Sir Josias Rowley | |
|---|---|
_-_Admiral_Sir_Josias_Rowley_(1765%25E2%2580%25931842)_-_BHC2986_-_Royal_Museums_Greenwich.jpg) Admiral Sir Josias Rowley painted byAndrew Morton | |
| Born | 1765 (1765) Ireland |
| Died | 10 January 1842(1842-01-10) (aged 76–77) Drumsna, Co.Leitrim, Ireland |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | HMS Lark HMSBraave HMSImpérieuse HMSRaisonnable HMSBoadicea HMSAmerica Cape of Good Hope Station Cork Station Mediterranean Fleet |
| Conflicts | Napoleonic Wars |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight of theMilitary Order of Maria Theresa[1] |
AdmiralSir Josias Rowley, 1st Baronet,GCB, GCMG (1765 – 10 January 1842) was aRoyal Navy officer and politician who served in theFrench Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Rowley was born in 1765 the second son ofClotworthy Rowley and Letitia (née Campbell), of Mountcampbell,Drumsna,County Leitrim, in the West ofIreland. His father was aBarrister and MP forDownpatrick in theIrish Parliament. His paternal grandfather wasAdmiral of the FleetSir William Rowley, KCB. He had at least one brother William, MP forKinsale andRecorder of Kinsale.[2]
He joined theRoyal Navy in 1778, age 13, onHMSSuffolk in theWest Indies, under the command of his uncle, SirJoshua Rowley.[3][4]
Promoted topost captain in 1795, age 30, he commandedHMSBraave (40 guns) at theCape of Good Hope and thenHMS Imperieuse (38 guns) in theEast Indies.[3] He also commandedHMS Raisonnable (64 guns) and took part in theBattle of Cape Finisterre in 1805.[3] In 1798 he became the Member of theIrish House of Commons forDownpatrick.[3]
In 1808 he became commander-in-chief,Cape of Good Hope Station.[5] In 1809, ascommodore of a small squadron offMauritius, working with the commander of theEast India Company troops atRodrigues, he successfully raided the island ofRéunion.[3]
In March 1810 he moved intoHMS Boadicea (38 guns) and transported a larger landing party to Réunion and captured the island.[3] Meanwhile, a force led by CaptainSamuel Pym RN was being out-flanked by Frenchfrigates attackingGrand Port, Mauritius.[3]HMSAfricaine was captured by the French frigatesIphigénie andAstréein the engagement.[3] Rowley then re-capturedAfricaine the same day.[3] Vice-AdmiralAlbemarle Bertie arrived on 29 November and took the surrender of Mauritius on 3 December 1810.[3]
Rowley was then given command ofHMS America (74 guns) in theMediterranean. He was created a baronet in December 1813, promotedrear-admiral in 1814 and appointedKCB in 1815.[3]
In the summer of 1815, age 50, with his flagshipImpregnable (98 guns), underLord Exmouth he sailed once more to the Mediterranean.[3] In 1818 he was appointed commander-in-chief on theCork Station. In 1821 he becameMP forKinsale, County Cork.[3] Promoted tovice-admiral in 1825, he was madecommander-in-chief, Mediterranean Fleet in 1833.[3]
He died on 10 January 1842, about age 76, in the Mount Campbell family estate atDrumsna inCounty Leitrim. He was buried and commemorated at the nearby Annaduff Parish Church. He was unmarried, without heir to his titles. He was survived by his younger brothersVice Admiral Samuel Rowley (also commemorated within Annaduff Parish Church) and The Reverend John Rowley, incumbent rector atVirginia inCounty Cavan. The eldest brother William,Recorder of Kinsale, had died in 1812.
The 1809-1810 campaign was used by authorPatrick O'Brian as the setting for the fourth in the series ofAubrey–Maturin series books,The Mauritius Command. The fictional Captain Jack Aubrey takes the place of Rowley in the novel.
| Parliament of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forDownpatrick 1798 –1801 With:Clotworthy Rowley | Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Kinsale 1821 –1826 | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station 1808 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, Cork Station 1818–1821 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet 1833–1837 | Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of the Navy) 1813 – 1842 | Extinct |
| Preceded by |  Rowley baronets of the Navy 2 November 1813 | Succeeded by |
