A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Otway, Robert Waller

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OTWAY, Bart., G C.B. (Admiral of the White, 1841. f-p., 36; h-p., 26.)

Sir Robert Waller Otway was born in April, 1772, and died suddenly 12 May, 1846. He was second son of Cooke Otway, Esq., of Castle Otway, co. Tipperary, an old officer of dragoons, by Elizabeth, daughter of Sam. Waller, Esq., of Lisbrian, in the same co., sister of Sir Robt. Waller, Bart., and niece of Sir Robt. Jocelyn, Bart., who, after filling the office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was created Baron Newport and Viscount Jocelyn. Sir Robt. Otway (whose family, a branch of the Otways of Middleton and Ingmire Hall, co. Westmoreland, had been seated in Ireland since the days of Cromwell) was brother (with Major Geo. Otway of the 85th Regt., who died at Jamaica in 1804) of Sir Loftus Wm. Otway, C.B., a Lieutenant-General in the Army and Colonel of the 84th Regt., and uncle of the late Hon. Robt. Otway Cave, M.P., and the present Commander Robt. Jocelyn Otway, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 15 April, 1784, as Midshipman, on borad the Elizabeth 74, Capt. Robt. Kingsmill, and after a servitude of three years in the Mediterranean on board the Phaeton frigate, and a further attachment, in the West Indies, to the Blonde, was made Lieutenant, 8 Aug. 1793, into the Falcon brig. Being appointed, next, to the Impregnable 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Benj. Caldwell, he was afforded an opportunity of participating in that ship in Lord Howe’s actions of 28 and 29 May and 1 June, 1794. On the last-mentioned occasion, although but a Junior Lieutenant, he contrived greatly to distinguish himself by his alacrity in going aloft, with the late Sir Chas. Dashwood, then a Midshipman, and lashing the foretopsail-yard, which had been shot in the slings, to the cap; by which means the ship was enabled to wear in pursuit of the enemy. So well pleased was the Rear-Admiral at the performance of this essential service, without which the topsail could not have been again set, that he returned him his thanks publicly on the quarter-deck; and, on shortly afterwards shifting his flag to the Majestic 74, took him with him as his First-Lieutenant – a post which, with a degree of modesty and good feeling highly creditable to him, Mr. Otway had declined filling on board the Impregnable, from a fear of creating jealousies, detrimental to the service, among his messmates, all of whom were senior to himself. His personal as well as his professional merit having thus strongly recommended him, he was in the course of the same year appointed by Rear-Admiral Caldwell, who had been directed to assume the control of naval affairs in the Leeward Islands, Commander of the Thorn sloop of 16 6-pounders. In that vessel Capt. Otway, in April, 1795, had the good fortune to capture La Belle Créole, a large schooner, sent by the notorious Victor Hugues, from Guadeloupe, to assist in carrying into execution a plan that had been concerted between himself and the disaffected inhabitants of St. Pierre, Martinique, for the burning of that town and the massacre of all those who were inimical to them. The detection thus afforded of the diabolical conspiracy was considered of such importance that the French Royalists united in presenting Capt. Otway with a gold-hilted sword, valued at 200 guineas. On 25 of the following month he fell in with, and after a spirited night action of 35 minutes, during which the enemy made two ineffectual attempts to board the Thorn, succeeded, much to his praise, in capturing, the French corvette Le Courrier National, of 18 guns (8 and 6 pounders) and 119 men, 7 of whom were killed and 20 wounded, with a loss to the British of their Commander and 5 out of 80 men wounded.^[1] During the Carib war in the island of St. Vincent, Capt. Otway was actively employed in co-operation with the army, particularly in an attack made upon Owia, which place was surprised and taken by the Thorn and a party of soldiers belonging to the 60th Regt. He afterwards landed his crew, and, in conjunction with a detachment of troops, stormed the strong post of Château Bellair, the loss of which obliged the enemy to retire into the interior of the country. His abilities and zeal having already attracted the attention of Sir John Laforey, the new Commander-in-Chief, Capt. Otway (who on the occasion last named had been slightly wounded, and had had 25 of his people killed and wounded) was by him promoted, 30 Oct. 1795, to a Post-vacancy in the Mermaid 32. While cruizing soon afterwards off Lebaye, in the island of Grenada, in company with the Favorite sloop, Capt. Jas. Athol Wood, he landed with a party of seamen and marines from both vessels, and, under the covering fire of the latter, stormed, carried, and levelled with the ground a battery which had been erected by the revolutionary enemy in a position for scouring the beach and intercepting all communication between the shipping and a body of English troops who lay pent up in a block-house. Not long after this affair several regiments arrived from England, and were disembarked in the neighbourhood of the same place; but scarcely had they commenced operations, when the appearance of two French vessels, having on board considerable reinforcements, induced the General in command of the British forces to decide upon immediately re-embarking. Perceiving, however, that the result of this measure would be the total loss of the island, Capt. Otway peremptorily refused his acquiescence in it, observing “that he had landed the troops at a great risk^[2] by the General’s desire, and that they must now fight it out, as he would not embark a man.” Having thus taken upon himself an awful amount of responsibility, he galloped up a height on which were posted some field-pieces under the command of an artillery officer, ordered their fire to be opened on the enemy’s vessels, and by that means compelled them to cut their cables and stand out to sea with the soldiers still on board. They were pursued with great promptitude by Capt. Wood, but escaped in consequence of the Favorite unfortunately losing her foretopmast. A general attack was then made by the British troops, led on by Brigadier-General Campbell, who charged the enemy on Pilot Hill, and gained a thorough victory. Thus to the resolution and intrepidity, and the judgment and exertions,^[3] of one man was Great Britain in the main indebted for the preservation of the island of Grenada. Capt. Otway’s next exploit was the defeat, 8 Aug. 1796, under the batteries of Basseterre, Guadeloupe, of La Vengeance, a French frigate mounting 52 guns, sent by Victor Hugues for the express purpose of either capturing or sinking the Mermaid. The action, which lasted upwards of three hours, although attended with no casualty whatever to the British, was productive of a loss to their opponent of at least 12 killed and 26 wounded; and so exasperated was Victor Hugues at its result, that, on the return of the beaten Vengeance to her anchorage, he broke the French Captain’s sword, and deprived some English prisoners at Basse-terre, who had cheered on witnessing the issue of the combat, of water for the space of 24 hours. In the month of April, 1797, the Mermaid, in company with the Hermione, Quebec, and Penelope frigates, had a smart affair with the forts at Jean Rebel, St. Domingo, and aided in a manner that obtained her Commander the thanks of his senior officer at the cutting out of 12 sail of merchantmen.^[4] Exchanging soon afterwards into the Ceres 32, Capt. Otway captured, in the boats of that frigate, La Mutine French privateer of 18 guns and 90 men, lying at anchor in a creek at Puerto Rico, and drove on shore and burnt another vessel of the same name and force. When in chase, in the early part of 1798, of a guarda-costa, the Ceres, with her consort the Trent 36, unfortunately took the ground near the Havana, a circumstance which enabled the hostile vessel to place herself in a very annoying posture. The advantage she had thus gained was however brief; for Capt. Otway, throwing himself into one of the boats sent by the squadron to their assistance, made instantly towards her, followed by five others, and in a few minutes boarded, carried, and burnt her. She mounted 6 long 24-pounders and 4 smaller guns, and bore the broad pendant of a Commodore of flotilla. The Ceres, being almost immediately afterwards got afloat, assisted in extricating the Trent, the command of which frigate, on the proximate death of her Captain, was bestowed upon the gallant subject of the present narrative, as a reward for the great exertions he had displayed in rescuing her from her perilous position. At the commencement of 1799 Capt. Otway landed on the south side of the island of Puerto Rico, and surprised a battery of 6 24-pounders, under the protection of which lay an enemy’s schooner, whose capture was in consequence secured. In the execution of this service he displayed his accustomed tact, and, although he had but 1 man killed, was under the necessity of putting 20 of the enemy to the sword. A few weeks subsequently, being in the same vicinity, in company with the Sparrow cutter, he discovered two French privateers, each mounting 18 guns, together with a Spanish brig of 10 guns and some coasting vessels, at anchor under a small battery within the Dead Man’s Chest. The enemy’s guns on shore were soon silenced by the Trent, and her boats sent under cover of the Sparrow to attack the vessels. On their approach each of the privateers hoisted the bloody (red) flag, as an indication that no quarter would be given; but notwithstanding this they resolutely pushed on, and; after a smart action carried the whole without losing a man, while the enemy had not less than 50 killed and wounded. In the following July Capt. Otway formed a plan for cutting out the late British frigate Hermione, whose crew had mutinied, and carried her, as reported, into the port of Laguira. For this purpose he left the Trent with two boata; and at one a.m. on the 8th, after a fatiguing row of many hours, entered the enemy’s anchorage, but, to his mortification, found that the object of his search was not there. Resolved, however, to effect something, he made a dash at a vessel, apparently a corvette, which his pilot informed him had lately arrived from Spain. Although knocked back, while in the act of boarding, by the discharge of a musket, whose contents passed close along his cheek, his determined spirit was not to be daunted; and in a few minutes he and his brave followers were in full possession of their trophy. By break of day they had succeeded in towing her clear of a heavy fire which had been opened upon her from the batteries; but, as the sun rose, a flotilla of gun-boats was observed coming out of the harbour in pursuit. As a dead calm had by this time set in, and as it was perfectly impossible to compete with a force so overwhelming, the only question that remained was as to how they should themselves avoid falling into the enemy’s hands. With that coolness and presence of mind which never forsook him, Capt. Otway instructed the Lieutenant who was with him, the late Sir Thos. Ussher, to place double sentinels over the prisoners, to point two of the guns (Spanish 12-pounders), treble-shotted, down the main hatchway, and upon the arrival of the flotilla within grape-range to fire them through the bottom. These directions were strictly followed, and on the approach of the enemy they found full employment in saving their countrymen from going down with the sinking vessel – the adventurous British being thereby suffered to accomplish their escape without further molestation. Capt. Otway continued to command the Trent until Sept. 1800, when he sailed for England with the flag of Sir Hyde Parker. During the six years that he had then served in the West Indies, he was supposed to have captured and destroyed 200 of the enemy’s privateeers and merchantmen, mounting in the whole upwards of 500 guns. He had, besides, assisted at the siege of Morne Fortune, in Ste. Lucie, and of Fort Matilda, in Guadeloupe. On his arrival home he resigned the command of the Trent for the purpose of assuming that of the Royal George 100, bearing the flag of his friend Sir Hyde Parker, with whom he soon removed into the London 98, and in March, 1801, sailed with the fleet destined to act against the northern confederacy. On the expedition reaching the Kattegat, a consultation, as is well known, was held between the Flag Officers, the Captain of the Fleet, and some of the Senior Captains, as to the best means of carrying its main object into effect; and it was decided that the advance should be made through the Belt. On this arrangement being brought to the knowledge of Capt. Otway he at once perceived the fatal difficulties that would result; he lost not a moment therefore in explaining his views to the Commander-in-Chief; and so manifest was his reasoning that immediate measures were taken for rectifying the error, and the plan adopted which was afterwards followed. Owing to the London not forming a part of the division engaged, Capt. Otway had but slender hopes, at the commencement of the battle, of being enabled to obtain any share in it. As the conflict, however, progressed, and the critical position of the squadron under Lord Nelson grew apparent, it became a subject of consideration between Sir Hyde Parker and the Captain of the Fleet whether or not the signal should be made for discontinuing the action. At this juncture Capt. Otway, by whom the step had been strongly opposed, was despatched in a boat to his Lordship in order to ascertain the state of affairs. Before he reached the Elephant the signal to leave off action was made; it was, however, disregarded by Nelson; and as Capt. Otway had verbal authority from Sir Hyde Parker that the battle should continue if he saw any probability of success, the action was maintained until the enemy announced his submission. Capt. Otway, we may add, remained on board the Elephant until that happy consummation of the struggle. On the following day he was deputed, at the suggestion of Lord Nelson, to perform a service of the utmost importance; one indeed of which he acquitted himself in a manner that redounded beyond measure to his character for judgment and ingenuity. The achievement we allude to was nothing less than that of procuring the surrender (after two other officers had failed in their attempts to effect it) of the Holstein, a 60-gun ship, which, although she had actually struck, the Danes refused to give up, upon the plea that the colours had been merely shot away in the action, and that, as a proof, her pendant still remained flying. This subterfuge Capt. Otway effectually removed by proceeding with a flag of truce on board the disputed ship, and enabling his coxswain, at a moment when the attention of the whole crew was directed towards himself, to ascend unperceived through the mainchains into the maintop, haul down the pendant, and convey it into his boat. Having thus far succeeded, and been referred by the Danish Captain (who, in ignorance of what had occurred, still persisted in the old excuse) to his Commodore, Capt. Otway forthwith repaired to that authority, who met him with the same objection, and was in the act of pointing in proof to the pendant, when, finding it to his astonishment gone, he was forced to acknowledge the ship a lawful prize, and to issue an order for its immediate delivery.^[5] Immediately after this Capt. Otway was sent home with Sir Hyde Parker’s despatches.^[6] He then rejoined the London in the Baltic, where he remained until appointed to the Edgar 74; which ship, after serving with the Channel fleet and visiting the West Indies, he paid off in July, 1802. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803 he was selected to command the Culloden 74; but ill health and a severe domestic calamity prevented him from joining her. While serving next in the Montagu 74, he assisted in blockading the enemy’s ports from Brest to the Dardanells; and was present, 22 Aug. 1805, in Admiral Hon. Wm. Cornwallis’ attack on the French fleet close in with Brest harbour, on which occasion the Montagu poured a destructive broadside into L’Alexandre 80. He also accompanied Sir Rich. Strachan to the West Indies in pursuit of a French squadron; conducted, in Feb. 1808, the evacuation of Scylla, a fortified rock in the Faro of Messina, the garrison of which was embarked under a smart fire from the Calabrian shore;^[7] and was for some time intrusted with the command of a squadron employed in co-operation with the patriots on the coast of Catalonia, where he received the thanks of the Junta of Gerona for the assistance afforded by him during the siege of that city, and for taking possession of the fortress of Rosas,^[8] by which measure the French troops were compelled to retire from Castalon, a town of some importance, situated five miles from the coast. Towards the close of 1808 he returned to England in the Malta 80; and in 1809 he again sailed for the Mediterranean with convoy in the Ajax 74. During the greater part of the following winter he cruized with a small squadron under his orders off the island of Sardinia, and made many captures. He was afterwards employed with the in-shore squadron at the blockade of Toulon; and on 20 July, 1810, while so stationed, he displayed a high degree of gallantry, and was in particular lauded for his promptitude and good judgment, in interposing the Ajax between the Shearwater brig and a pursuing French force, consisting of 6 sail of the line and 4 frigates, whom the bold front maintained by himself and his consorts, the Conqueror and Warspite 74’s and Euryalus frigate, induced to put back.^[9] On 31 March, 1811, we find him effecting, in company with the Unité frigate, the capture, off the island of Elba, of Le Dromédaire store-ship of 800 tons and 20 guns, laden with 15,000 shot and shells and 90 tons of gunpowder. His health being much impaired, Capt. Otway returned in the course of the same year to England in the Cumberland 74, and from that period remained on half-pay until May, 1813. Being then re-appointed to the Ajax, he at first joined the Channel fleet; in the following autumn he was employed in covering the siege of St. Sebastian; he made prize, 17 March, 1814, off Scilly, of L’Alcyon, a French corvette of 16 guns and 120 men;^[10] and he next convoyed a squadron of transports from Bordeaux to Quebec, having on board 5000 troops destined to reinforce the English army in Canada; where, it appears, he assisted in equipping the flotilla on Lake Champlain. Attaining Flag-rank 4 June, 1814, Rear-Admiral Otway was next, from 3 Aug. 1818 until 24 Nov. 1821, employed as Commander-in-Chief at Leith; prior to his relinquishment of which post he was presented with the freedom of the city of Edinburgh, and entertained at a public dinner given by the noblemen and gentlemen of the club in St. Andrew’s Square, as a testimony of their respect for his public and private character. At the commencement of 1826 he was offered, but declined, the chief command in the East Indies. In June of the same year, however, he accepted the chief command on the South American station, where he remained until the summer of 1829. On 22 July, 1830, Sir Robt. Otway (he had been nominated a K.C.B. 8 June, 1826) attained the rank of Vice-Admiral; and on 15 Sept. 1831 he was raised to the dignity of a Baronet. His last appointment was to the chief command at the Nore, which he held from 23 Feb. 1837 until July, 1840. His promotion to the rank of full Admiral took place 23 Nov. 1841; and his investiture with the G.C.B. 8 May, 1845. He had been presented, while on the South American station, with the insignia of the Brazilian Order of the Southern Cross. In Dec. 1830 and July, 1837, he was successively appointed a Groom of the Bedchamber to his late and her present Majesty.

Sir Hobt. Waller Otway during the term of his career afloat had been not less than one hundred times engaged with the enemies of his country. He married, 15 Aug. 1801, Clementina, daughter and co-heir of Admiral John Holloway, of Wells, co. Somerset, by whom he has left issue three sons (the eldest, the present Sir Geo. Graham Otway, a Captain R.N.) and six daughters. His eldest son, Robt. Waller Otway, a Commander R.N. (1839), was killed by a fall from his horse in Hyde Park in May, 1840; and his second, Chas. Cooke Otway, holding the same rank, was lost in command of the Victor sloop during a hurricane in the West Indies in Sept. 1842. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.

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1. Vide Gaz, 1795, p. 804.
2. The Pontsborn East-Indiaman was lost that night, in consequence of being detained after landing the soldiers embarked in her.
3. Vide Gaz. 1796, p. 719.
4. Vide Gaz. 1797, p. 517.
5. Clarke and McArthur, in their ‘Life of Nelson,’ and also Mr. Southey, have erroneously mentioned the Zealand as being the ship in dispute, and have, as mistakenly, attributed the recovery to the diplomatic dexterity of the immortal hero. The Danes, in their printed account of the battle, assert “that an officer with a flag of truce came the morning after and stole a seventy-four from them.”
6. Vide Gaz. 1801, p. 401.
7. Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 503.
8. Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 1322.
9. Vide Gaz. 1810, p. 1509.
10. Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 628.