were – 7 Jan. 1811, to the Venerable 74, lying at Spithead – 14 Feb. following, to the Laurel 38, in which ship, after visiting St. Helena, he was wrecked on the Govivas Rock, in the Teigneuse Passage, 31 Jan. 1812[1] – 24 March, 1815, for nine months, to the Impregnable 104, bearing the flag of his brother, Sir Josias Rowley, on the coast of France and in the Mediterranean – 28 Sept. 1818, to the Spencer 76, flag-ship of the same officer at Cork, where he remained for three years – and 15 Sept. 1830, to the Wellesley 74, employed on particular service. He paid the latter ship off early in 1832, and attained Flag-rank 10 Jan. 1837.
Rear-Admiral Rowley, a Magistrate for co. Leitrim, was presented, in 1819, with the freedom of the city of Cork in a silver box. He married first, 16 Sept. 1805, Mary, daughter of ___ Thompson, Esq., of White Park, co. Fermanagh; and, that lady dying in 1821, secondly, 4 Nov. 1830, Mary Frances, only daughter of Edm. Cronyn, Esq., of Newton, co. Kilkenny.
ROYER. (Lieutenant, 1841.)
Alfred Royer passed his examination in 1834; and for his services on the coast of China was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 8 June 1841. His appointments have since been – 7 Sept. 1841, to the Belvidera 38, Capt. Hon. Geo. Grey, stationed in the Mediterranean, whence he returned home and was paid off in the early part of 1845 – and, 21 March, 1846, as First, to the Favorite 14, Capt. Alex. Murray, now on the coast of Africa. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
ROYER. (Retired Commander, 1838. f-p., 17; h-p., 36.)
Charles Royer entered the Navy, in the spring of 1794, as A.B., on board the Swiftsure 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Wm. Parker in the West Indies. He was afterwards, while serving in the same ship under Capt. Benj. Hallowell, most actively employed in the Mediterranean, where he fought at the battle of the Nile, took part as Midshipman in many important operations on the coast of Italy, and was present, 24 June, 1801, in a desperate engagement of more than an hour’s duration, which reduced the Swiftsure to a wreck and rendered her a prize to a French squadron of four sail of the line under Rear-Admiral Ganteaume. Joining next, as Master’s Mate, the Camelion brig, Capt. Thos. Staines, he assisted in the boats of that ship at the capture of several armed feluccas near Tarragona. He served subsequently in the Kent 74 and Victory 100, flag-ships of Sir Rich. Bickerton and Lord Nelson, both in the Mediterranean; where he was made Lieutenant, 19 Nov. 1804, into the Madras 54, Capt. Chas. Marsh Schomberg, and where, from Aug. 1805 until paid off in Aug. 1809, he served in the Ambuscade 32, Capt. Wm. D’Urban. His last appointment was, in May, 1810, to the Astraea of 42 guns and 271 men, commanded by his former Captain, Schomberg; under whom, while cruizing, 20 May, 1811, off Madagascar, in company with the Phoebe and Galatea frigates, similar in force to the Astraea, and 18-gun brig Racehorse, he assisted after a long and warmly-contested action with the French 40-gun frigates Rénommée, Clorinde and Néréide and a loss to the Astraea of 2 killed and 16 wounded, at the capture of the Rénommée. On the surrender of the latter ship he was sent in a sinking boat, accompanied by Lieut. John Drury, R.M., and 5 seamen, to take possession of her. His conduct while on board, we are officially informed, reflected much credit upon him.[2] He left the Astraea in Oct. 1811, and accepted his present rank 22 Feb. 1838.
For injuries sustained in the Ambuscade in 1806, Commander Royer was presented with a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, and awarded, 4 Nov. 1809, a pension of 45l. 12s. per annum. He is Harbour-Master at Port Louis, Mauritius. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
ROYSE. (Lieut., 1829. f-p., 23; h-p., 5.)
William Royse, born in 1804, is youngest son of the late Nicholas Foorde Royse, Esq., of Nantenan, co. Limerick, by Mary, eldest daughter of Capt. Croker, of Grange Hill, in the same co. His eldest brother, Thos. Royse, Esq., now of Nantenan, is a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant, and in 1816 served as High-Sheriff for co. Limerick.
This officer entered the Navy, 15 April, 1819, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Active 46, Capt. Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon, with whom he served in the Mediterranean and on the coast of North America until the close of 1821. He was subsequently for seven years employed as Midshipman and Mate (he passed his examination in 1826) in the Espiègle 18, Capt. Henry Theodosius Browne Collier, Ariadne 28, Capt. Isham Fleming Chapman, Prince Regent 120, flag-ship of Sir Robt. Moorsom, and Dartmouth 42, Capt. Sir Thos. Fellowes, on the Cape of Good Hope, Home, and Mediterranean stations. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 19 June, 1829, and during part of the same and of the following year was employed in that capacity, also in the Mediterranean, in the Wolf 18, Capt. Geo. Hayes. He left the latter vessel in March, 1830, and since 16 Jan. 1834 has been in charge of a station in the Coast Guard.
Lieut. Royse married, 4 Dec. 1834, Fanny, second daughter of Vice-Admiral Sir Thos. Harvey, K.G.B., who died Commander-in-Chief in North America and the West Indies 28 May, 1841.
RUBIDGE. (Retired Commander, 1841. f-p., 18; h-p., 33.)
Charles Rubidge entered the Navy, 16 Oct. 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Arrow sloop, Capt. Nathaniel Portlock, and during the 13 following months was employed in the Channel. From March, 1800, until Oct. 1802, he served on the Home, Mediterranean, and West India stations in the Ceres and Transfer, both commanded by Capt. John Nicholas, and Ceres again, Capts. Wm. Russell and Chas. Jones. In the Transfer he accompanied the expedition to Egypt in 1801. After he had been for three years attached, in the Mediterranean, Channel, and North Sea, to the William store-ship, Master-Commander Thos. Brown, and Agincourt 64 and Orpheus 32, both commanded by Capt. Thos. Briggs, he was nominated, 14 March, 1806, Sub-Lieutenant of the Censor, Lieut.-Commander Joshua Latimer Rowe. During the afterpart of the war he served in the Regulus 44, flagship off Guernsey of Sir Edm. Nagle, Aetna. bomb, Capts. Wm. Godfrey, Paul Lawless, John Bowker, and John Fordyce Maples, and in command of the Hardy and Bloodhound gun-brigs. The Aetna assisted at the bombardment of Copenhagen and the siege of Flushing; and the Hardy co-operated in the defence of Cadiz. The Bloodhound was employed on the coasts of North America and England. Lieut. Rubidge accepted his present rank 12 Oct. 1841.
He is Registrar of Peterborough, Upper Canada. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
RUBIDGE. (Retired Commander, 1845. f-p., 14; h-p., 34.)
Robert Henry Rubidge entered the Navy, 10 Dec. 1799, as A.B., on board the Hermes sloop, Capts. David Gilmour and Jas. Watson, under whom he was for two years and four months employed, part of the time as Midshipman, in escorting convoys from the Nore to Cuxhaven, Elsineur, and Leith. Joining then the Glatton 50, Capts. Nathaniel Portlock and Jas. Colnett, he made a voyage, via the Cape of Good Hope, to New South Wales, whence, in 1803, he returned to England round
