1812237A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Lowe, JosephWilliam Richard O'Byrne

LOWE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 25; h-p., 13.)

Joseph Lowe died in 1845, in the Coast Guard. This officer entered the Navy, 14 March, 1807, as Clerk, on board the Sharpshooter 14, Lieut.-Commander John Goldie; of which vessel, successively employed on the Guernsey, Halifax, and Downs stations, he became Midshipman, in July, 1809, and Acting-Master in Nov. 1814. He continued in her until Sept. 1815, and, while so attached, was twice, in the course of 1808, engaged with the enemy’s gun-brigs and luggers in the vicinity of Granville – assisted, on one occasion, in saving a merchant-ship from destruction, a service for which Lloyds’ bestowed a reward of 800l. – was instrumental to the cutting-out, in 1810, of the Alcide of 4 guns, although lying under the protection of the enemy’s batteries – took part in other affairs of the same description – and was on board the Sharpshooter when sent home from New London with the duplicate despatches of the peace. In Nov. 1815, being at the time Midshipman of the Hope 10, Capt. Henry Fyge Jauncey, Mr. Lowe was presented with a commission bearing date 15 March in that year. With the exception of a few months in 1829, he served in the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies and Talavera 74’s, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Hugh Pigot, from 21 March, 1825, until the spring of 1831; and he was lastly, from 13 Dec. 1834 until the period of his death, employed in the Coast Guard. In 1829 he won the thanks of the Corporation of the City of London Insurance Office for saving the brig London Packet of London; he was nearly drowned, in Feb. 1830, in rendering assistance to the ship Huskisson when on shore in a heavy gale; and in the following Nov. he afforded every aid to the bewrecked crew and passengers of the Surprize of Plymouth. In 1831 we find his exertions towards the preservation of life obtaining him the thanks of the Royal Humane Society, the National Shipwreck Institution, and the French Government. Agents – Messrs. Chard.