Sir Chas. Rowley, Commanders-in-Chief at the Nore. We may here mention that while serving in the Cossack Mr. Rivers was frequently employed in a boat for the purpose of intercepting such vessels as might be passing with troops through the Little Belt. He was for four months engaged in her as First-Lieutenant in watching the enemy’s movements at Brest; and he co-operated for some time with the British army on the coast of Spain, whence the Cossack brought home the present Marquess of Anglesey and the despatches announcing the defeat and death of General Moore at Corunna. During the last six months of 1814 Mr. Rivers performed the duties of Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Thos. Williams in the Namur, in which ship and in the Bulwark he afterwards, until paid off in April, 1818, officiated as First-Lieutenant. He was the only First-Lieutenant, be it observed, of a guard-ship bearing the flag of a Commander-in-Chief who was not promoted at the conclusion of the war. After many fruitless applications for employment, he obtained, in Nov. 1824, the appointment of Warden at Woolwich Dockyard, where he continued until admitted, 28 April, 1826, into the Royal Hospital at Greenwich.
Lieut. Rivers married, 9 JiJy, 1809, a niece of Joseph Gibson, Esq., of Long Bennington, co. Lincoln, by whom he has issue two sons (one of them, William Thomas, a Lieutenant R.N.) and six daughters.
RIVERS. (Lieut., 1841. f-p., 18; h-p., 0.)
William Thomas Rivers, born 3 April, 1814, at Sheerness, is son of Lieut. Wm. Rivers, R.N. He was educated at Christ’s Hospital, and was presented on leaving with a watch and two medals.
This officer entered the Navy, 29 May, 1829, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Basilisk 10, Lieut.- Commanders Wm. Barber Watts and Wright, with whom he served in the North Sea and on the northern coast of England until paid off in Feb. 1831 – the last nine months in the capacity of Midshipman. During that period he miraculously saved a seaman who had fallen overboard in the river Thames, and a whole boat’s crew who had been upset in North Shields harbour. In June, 1831, he joined the Alfred 50, Capt. Robt. Maunsell, on the Mediterranean station; where, after having witnessed the establishment of King Otho on the throne of Greece and been for some time employed in watching the movements of the hostile fleets of Turkey and Egypt, he was discharged, in July, 1834, into the Spitfire steamer, Lieut.-Commander Andrew Kennedy. When subsequently in the West Indies he twice proved instrumental to the preservation of that vessel from destruction by fire; on one occasion he crawled under the boilers with the engine-hose and extinguished the flames round the mast. During a hurricane which had blown the Spitfire out of Carlisle Bay, Barbadoes, Mr. Rivers again had the good fortune of snatching from a watery grave a boat’s crew who had been likewise driven to sea. After serving for about two years in the West Indies as Mate of the Vestal 26, Capt. Wm. Jones, under vhom he contributed to the capture of four slave-vessels, he joined, in Nov. 1837, the Calliope 26, Capt. Thos. Herbert, fitting for the South American station, whence he proceeded to China. During the hostilities in that part of the world he assisted in a very creditable manner in the boats at the capture of the enemy’s forts at Chuenpee,[1] and served in the boats and on shore, and was wounded, during the operations connected with the first and second capture of Canton.[2] As a reward for his conduct he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 8 June, 1841. Prior to the receipt of his commission he had followed Capt. Herbert into the Blenheim 72. He then became First of the Sulphur 8, Capt. Edw. Belcher; and was subsequently appointed – 15 Sept. 1841, as Additional, to the Illustrious 72, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Adam in North America and the West Indies – 15 Sept. 1842, as First, to the Imaum 72, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Henry Dilkes Byng at Jamaica, where the exertions he displayed in rescuing under very perilous circumstances the stores from the wreck of H.M. steamer Megaera procured him the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief – 23 March, 1843, in the capacity last mentioned, to the Albatross 16, Capt. Reginald Yorke, employed on the West India and African stations – and 12 Nov. 1846 (a few months after the latter vessel had been paid off), to the command, which he retained until 1848, of the Nautilus 10, in the Channel.
ROBB. (Captain, 1841.)
John Robb entered the Navy 8 July, 1812; passed his examination in 1819; and while attached to the Naiad 46, Capt. Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer, contributed in her boats to the brilliant destruction, on the night of 23 May, 1824, of a 16-gun brig moored in a position of extraordinary strength alongside the walls of the fortress of Bona, in which was a garrison of about 400 men, who from cannon and musket kept up a tremendous fire almost perpendicularly on the deck. Being made Lieutenant, 16 March, 1827, into the Asia 84, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Codrington in the Mediterranean, he commanded a tender belonging to that ship (the Hind cutter) at the battle of Navarin, where the services he rendered had the effect of procuring him a second promotal commission dated 1 May, 1829. From 24 Oct. 1836 until posted, on his return to England, 22 Feb. 1841, he commanded the Satellite 18, on the North America and West India station. Since 12 Dec. 1845 he has been employed in the Channel and Mediterranean in the Gladiator steam-vessel of 430-horse power.
In Feb. 1845 Capt. Robb was sent out, in conjunction with Capts. Henry John Codrington and Jas. Crawford Caffin, in the Black Eagle, on an experimental cruize with the royal steam-yacht Victoria and Albert and Rattler (screw) steamer, for the purpose of reporting on the capabilities of those vessels.
ROBERTON. (Lieutenant, 1843.)
John Sherbrooke Roberton died in 1847.
This officer entered the Navy 24 April, 1830; passed his examination 17 Oct. 1836; and from 1840 until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 1 Nov. 1843, was employed in the Mediterranean, in attendance on the Queen off Walmer, and at the Cape of Good Hope, as Mate, in the Thunderer 84, Capts. Maurice Fred. Fitzhardinge Berkeley and Dan. Pring. He was nominated, 26 Jan. 1844, Additional of the Cornwallis 72, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker in the East Indies; and from 30 July following until the close of 1846 he served on that station in the Samarang surveying-vessel, Capt. Sir Edw. Belcher.
ROBERTS. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 14; h-p., 32.)
Benjamin Roberts – a descendant of Benj. Roberts, ancestor of the Robertses, late Earls of Radnor – is son of Benj. Roberts, Esq., an officer in the Army; and grandson of the Rev. Sam. Roberts, of Salisbury, who married an heiress, Miss Helby, niece of Sir Jacob Acworth, who filled the office of Surveyor of the Navy from March, 1715, to March, 1749. His father’s only sister was the wife of the late Henry Lee, Esq., of Dynas Powis, a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for Glamorganshire, whose grandfather, Henry Lee, Esq., Mayor of Hull, married Catherine Freeman, great-grand-aunt of Lord Brougham. Several members of his family have been devoted to the service of their country.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 Feb. 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Madras 54, Capts. Chas. Hare and Thos. Briggs, employed in the North Sea and also in the Mediterranean; where, after participating under the flag of Sir Rich. Bickerton in the operations connected with the expulsion of the French from Egypt, he removed as Midshipman in Feb. 1802, to the Tigre 74, Capts. Robt. Jackson
