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son of the late Rev. Henry Rowe, LL.B. of Padnal Hall and Toby Priory, co. Essex, rector of Ringshall, in Suffolk, by Harriet, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Bland, vicar of Sittingbourn, co. Kent, and rector of Warley, in Essex. His grandfather, Nathaniel Rowe, of Eastworth House, Chertsey, co. Surrey, sailed round the world with Commodore (afterwards Lord) Anson, and was a nephew to Lord Bathurst, then High Chancellor of England. His more remote ancestor. Sir Thomas Rowe, was knighted in the field of battle, during the crusades, and from him branched the celebrated poet, Nicholas Rowe, who sang of Tamerlane, and whose mortal remains are entombed in Westminster Abbey.

This officer commenced his naval career at a very early age, under the auspices of Isaac Hawkins Browne, Esq., M.P. for Bridgenorth, by whom he was recommended to the protection of Captain Thomas Parr, commanding the flagship at the Great Nore, in 1798. He subsequently served under Captains Jeffery Raigersfeld, ____ Wright, and John Wight, in the Hermes and Wolverene sloops, on the North Sea and Channel stations; as supernumerary midshipman on board the Andromeda frigate. Captain James Bradby, with whom he proceeded to Martinique; as master’s-mate of l’Eclair schooner, Lieutenant (afterwards Captain) Kenneth M‘Kenzie; and as acting lieutenant of the Guachapin sloop, commanded by the same gallant officer, under whose orders he succeeded in cutting out many of the enemy’s vessels, and assisted in capturing several French privateers, on the West India station. From thence he returned home passenger on board the Arab 20, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore the Hon. Robert Stopford, Mar. 7th, 1803. We next find him joining the Impetueux 84, Captain (now Sir T. Byam) Martin; from which ship he was appointed sub-lieutenant of the Aimwell gun-brig, stationed in Blackwater river, about the close of 1804. On the 19th Mar. following, he obtained the rank of lieutenant in the Ajax 80,