Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/367

 on 6 July [see ]. In March 1780, on the arrival of Sir George Rodney to command the station, Rowley shifted his flag to the Conqueror, in which ship he commanded the rear in the action off Martinique on 17 April, and the van in the encounter of 15–19 May [see ]. Rowley was afterwards sent to Jamaica with ten ships of the line to reinforce Sir Peter Parker (1721–1811) [q. v.], to provide for the safety of the island, and a convoy for the homeward-bound trade. In 1782 he succeeded to the command of the Jamaica station, where he remained till the peace. Of his judgment in this office Lord Hood, who wrote somewhat contemptuously of him as ‘our friend Jos,’ formed a poor opinion (Letters of Sir Samuel Hood, Navy Records Soc., pp. 146–7). Rowley had the reputation of being a good and brave officer; but he had no opportunity for distinction during his command, and after his return to England in 1783 he had no further service. On 10 June 1786 he was created a baronet, and on 24 Sept. 1787 was promoted to be vice-admiral of the white. He died at his seat, Tendring Hall in Suffolk, on 26 Feb. 1790.

He married, in 1759, Sarah, daughter of Bartholomew Burton, deputy-governor of the Bank, and by her had a large family. His eldest son, William, who succeeded to the baronetcy, was sheriff of Suffolk in 1791, M.P. for Suffolk 1812–30, and died in 1832. His second son, Bartholomew Samuel, died vice-admiral and commander-in-chief at Jamaica, on 7 Oct. 1811; the fourth son, Charles [q. v.], is separately noticed. One of the daughters, Philadelphia, married Admiral Sir Charles Cotton [q. v.]

[Charnock's Biogr. Nav. vi. 107; Ralfe's Nav. Biogr. i. 170; Naval Chronicle (with a portrait), xxiv. 89; Commission and Warrant Books in the Public Record Office; Foster's Baronetage.] 

ROWLEY, JOSIAS (1765–1842), admiral, born in 1765, and grandson of Sir William Rowley [q. v.], was second son of Clotworthy Rowley, a barrister and second son of Sir William Rowley [q. v.], by his wife Letitia, daughter and coheiress of Samuel Campbell of Mount Campbell, co. Leitrim. He was borne on the books of the Monarch, then commanded by his uncle, Sir Joshua Rowley [q. v.], from November 1777 to December 1778, though it is doubtful if he actually served in her. In December 1778 he joined the Suffolk, with his uncle, and went in her to the West Indies. In 1780 he was a midshipman of the Alexander, in the Channel, with Lord Longford, and in 1781 of the Agamemnon, with Captain Caldwell. He was promoted lieutenant on 25 Dec. 1783, and, after service in the West Indies and the North Sea, was, on 14 March 1794, promoted to command the Lark in the North Sea, and was advanced to post rank on 6 April 1795. In April 1797 he was appointed to the Braave at the Cape of Good Hope, and in January 1799 was moved into the Impérieuse, in which he went to the East Indies, and returned to England in June 1802. In April 1805 he commissioned the Raisonnable, in which he took part in the action off Cape Finisterre on 22 July 1805 [see ], and at the end of the year went to the Cape of Good Hope, under the command of Sir Home Riggs Popham [q. v.], with whom he afterwards went to Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, taking an active part in the operations there, under Popham and his successors, Rear-admirals Stirling and George Murray. After the failure of the expedition the Raisonnable returned to the Cape of Good Hope.

In September 1809, still in the Raisonnable, Rowley was senior officer of the little squadron in the neighbourhood of Mauritius, and concerted with the commandant of the troops at Rodriques a plan for silencing the batteries and capturing the shipping at St. Paul's in the island of Bourbon, operations carried into effect with trifling loss on 21 Sept. In March 1810 Rowley moved into the Boadicea, and in July the squadron under his command carried over a strong force of soldiers, which was landed on Bourbon on the 7th and 8th. The island was unable to offer any effective resistance, and the capitulation was signed on the 9th. Rowley was still at Bourbon when on 22 Aug. he received news from Captain Samuel Pym [q. v.] of his projected attack on the French frigates in Grand Port of Mauritius. He sailed at once to co-operate in this, but did not arrive till the 29th, too late to prevent the disaster which overwhelmed Pym's force. He returned to Bourbon, and was still there on 12 Sept., when the Africaine arrived off the island. The Boadicea put to sea to join her, but was still several miles distant when the Africaine engaged, and was captured by the French frigates Iphigénie and Astrée [see ] in the early morning of the 13th.

In company with two sloops the Boadicea recaptured the Africaine the same afternoon, and took her to St. Paul's, followed at some distance by the two French frigates, which Rowley, in the weakened state of his squadron, did not consider it would be prudent to engage, while on their part the French