade of Brest, Rochefort, Ferrol, Corunna, Cadiz, Minorca, Genoa, Toulon, Alexandria, and Smyrna. He was for 11 months off Rochefort, without once returning to port. He married, 3 May, 1836, Miss E. B. Steere, of Plymouth.
LOWCAY. (Lieutenant, 1815.)
Robert Lowcay is brother of Commander Henry Lowcay, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 13 Jan. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Prince of Wales 98, commanded in the Channel by Capts. Inglis and Bedford; and in the course of the same year became Midshipman of the Protheus and Pearl, Lieut.-Commanders Todman and Woodger, lying at Portsmouth. He next, from Feb. 1807 to Sept. 1810, served on board the Dreadnought 98, Capts. Wm. Lechmere, Geo. Burgoyne Salt, and Valentine Collard, also on the Home station; where, during a period of nearly three years, he was further employed in the Venerable 74, Capt. Sir Home Popham, Unicorn 32, Capt. G. B. Salt, Favorite sloop, commanded by his brother, Capt. Henry Lowcay, and Salvador del Mundo, flag-ship of Sir Robt. Calder. Proceeding then to the Cape of Good Hope in the Lion 64, bearing the flag of the late Sir Chas. Tyler, he was by that officer nominated Acting-Lieutenant, 8 Feb. 1814, of the Harpy sloop, Capt. Allen, and on the occasion of his official promotion, 7 Feb. 1815, received as his Signal-Lieutenant into the Medway 74. He returned home in April, 1816; and was afterwards appointed – 5 Feb. 1820, to the Egeria 28, Capt. John Toup Nicolas, fitting for the Newfoundland station – 11 Sept. 1823, to the Cambridge 80, Capt. Thos. Jas. Maling, lying at Sheerness – 16 Dec. 1823 and 31 Jan. 1824, to the Queen Charlotte and Victory, Capts. Jas. Nash and Chas. Inglis, both at Portsmouth – next, to the Preventive Service – 25 April, 1834, to the Ordinary at Portsmouth – 1 Aug. 1836, again to the Victory, Capt. Thos. Searle – 13 Feb. 1837, to the command of the Sparrow 10, in South America, where he was superseded in Oct. 1839 – 27 Aug. 1841, as Senior-Lieutenant, to the Poictiers 72, Capt. Wm. Henry Shirreff, guard-ship at Chatham – and, 16 March, 1844, in a similar capacity, to the Bonetta surveying-vessel, Capt. Thos. Saumarez Brock, on the Mediterranean station. Lieut. Lowcay has been on half-pay since 20 Oct. in the latter year.
His eldest daughter is the wife of Commander John H. Norcock, R.N.
LOWCAY. (Retired Commander, 1847. f-p., 25; h-p., 26.)
William Lowcay, born 21 Sept. 1787, at Chatham, co. Kent, is brother of Commander Henry Lowcay, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 22 Aug. 1796, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Duke 98,[1] Capt. John Holloway, under whom he continued to serve as Midshipman, on the Channel station, until April, 1798. He re-embarked, in July, 1802, as Master’s Mate, on board the Pique 36, Capt. Wm. Cumberland; and, in July, 1804, after having been for 12 months attached to the Defiance 74, Capt. Philip Chas. Durham, he joined the Ajax 74, Capts. Lord Viscount Garlics, Christopher Laroche, Wm. Brown, and John Pilfold. He was in consequence present, during the year 1805, in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, also in Admiral Comwallis’ pursuit of the French fleet into Brest, and in the battle of Trafalgar. After further serving with Capt. Laroche in the Uranie 38, and with Capt. Thos. Le Marchant Gosselin in the Audacious 74, he was appointed, 21 Sept. 1807, and 3 March, 1808, Sub-Lieutenant of the Contest and Encounter gun-brigs, Lieut.Commanders John Gregory and Jas. Hugh Talbot. In the boats belonging to the former of those vessels Mr. Lowcay was engaged in frequent attacks on the enemy’s convoys on the French coast; and on one occasion he was slightly wounded. Being created a full Lieutenant, 25 March, 1809, of the Princess of Orange 74, Capt. Fras. Beauman, he accompanied the ensuing expedition to the Walcheren, where he was lent to the gun-boat service. On his return he was successively, until the peace of 1814, employed, always on the Home station, in the Crane 18, Capt. D. Winter, Salvador del Mundo, flagship of Sir Robt. Calder, Clarence 74, Capt. Henry Vansittart, Gladiator 44, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Wm. Hargood, and Teazer 14, Capt. Hargrave. He served next, from 27 April to 15 June, 1815, in the Rolla 10, commanded at Plymouth by Capt. Robt. Julyan; and from 29 Nov. 1820 until 5 July, 1833, had charge of a station in the Coast Guard. He accepted his present rank 9 April, 1847.
Commander Lowcay married, 14 June, 1814, Mary Anne, sister of Capt. John Lawrence, R.N., C.B., and by that lady, who died 1 Dec. 1844, has issue two sons and one daughter.
LOWE. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 20; h-p., 36.)
Abraham Lowe was born in July, 1771.
This officer (whose name had been borne from 1777 to 1779 on the books of the Levant, Capt. Geo. Murray) embarked, in Jan. 1791, as Midshipman (under the auspices of the late Sir Erasmus Gower), on board the London 98, Capt. Geo. Blagden Westcott, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Sam. Cranston Goodall in the Channel. In the following Oct. he joined the Edgar 74, Capts. Anthony Jas. Pye Molloy and Albemarle Bertie; and on becoming Master’s Mate, in 1792, of the Lion 64, commanded by his patron Sir E. Gower, he sailed with Lord Macartney on his embassy to China, and while there was intrusted with the charge of the Jackal tender. Being promoted, on his return home, to a Lieutenancy, 24 Nov. 1794, in the Triumph 74, Capt. Sir E. Gower, he was present in that ship, which bore the brunt of the enemy’s attack, in Cornwallis’ celebrated retreat of 16 and 17 June, 1795. His succeeding appointments, it appears, were – 22 June, 1797, to the Diamond 38, Capt. Sir Rich. John Strachan, on the Channel station – 18 Dec. following to the Neptune 98, Capts. Sir E. Gower and Jas. Vashon, in which ship he proceeded to the Mediterranean – 31 July, 1800, as Senior, to the Thames 32, Capts. Wm. Lukin and Aiskew Paffard Hollis, under the latter of whom (after having witnessed the capture of two privateers carrying between them 32 guns and 287 men, and of L’Aurore national corvette of 16 guns) he bore a part in Sir Jas. Saumarez’ action of 12 July, 1801, in the Gut of Gibraltar – in Oct. of the latter year, to the Princess Royal 98, bearing the flag of Sir E. Gower in the Channel – 31 Jan. 1804 (he had been for nearly two years on half-pay), to the command of the Conflict gun-brig in the North Sea – 22 May, 1804, to the Isis 50, flag-ship at Newfoundland of Sir E. Gower, who in 1806 authorized him to act as Magistrate and Surrogate for that island – and in July, 1807, to the Prince of Wales 98, bearing the flag of the late Lord Gambier. Being First of the latter
- ↑ The Duke was one of the refractory ships during the mutiny at Spithead.
