Capt. Geo. Burlton, attached to the force in the North Sea. Becoming Master’s Mate, in the early part of 1809, of the Impérieuse 38, Capts. Lord Cochrane and Thos. Garth, he was intrusted by the former with the command of an explosion-vessel in his celebrated attack upon the French shipping in Aix Roads; and so much to the satisfaction of his Lordship and of the Commander-in-Chief did he conduct it that he received from the Admiralty the sum of 10l., accompanied by a promise of promotion. On the same occasion we find him setting fire to the Calcutta 56, and otherwise contributing to the destruction of the French fleet. Continuing in the Impérieuse until Jan. 1810, he assisted, during the expedition to the Walcheren, in silencing and destroying a 30-gun battery opposite to Flushing. He also aided in cutting out four gun-boats, together with a convoy under their protection, and took part in a variety of detached operations along the enemy’s coast. He afterwards, from Jan. 1810 until the close of 1813, served with Capt. Burlton on the Home and Mediterranean stations in the Resolution and Rodney 74’s, Ville de Paris 110, and Boyne 98. Of the Rodney he was created a Lieutenant 15 March, 1810. In 1814-15 he served in the Mediterranean and at Newfoundland in the Repulse 74 and Derwent 18, Capts. Moubray and Williams. He has since been on half-pay.
Subsequently to the peace Lieut. Rawlinson was employed under Lord Cochrane in South America. He married 8 Aug. 1818, and has issue five sons and four daughters. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
RAWSTORNE. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 25; h-p., 16.)
James Rawstorne (whose very respectable family, seated for centuries in Lancashire, is now represented by Colonel Lawrence Rawstorne, of Penwortham, in that co.) is second son of the late Capt. Jas. Rawstorne, who fought in the American and Peninsular wars, by a daughter of Capt. Gibson. Two of his brothers, Fleetwood and John George, are officers in the army – the latter a Captain in the 62nd regt. One of his aunts married the late Sir Michael Pilkington, Bart., and was the mother of the present Sir Wm. Pilkington, Bart., of Chevet Hall, co. York. His eldest sister is the wife of Retired Commander John Arnold, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 9 Oct. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Mutine 18, Capt. Hew Steuart, on the Channel station; removed, in April, 1807, to the San Josef 110, Capt. John Conn, lying at Plymouth; and from the following June until Sept. 1812 was employed as Midshipman, on the Home, Lisbon, and Mediterranean stations, in the Hibernia 120 and San Josef again, flag-ships of Sir Jas. Saumarez, Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, and Sir Chas. Cotton, and Blossom 18, Swiftsure 74, and Stately 64, all commanded by Capt. Wm. Stewart. Under Sir W. S. Smith, in the Hibernia, we find him, towards the close of 1807, witnessing the flight of the Royal House of Portugal to the Brazils; and, in the boats of the Blossom, contributing, in 1811, to the capture of the Medes Islands and to the destruction of an armed schooner and convoy at the mouth of the Rhone. After serving for about a month at Cadiz in the Revenge 74, flag-ship of Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge, Mr. Rawstorne joined, in Nov. 1812, the Superb 74, Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, bearing the flag afterwards of Hon. Henry Hotham, and proceeded to the coast of North America, where, in command of a tender, he succeeded, during the year 1814, in capturing several vessels laden with military stores. In July, 1815, at which period he had been for many weeks stationed in Basque Roads, he took up a commission bearing date 3 of the preceding March. His subsequent appointments were – 16 March, 1830, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye – 16 March, 1831, to the Coast Guard, in which service he continued upwards of seven years – 28 Aug. 1838, as First, to the Orestes 18, Capt. Peter Sampson Hambly, fitting for South America, whence he returned to England and was paid off at the close of 1841 – 1 Feb. 1842, in a similar capacity, to the Agincourt 72, which ship, bearing the flag of Sir Thos. John Cochrane in the East Indies, he left about the commencement of 1845 – 5 Dec. 1845, again as Senior, to the Trafalgar 120, Capt. John Neale Nott, attached to the Channel squadron – and, 6 July, 1845, as Additional, to the Victory 104, Capt. John Pasco, at Portsmouth. He was advanced to his present rank 9 Nov. 1846.
Commander Rawstorne married Harriet, daughter of Capt. Atkins, R.N. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
RAY. (Lieutenant, 1823. f-p., 34; h-p., 4.)
Joseph Ray entered the Navy, 13 Feb. 1809, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Victorious 74, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond and John Talbot, under the latter of whom we find him, when in company in the Adriatic with the Weasel 18, present as Midshipman, 21 Feb. 1812, in a most gallant conflict of two hours and a half [errata 1], which terminated in the capture, with a loss to the Victorious of 27 men killed and 99 (including himself) wounded, and to the enemy of 400 killed and wounded, of the French 74 Rivoli, whose consorts, 3 brigs and 2 gun-boats, were at the same time defeated.[1] Between the following Oct. and Dec. 1814 he served on the North American, West India, and Leith stations in the Woolwich 44, Capt. Thos. Ball Sulivan (under whom he was wrecked, on the north end of the island of Barbuda, in a violent hurricane, 6 Nov. 1813), Actaeon brig, Capt. Bertie Cornelius Cator, and Furious, Lieut.-Commander John Mundell. During the war of a Hundred Days he cruised off the coast of France in the Liffey 50, Capt. John Hancock; and from Feb. 1816 until Oct. 1823 he was employed on the Mediterranean, Home, South American, and African stations, in the Tagus 38, Capt. Jas. Whitley Deans Dundas, Erne 20, Capt. Rich. Spencer, Superb 74, Capt. Chas. Ekins, Severn 40, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, Brisk sloop, Capt. John Wm. Montagu, and Owen Glendower 42, Capts. Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer and John Filmore. On 22 of the month last mentioned (having acted for some time as Lieutenant of the Owen Glendower) he was confirmed in the rank he now holds. With the exception of a few months in 1837, he held an appointment in the Coast Guard from 11 Nov. 1826 until March, 1840; he then obtained command of the Eagle Revenue-vessel; and since 30 March, 1846, he has been officiating as Admiralty Agent on board a contract mail steam-vessel. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
RAYLEY. (Commander, 1813. f-p., 19; h-p., 35.)
Charles Rayley entered the Navy, 2 Oct. 1793, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Resolution 74 Capt. Jas. Cumming, stationed in the Channel and on removing to the Audacious 74, Capts. Wm. Parker and Alex. Hood, fought as Midshipman of the mizen-top in Lord Howe’s action 28 May, 1794, on which occasion the Audacious won distinction by her gallant defeat of the French 110-gun ship Révolutionnaire, after a close and furious engagement of nearly two hours. In Oct. of the same year, Capt. Parker having been promoted to Flag-rank and appointed Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica, Mr. Rayley rejoined him on board the Raisonnable 64, and sailed for the West Indies, where, in Dec. 1795, he followed him into the Swiftsure 74. In that ship he was severely wounded in the right leg under the batteries of Port Paix, St. Domingo. After serving for a short time with Commodore Sir Robt. Calder in the Ville de Paris 110, and again with Admiral Parker, on the Lisbon, Mediterranean, and Halifax stations, in the Blenheim 98, St. George 98, and America 64, he was nominated, 17 Sept. 1800, Acting-Lieutenant of the
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 887.
