Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/177

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Rawson
167
Rawson

of the American Philosophical Society. His health failed two years before his death, which took place suddenly from syncope on 6 Oct. 1902. He was buried in Holywell cemetery at Oxford. A portrait by his son-in-law, Wilson Forster, was presented to Trinity College, Oxford, in 1899.

Rawlinson married in 1846 Louisa, second daughter of Sir Robert Alexander Chermside [q. v.], and had issue four sons and five daughters.

Besides the works already mentioned, large contributions to Dr. Smith's 'Dictionary of the Bible,' pamphlets among 'Present Day Tracts,' and numerous sermons, Rawlinson published: 1. 'A Manual of Ancient History from the earliest times to the Fall of the Western Empire,' 1869. 2. 'Historical Illustrations of the Old Testament,' 1871. 3 and 4 (for the R.T.S.): 'The Origin of Nations,' 1877; 'The Religions of the Ancient World,' 1882. 5. 'St. Paul in Damascus and Arabia,' 1877. 6. 'Egypt and Babylon from Scripture and profane sources,' 1885. 7, 8, 9 (for the 'Story of the Nations' series): 'Parthia,' 1885; 'Phoenicia,' 1885; 'Ancient Egypt,' 1887. 10. 'A Sketch of Universal History,' 1887. 11. 'Biblical Topography,' 1887. 12, 13, 14 (for the ’Men of the Bible' series): 'Moses, his Life and Times,' 1887; 'Kings of Israel and Judah,' 1890; 'Isaac and Jacob, their Lives and Times,' 1890. 15. Large contributions to the 'Pulpit Commentary.' 16. The article on 'Herodotus' in the 9th edition of the 'Encyclopædia Britannica.'

[The Times, 7 Oct. 1902; Athenæum, 11 Oct. 1902; Men and Women of the Time, 1899; Crockford's Clerical Directory.]

R. B.


RAWSON, Sir HARRY HOLDSWORTH (1843–1910), admiral, second son of Christopher Rawson of Woolwich, J.P. for Surrey, was born at Walton-on-the-Hill, Lancashire, on 5 Nov. 1843. He was at Marlborough College from Feb. 1854; to Christmas 1855. Entering the navy on 9 April 1857, he was appointed to the Calcutta, flagship of Sir Michael Seymour [q. v.] on the China station. He served through the second Chinese war, being present in the Calcutta's launch at the capture of the Taku forts in 1858, and in 1860 was landed as aide-de-camp to Captain R. Dew of the Encounter, with whom he was present at the second capture of the Taku forts, at the battle of Palikao, and at the taking of Peking. He saw much further active service against the Chinese rebels; for the capture of Ning-po, which place he afterwards held for three months against the rebels with 1300 Chinese under his command, and for Fungwha, where he was severely wounded, he was mentioned in despatches. He also was thanked on the quarter-deck for jumping overboard at night in the Shanghai river to save life. On 9 April 1863 he was promoted to sub-lieutenant, and a month later to lieutenant. In the same year he was one of the officers who took out to Japan the gunboat Empress, a present from Queen Victoria to the Mikado and the first ship of the modern Japanese navy. Rawson then qualified as a gunnery lieutenant, and after serving a commission as first lieutenant of the Bellerophon in the Channel, was appointed in Jan. 1870 to the Royal yacht, whence on 7 Sept. 1871 he was promoted to commander. In Aug. 1871 he gained the silver medal of the Royal Humane Society for saving life at Antwerp. As commander he served two commissions in the Hercules, in the Channel and in the Mediterranean, and on 4 June 1877 was promoted to captain. In Nov. following he was appointed to the Minotaur as flag-captain to Lord John Hay, commanding the Channel squadron ; and, going to the Mediterranean in 1878, he received the thanks of the Admiralty for a report on the capabilities of defence of the Suez Canal, hoisted the British flag at Nicosia, Cypus, and was for a month commandant there. Following this service he was again flag-captain in the Channel squadron until March 1882, and then was appointed to the Thaha for the Egyptian campaign, during which he served as principal transport officer. He was awarded the medal, the Khedive's star, the third class of the Osmanieh, and the C.B. From Feb. 1883 to Sept. 1885 he was again flag-captain to Lord John Hay, then commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, and in Oct. 1885 became captain of the steam reserve at Devonport, where he remained till 1889. He was a member of the signal committee of 1886, was captain of the battleship Benbow in the Mediterranean from 1889 to 1891, and was an aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria from Aug. 1890 until promoted to flag rank on 14 Feb. 1892.

Rawson was a member of the inter-national code signals committee from 1892 to 1895, in 1893 was one of the umpires for the naval manœuvres, and in May 1895 was appointed commander-in-chief on the Cape of Good Hope and west coast of Africa station, with his flag in the St. George. He held this command until May 1898, and