on the eve of accompanying the expedition against Copenhagen. During the siege of that place Mr. Rowe was sent in-shore in command of the Charles armed transport, for the purpose of covering the debarkation of the troops. While he was thus engaged a shell from one of the enemy’s mortar-boats fell into the magazine of the vessel, and she was at once blown up. This took place 31 Aug. 1807; and on the occasion Mr. Rowe (who was dragged by the hair into a boat belonging to the Thunder bomb, after he had sunk below the surface of the water) had his leg shattered above the knee, his collar-bone broken, his body dreadfully lacerated, and his head and face so violently contused that he was for some time bereft of sight.[1] In consideration of his sufferings (his leg received immediate amputation) he was presented by the Patriotic Society with the sum of 200l., and awarded, 11 Jan. 1808, a pension, increased in Dec. 1815 to 200l. per annum. In 1809 he was sent in the Rosamond sloop, Capt. Benj. Caldwell, to the West Indies, where, on 19 Dec. in the same year, he was nominated by Sir Alex. Cochrane Acting-Commander of the St. Christopher sloop. To that vessel, after he had assisted at the reduction of Guadeloupe, he was confirmed by commission dated 2 May, 1810. He returned in the following summer to England with despatches in the Asp 16; and on 10 Sept. 1840 he accepted his present rank.
Capt. Rowe is the author of two poetical works, entitled ‘Sacred Beauties’ and ‘The Rainbow of the Mind.’ He married, in 1809, Joanna, youngest daughter of Thos. Crew, Esq., of Cheshire, by whom he has issue two sons and two daughters.
ROWE. (Lieutenant, 1826.)
Hugh Thomas Rowe entered the Navy 29 Aug. 1806; passed his examination in 1817; obtained his commission 14 April, 1826; and in 1828-9 was employed on the coast of Africa in the Medina 20, Capts. Wm. Benj. Suckling and Edw. Webb. He has since been on half-pay.
ROWE. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 12; h-p., 32.)
James Rowe entered the Navy, in 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Wm. Henry Ricketts, bearing the flag of Hon. Wm. Cornwallis in the Channel. In Sept. 1805 he became Midshipman, at Plymouth, of the Généreux 74; and from March, 1806, until Jan. 1813, he served on the West India, Mediterranean, and Home stations, the latter part of the time in the capacity of Master’s Mate, in the Belleisle and Northumberland 74’s, Capts. Wm. Hargood and Hon. Henry Hotham. In the Belleisle he witnessed the destruction of the French 74-gun ship L’Impétueux, near Cape Henry, 14 Sept. 1806; and in the Northumberland, while cruizing off L’Orient in company with the Growler gun-brig, he assisted at the gallant destruction, 22 May, 1812, of the French 40-gun frigates L’Arienne and L’Andromaque, and 16-gun brig Mamelouck, whose united fire, conjointly with that of a heavy battery, killed 5 and wounded 28 of the Northumberland’s people. After he had been for a short time borne on the books of the Royal William, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Sir Edw. Thornbrough, he joined, in April, 1813, the Wolfe 24, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo on Lake Ontario, where he continued employed in the Star brig, Capts. Fras. Brockill Spilsbury and Chas. Anthony, until taken prisoner, 31 May, 1814, in an unsuccessful boat-attack made under Capt. Stephen Popham upon the enemy’s flotilla at Sandy Creek. Since he returned to England he has been on half-pay. His commission bears date 16 Aug. 1814.[2] Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
ROWLANDS. (Lieut., 1813. f-p., 10; h-p., 32.)
John Samuel Rowlands, born 18 July, 1789, at Chester, is eldest son of the late Griffith Rowlands, Esq., who practised, for forty years as a Surgeon in that city, and acquired considerable reputation. His brother, Richard, served in the 22nd Regt., and died Barrack-Master at Dominica.
This officer entered the Navy, in Oct. 1805, on board the Raisonnable 64, Capt. Josias Rowley, part of the force employed at the ensuing reduction of the Cape of Good Hope. After the surrender of that colony he returned to England as Midshipman in the prize-frigate Volontaire, Capt. Hon. Josceline Percy; and on his arrival was received, 2 July, 1806, on board the Royal William, Capt. Hon. Courtenay Boyle. Becoming attached, 4 Aug. in the same year, to the Colossus 74, Capts. Jas. Nicoll Morris and Thos. Alexander, he partook in that ship of much general service, was frequently in pursuit of the enemy, and was stationed for nine months off Cape Finisterre, and for nine off Toulon. In the early part of 1809 he was ordered a passage home in the Impérieuse 38, Capt. Lord Cochrane, for the purpose of joining the Amazon 38, Capt. Wm. Parker, under whom he was for a long time most actively employed in co-operation with the patriots on the north coast of Spain, where he came repeatedly into action with the enemy’s batteries. He continued in the Amazon as Master’s Mate – cruizing latterly in the Bay of Biscay – until Feb. 1812. He then joined the Salvador del Mundo, Capt. Nash, lying at Plymouth; and in the_ ensuing spring, having passed his examination, again sailed, in the Medusa 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, for the north coast of Spain. On the night of 4 June, 1812, we find him assisting in the boats under Lieut. Josiah Thompson at the capture and destruction, in the harbour of Arcasson, of La Dorade French store-ship of 14 guns and 86 men, after a desperate struggle, in which the British had 5 men wounded, and the assailed, who had hailed the latter in their approach, and were in every way prepared for the attack, 63 killed and drowned. On this occasion Mr. Rowlands steered the barge, the first boat up, alongside the enemy’s vessel. He was subsequently present in the attacks upon Guetaria and Santander. At the latter place he landed with a party of seamen, marines, and artillery under Lieut. Chas. Henry Crooke on the rock opposite to the castle, which was for three days successively cannonaded. While on the Spanish coast he was otherwise actively employed. On the return home of the Medusa with despatches from Lord Wellington he proceeded, in the Niemen 38, Capt. Sam. Pym, to join on promotion the Impétueux 74, bearing the flag at Lisbon of Vice-Admiral Geo. Martin. In the boats of that ship he was on more than one occasion sent with the troops up the river Tagus to Villa Franca. On 29 March, 1813, he was confirmed a Lieutenant (25 days after he had been ordered to act as such) in the Jasper 10, Capt. Henry Jenkinson, also on the Lisbon station. He invalided 4 Feb. 1814, and was lastly, from 23 July in the same year until 1 Dec. 1815, employed on board the Martial 12, commanded by Capt. Henry Forbes, for a short time by himself, and by Capt. Jas. Leach. While in personal charge of the sloop Mr. Rowlands captured two smugglers in the English Channel. He afterwards, under Capt. Leach, visited the West Indies, was sent in a prize slaver to Nassau, and cruized off Cherbourg prior to the surrender of Napoleon Buonaparte. Since he left the Martial he has been on half-pay.
ROWLATT. (Commander, 1847.)
William Rowlatt entered the Navy 18 March, 1824; passed his examination in 1830; and obtained his first commission 27 Dec. 1838. His succeeding appointments were – 31 Aug. 1839, as Additional-Lieutenant, to the Niagara 20, Capt. Williams Sandom, on the lakes of Canada, whence he returned in 1842 – 20 Feb. 1843, to the post of Agent on board the Senator emigration transport – 16 Oct. 1845, again as Additional, to the Penelope steam-frigate, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Wm. Jones on the coast of Africa – and 19
