Henry John Rous
Encyclopedia
Admiral Henry John Rous (23 January 1795 – 19 June 1877) was a Royal Navy
officer and sportsman.
, Rous was educated at Westminster School
, and entered the Royal Navy in 1808, serving as a midshipman
in the Walcheren Campaign
the following year. He was afterwards appointed to the HMS Bacchante, and received a medal for bravery in various actions and expeditions.
In 1823 he was made captain, and in 1825 he was given command of HMS Rainbow. He served in the India
n and New Holland
stations from 1823 to 1829. In April 1827, he organised Sydney
's first regatta
. In August 1828, he explored the Tweed
and Richmond River
s in northeastern New South Wales
. The area between these rivers is known as Rous County
, but counties in Australia are not widely-known and are mainly used for cadastral
purposes. While in Moreton Bay he named Rous Channel, Dunwich, Queensland, Stradbroke Island after his family titles and influenced the naming of Ipswich, Queensland.
In 1834 he was appointed to the command of the HMS Pique
, a 36-gun frigate
, which ran ashore on the coast of Labrador
and was greatly damaged. Rous, however, brought her across the Atlantic Ocean
with a sprung foremast and without keel, forefoot or rudder, and though the ship was making 23 inches of water an hour.
in Suffolk
and won the 1815 2,000 Guineas with the colt Tigris.
Rous, always fond of the sport became a steward of the Jockey Club
in 1838, a position he held almost uninterruptedly to his death. In 1855 he was appointed public handicapper
. In that role he introduced the weight-for-age
scale. He managed the stables of the Duke of Bedford
at Newmarket for many years, and wrote a work on The Laws and Practice of Horse Racing that procured for him the title of the Blackstone of the Turf.
The Rous Memorial Stakes was named in his honor.
, he was elected as Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Westminster
, and in 1846 Sir Robert Peel
appointed him Fourth Naval Lord
. However, this appointment triggered a by-election, which Rous lost to the Liberal
candidate, De Lacy Evans, whom he had defeated in 1841. He died at 13 Berkeley Square in London
on 19 June 1877.
For the naval career of Admiral Rous see O'Byrne, Naval Biographical Dictionary (London
, 1849). A vivid sketch of him as a turf authority will be found in Day's Turf Celebrities (London, 1891).
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer and sportsman.
Career
Born the second son of John Rous, 1st Earl of StradbrokeJohn Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke
John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke , known as Sir John Rous, Bt, from 1771 to 1796 and as The Lord Rous from 1796 to 1821, was a British nobleman, race horse owner and Member of Parliament....
, Rous was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, and entered the Royal Navy in 1808, serving as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in the Walcheren Campaign
Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains...
the following year. He was afterwards appointed to the HMS Bacchante, and received a medal for bravery in various actions and expeditions.
In 1823 he was made captain, and in 1825 he was given command of HMS Rainbow. He served in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and New Holland
New Holland (Australia)
New Holland is a historic name for the island continent of Australia. The name was first applied to Australia in 1644 by the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman as Nova Hollandia, naming it after the Dutch province of Holland, and remained in use for 180 years....
stations from 1823 to 1829. In April 1827, he organised Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's first regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
. In August 1828, he explored the Tweed
Tweed River (New South Wales)
The Tweed River is a short river in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Its drainage basin consists mostly of the erosion caldera of the Tweed Volcano, a huge extinct volcano of which Mount Warning is the volcanic plug...
and Richmond River
Richmond River
The Richmond River is a river in the north-eastern corner of New South Wales, Australia. It runs for approximately 170 km from the foothills of the Border Ranges past the towns of Kyogle, Casino, Coraki, Woodburn, where it turns northward and empties into the Pacific Ocean at Ballina. It has a...
s in northeastern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The area between these rivers is known as Rous County
Rous County, New South Wales
Rous County is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales. It is located at the north-east tip of the state. It is bordered on the north by the border with Queensland and on the south by the Richmond River...
, but counties in Australia are not widely-known and are mainly used for cadastral
Cadastre
A cadastre , using a cadastral survey or cadastral map, is a comprehensive register of the metes-and-bounds real property of a country...
purposes. While in Moreton Bay he named Rous Channel, Dunwich, Queensland, Stradbroke Island after his family titles and influenced the naming of Ipswich, Queensland.
In 1834 he was appointed to the command of the HMS Pique
HMS Pique (1834)
HMS Pique was a wooden fifth rate warship of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 July 1834 at Devonport. She was of 1633 tons and had 36 guns....
, a 36-gun frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
, which ran ashore on the coast of Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
and was greatly damaged. Rous, however, brought her across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
with a sprung foremast and without keel, forefoot or rudder, and though the ship was making 23 inches of water an hour.
Thoroughbred horse racing
His father owned a stud farmHorse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and won the 1815 2,000 Guineas with the colt Tigris.
Rous, always fond of the sport became a steward of the Jockey Club
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing. Although no longer responsible for the governance and regulation of the sport, it owns 14 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham and Newmarket, amongst other concerns such as the National Stud and...
in 1838, a position he held almost uninterruptedly to his death. In 1855 he was appointed public handicapper
Handicapping
Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...
. In that role he introduced the weight-for-age
Weight for Age
Weight for Age is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year...
scale. He managed the stables of the Duke of Bedford
Duke of Bedford
thumb|right|240px|William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordDuke of Bedford is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time...
at Newmarket for many years, and wrote a work on The Laws and Practice of Horse Racing that procured for him the title of the Blackstone of the Turf.
The Rous Memorial Stakes was named in his honor.
Political life
At the 1841 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1841
-Seats summary:-Whig MPs who lost their seats:*Viscount Morpeth - Chief Secretary for Ireland*Sir George Strickland, Bt*Sir Henry Barron, 1st Baronet-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987...
, he was elected as Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Westminster
Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster was a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of England to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain 1707-1800 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter....
, and in 1846 Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
appointed him Fourth Naval Lord
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
. However, this appointment triggered a by-election, which Rous lost to the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate, De Lacy Evans, whom he had defeated in 1841. He died at 13 Berkeley Square in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 19 June 1877.
For the naval career of Admiral Rous see O'Byrne, Naval Biographical Dictionary (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1849). A vivid sketch of him as a turf authority will be found in Day's Turf Celebrities (London, 1891).