Sir Joshua Rowley, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Vice-Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley (1730–1790) was the eldest son of Admiral
Sir William Rowley
. Sir Joshua was probably born on 1 May 1730 at the family home of Tendring Hall in Suffolk
. Rowley served with distinction in a number of battles throughout his career and was highly praised by his contemporaries. Unfortunately whilst his career was often active he did not have the opportunity to command any significant engagements and always followed rather than led. His achievements have therefore been eclipsed by his contemporaries such as Keppel
, Hawke
, Howe
and Rodney
. Rowley however remains one of the stalwart commanders of the wooden walls that kept Britain safe for so long.
, a battle that was exceptionally controversial despite its inconclusive outcome and led Admiral Thomas Mathews
and several of his Captains to be dismissed from the Royal Navy. Admiral William Rowley
then became Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean until 1748. Joshua Rowley remained with his father and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 2 July 1747. In 1752 Rowley’s name appears once more serving as lieutenant aboard the 44-gun fifth-rate
frigate
. On the 4th December 1753 he was promoted to post-captain
and given command of the sixth-rate
of 24-guns. By March 1755 he had been appointed to , a fifth Rate 40-gun frigate that had been captured from the French during the War of the Austrian Succession
in 1746. In Ambuscade he was attached to a squadron under Admiral Edward Hawke
in the Bay of Biscay
. During that short period Hawke’s squadron captured over 300 enemy merchantmen. By the time Hawke had replaced the unfortunate Admiral John Byng
at Minorca in 1756 Rowley had been moved to the 50-gun .
. Once launched she joined Admiral Henry Osborn’s fleet of 14 ships of the line
in the Mediterranean. Osborn was at the time blockading the French under Admiral La Clue
in the Spanish city of Cartagena
preventing them from joining the fleet off Louisburg
in Nova Scotia
. French command had ordered the Marquis Duquesne to break through the British blockade and reinforce La Clue and then with superiority of numbers break out of Cartagena and make their way to America. Osborn intercepted Duquesne and his three ships of the line and one frigate
. The subsequent action became known as the Battle of Cartagena
and took place on 28 February 1758. Osborn’s squadron captured two of the French line of battle ships and, under the guns of the Spanish castle the 60-gun French Oriflamme was driven on shore by the Montagu and the . Whilst the battle was not particularly grand the annihilation of the forces under Duquesne had two distinct effects. Firstly, the battle restored much of the pride that had been sapped from the navy after several defeats including those at Toulon and Minorca
. Secondly, the siege of Louisburg
and its surrender led to the French being marginalised as a significant power in North America. The battle can therefore be considered by the British as one of the defining achievements of the Seven Years' War
. Had La Clue managed to break out from Osborn's close blockade the modern map of North America might appear quite differently.
’s fleet in the channel in 1758 and took part in the fateful expeditions along the coast of France.
The expedition, which took place throughout early September 1758 was a massive undertaking. Britain’s Naval forces were under the command of Admiral Lord Anson, seconded by Commodore Howe
. Britain’s Land forces were commanded by Lieutenant-General Thomas Bligh
. These included twenty two ships of the line with nine Frigates and Commodore Howe's one third-rate
, four fourth-Rates, ten frigates, five Sloops, two Fire-ships
, two Bomb Ketches
, one hundred transports, twenty tenders, ten store-ships and ten cutters . The land forces consisted of four infantry brigades and a few hundred Light Dragoon cavalry, totaling over 10,000 soldiers.
Initially the expedition met with considerable success capturing the port of Cherbourg. The British destroyed the port, the docks and the ships harbored there, carrying off or destroying considerable war material and goods. French troops from neighbouring towns and villages began moving on Cherbourg and the British expedition re-embarked to move against Saint-Malo
on the 5 September but it was found to be too well defended. The weather now turned against the British as well and it was decided it would be safer to re-embark the land forces further west in the bay of Saint Cast near the small village of Saint Cast
. The fleet sailed ahead while the army marched overland on 7 September, engaging in skirmishes on the 7, 8 and 9. On 10 September the Coldstream Guards
were sent ahead to Saint Cast to collect provisions and convoy them back to the army. Lieutenant-General Bligh with the army camped in Matignon
some 3 miles from Saint Cast.
During this time Richelieu
, military commander of Brittany
, had gathered some 12 infantry
battalions. In addition to these forces the French army amounting to 8,000 or 9,000 men, under the field command of Marquis d'Aubigné, were fast marching on Saint Cast from Brest
.
Bligh broke camp by 3am on the morning of the 11 September and reached the beach at Saint Cast before 9am but the embarkation went very slowly. Hardly any soldiers had embarked when the French appeared and began a cannonade of the beach. A great deal of confusion followed and as panic set in among the British the French forces moved down a covered way to the beach and deployed three brigades into line with a fourth in reserve. The five frigates and the bomb ketches tried to cover the British retreat and their fire disordered and drove back the French line for a while. The French artillery
batteries however were well positioned on higher ground and drove off the frigates and sank three landing boats full of soldiers and other landing boats were destroyed on the beach. The rear guard attempted a counter-attack during which the Grenadier Guards
broke and routed. According to Fortescue, of the 1400 men that remained in the rear guard 750 officers and men were killed and wounded...the rest of the rear guard were taken prisoner." Captain Rowley was wounded and was left on the beach. Along with captains Maplesden, Paston, and Elphinstone
he was taken prisoner on the beach.
With the huge loss of life and military equipment, the battle ended British hopes of an invasion of Brittany
during the Seven Year's War. The battle was an embarrassment for both the British Army and Navy.
By late October 1759 Rowley had been exchanged
by the French for their own prisoners who were held by the British (a common practise of the time) and was once more in command of the Montagu. He was again assigned to Admiral Hawke’s squadron and was with the fleet with Hawke off Brest and in the Battle of Quiberon Bay
. The French had designs to invade Scotland
and had been ordered to break through the blockading British ships and collect transports for the invasion. On the 20th November, 23 ships of Hawke’s squadron that had been sheltering from the seasonal gales in Torbay
caught up with and attacked 21 Ships of the Line under Admiral Conflans
in Quiberon bay. The bay itself is infamous due to its clustered and hidden shoals and variable wind and weather. The battle was fought directly through the dangerous shoals and the British lost two ships wrecked on the shoals and the French lost six with another successfully captured. The battle has been described by several later historians as the "Trafalgar" of the Seven Year’s War. The risks of taking such a large fleet into the dangerous shoals of the bay with the Atlantic gales beating down upon them separated Hawke from many of his contemporaries and showed not only his daring genius but the confidence that he inspired in his subordinates. The French were equally impressed at the daring and audacity of the British Naval commanders and it took a great many years for them to recover.
Sir James Douglas
to the West Indies, where he took part in the expedition against Dominica
that landed General Rollo
and forced the island into capitulation on June 7 after one day of fighting.
In November 1760 Rowley moved into the third-rate 74-gun . He accompanied an East India Company
convoy in that year and returned to England. In 1762, with two frigates, , under a young Captain John Jervis
, and , in company, he took another convoy of East and West Indian trade to the westward, and successfully protected it from the squadron of Commodore de Ternay
. “So highly, however, was his conduct approved, by the East India Company, and by the London West - India merchants, that they presented him with a handsome silver epergne
and dish”.
After several years on the beach, in October 1776 he was appointed to the 74-gun , in which at the beginning of 1778 he convoyed some transports to Gibraltar
.
whom he had last seen leading the van
at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in HMS Torbay
. It was with Keppel on 27 July 1778 that Rowley led the van (on the starboard tack) at the First Battle of Ushant
. Monarch had two killed and nine wounded. Once more Rowley was involved in a battle that ended ambiguously and yet caused great upheaval and political and naval ramifications. As a consequence of the battle Keppel resigned his command after a court-martial
acquitted him and Admiral Hugh Palliser
was also court martialled and was heavily criticized leading to his resignation as a member of parliament.
in command of a squadron of seven ships, as a reinforcement to Admiral John Byron
, whom he joined at Saint Lucia
in February 1779. On 19 March he was promoted to rear-admiral of the blue. On 6 July 1779 Rowley once more led the van division against Admiral d’Estaing
. The battle was a draw and did little to change the course of the war that was already moving into its closing stages. Later that year Rowley captured two French frigates and a Sloop-of-war
. They were, la Fortune (42 guns), La Blanche (36 guns), and Ellis (28 guns). Rowley also led his squadron to capture of a large French convoy, from Marseilles, off Martinique.
When Admiral Sir George Rodney
arrived from England to command the station, Rowley shifted his flag to the 74-gun in which ship he commanded the rear division in the action off Martinique
on 17 April against the comte de Guichen
and the van in the two further stalemate
engagements of the 15 and 19 May. The three battles were inconclusive and when the hurricane season
arrived de Guichen returned to Europe and Rodney sent Rowley to Jamaica
with ten ships of the line to reinforce Sir Peter Parker
, as there was an imminent threat to the colony from the Spanish.
cy, and on 24 September 1787 was promoted to vice-admiral of the white. He died at his home, Tendring Hall in Suffolk, on 26 February 1790.
, and despite his active service the two had a large family:
Sir William Rowley, 2nd Baronet, Member of Parliament
for Suffolk
1812-1830, High Sheriff of Suffolk
in 1791;
Bartholomew Samuel Rowley, Vice-Admiral of the Blue Squadron who also served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station;
Sir Charles Rowley. Bart, Admiral of the White;
Philadelphia Rowley, married Admiral Sir Charles Cotton
.
Rowley had at least one other son and daughter and was the father and grandfather of several captains and admirals.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir William Rowley
William Rowley (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Rowley KB was a British naval commander who distinguished himself during the War of the Austrian Succession and also became a Member of Parliament.-Naval career:...
. Sir Joshua was probably born on 1 May 1730 at the family home of Tendring Hall 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...
. Rowley served with distinction in a number of battles throughout his career and was highly praised by his contemporaries. Unfortunately whilst his career was often active he did not have the opportunity to command any significant engagements and always followed rather than led. His achievements have therefore been eclipsed by his contemporaries such as Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
, Hawke
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke KB, PC was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is best remembered for his service during the Seven Years' War, particularly his victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, preventing a French invasion of Britain...
, Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
and Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
. Rowley however remains one of the stalwart commanders of the wooden walls that kept Britain safe for so long.
Early Career and the Battle of Toulon
He entered the navy and served on his father’s flagship and served at the battle of ToulonBattle of Toulon (1744)
The naval Battle of Toulon or Battle of Cape Sicié took place on 22 February 1744 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Toulon, France. A combined Franco-Spanish fleet fought off Britain's Mediterranean fleet...
, a battle that was exceptionally controversial despite its inconclusive outcome and led Admiral Thomas Mathews
Thomas Mathews
Thomas Mathews was a British officer of the Royal Navy, who rose to the rank of admiral.Mathews joined the navy in 1690 and saw service on a number of ships, including during the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession. He interspersed periods spent commanding ships with time at home...
and several of his Captains to be dismissed from the Royal Navy. Admiral William Rowley
William Rowley (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Rowley KB was a British naval commander who distinguished himself during the War of the Austrian Succession and also became a Member of Parliament.-Naval career:...
then became Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean until 1748. Joshua Rowley remained with his father and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 2 July 1747. In 1752 Rowley’s name appears once more serving as lieutenant aboard the 44-gun fifth-rate
Fifth-rate
In Britain's Royal Navy during the classic age of fighting sail, a fifth rate was the penultimate class of warships in a hierarchal system of six "ratings" based on size and firepower.-Rating:...
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"...
. On the 4th December 1753 he was promoted to post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
and given command of the sixth-rate
Sixth-rate
Sixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
of 24-guns. By March 1755 he had been appointed to , a fifth Rate 40-gun frigate that had been captured from the French during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
in 1746. In Ambuscade he was attached to a squadron under Admiral Edward Hawke
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke KB, PC was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is best remembered for his service during the Seven Years' War, particularly his victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, preventing a French invasion of Britain...
in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
. During that short period Hawke’s squadron captured over 300 enemy merchantmen. By the time Hawke had replaced the unfortunate Admiral John Byng
John Byng
Admiral John Byng was a Royal Navy officer. After joining the navy at the age of thirteen he participated at the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718. Over the next thirty years he built up a reputation as a solid naval officer and received promotion to Vice-Admiral in 1747...
at Minorca in 1756 Rowley had been moved to the 50-gun .
Battle of Cartagena
By October 1757 Rowley had been given the task of commissioning the 60-gun fourth-rateFourth-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a fourth rate was, during the first half of the 18th century, a ship of the line mounting from 46 up to 60 guns. While the number of guns stayed subsequently in the same range up until 1817, after 1756 the ships of 50 guns and below were considered too weak to stand in...
. Once launched she joined Admiral Henry Osborn’s fleet of 14 ships of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
in the Mediterranean. Osborn was at the time blockading the French under Admiral La Clue
Jean-François de La Clue-Sabran
Jean-François de La Clue-Sabran was a French Admiral best known for his command of the French fleet in the Mediterranean Sea during the Seven Years' War.-Seven Years War:...
in the Spanish city of Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
preventing them from joining the fleet off Louisburg
Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
Louisbourg is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.-History:The town's name was given by French military forces who founded the Fortress of Louisbourg and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, in honour of Louis XV...
in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. French command had ordered the Marquis Duquesne to break through the British blockade and reinforce La Clue and then with superiority of numbers break out of Cartagena and make their way to America. Osborn intercepted Duquesne and his three ships of the line and one 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"...
. The subsequent action became known as the Battle of Cartagena
Battle of Cartagena (1758)
The Battle of Cartagena took place on 28 February 1758 off the Spanish port of Cartagena during the Seven Years War. A British fleet under Henry Osborn, which had blockaded a French fleet in Cartagena, attacked and defeated a French force under Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville coming to their...
and took place on 28 February 1758. Osborn’s squadron captured two of the French line of battle ships and, under the guns of the Spanish castle the 60-gun French Oriflamme was driven on shore by the Montagu and the . Whilst the battle was not particularly grand the annihilation of the forces under Duquesne had two distinct effects. Firstly, the battle restored much of the pride that had been sapped from the navy after several defeats including those at Toulon and Minorca
Battle of Minorca
The Battle of Minorca was a naval battle between French and British fleets. It was the opening sea battle of the Seven Years' War in the European theatre. Shortly after Great Britain declared war on the House of Bourbon, their squadrons met off the Mediterranean island of Minorca. The fight...
. Secondly, the siege of Louisburg
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
and its surrender led to the French being marginalised as a significant power in North America. The battle can therefore be considered by the British as one of the defining achievements of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. Had La Clue managed to break out from Osborn's close blockade the modern map of North America might appear quite differently.
Battle of Saint Cast
Rowley joined Admiral AnsonGeorge Anson, 1st Baron Anson
Admiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
’s fleet in the channel in 1758 and took part in the fateful expeditions along the coast of France.
The expedition, which took place throughout early September 1758 was a massive undertaking. Britain’s Naval forces were under the command of Admiral Lord Anson, seconded by Commodore Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
. Britain’s Land forces were commanded by Lieutenant-General Thomas Bligh
Thomas Bligh
Thomas Bligh was a British soldier, best known for his service during the Seven Years' War when he led a series of amphibious raids, known as "descents" on the French coastline...
. These included twenty two ships of the line with nine Frigates and Commodore Howe's one third-rate
Third-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks . Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability , firepower, and cost...
, four fourth-Rates, ten frigates, five Sloops, two Fire-ships
Fire ship
A fire ship, used in the days of wooden rowed or sailing ships, was a ship filled with combustibles, deliberately set on fire and steered into an enemy fleet, in order to destroy ships, or to create panic and make the enemy break formation. Ships used as fire ships were usually old and worn out or...
, two Bomb Ketches
Bomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
, one hundred transports, twenty tenders, ten store-ships and ten cutters . The land forces consisted of four infantry brigades and a few hundred Light Dragoon cavalry, totaling over 10,000 soldiers.
Initially the expedition met with considerable success capturing the port of Cherbourg. The British destroyed the port, the docks and the ships harbored there, carrying off or destroying considerable war material and goods. French troops from neighbouring towns and villages began moving on Cherbourg and the British expedition re-embarked to move against Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
on the 5 September but it was found to be too well defended. The weather now turned against the British as well and it was decided it would be safer to re-embark the land forces further west in the bay of Saint Cast near the small village of Saint Cast
Saint-Cast-le-Guildo
Saint-Cast-le-Guildo is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Saint-Cast-le-Guildo are called castins.-External links:* *...
. The fleet sailed ahead while the army marched overland on 7 September, engaging in skirmishes on the 7, 8 and 9. On 10 September the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
were sent ahead to Saint Cast to collect provisions and convoy them back to the army. Lieutenant-General Bligh with the army camped in Matignon
Matignon, Côtes-d'Armor
Matignon is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Matignon are called matignonnais.-External links:* *...
some 3 miles from Saint Cast.
During this time Richelieu
Emmanuel-Armand de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon
Emmanuel-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon was a French soldier and statesman and a nephew of Louis François Armand du Plessis, duc de Richelieu. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs under Louis XV.-Early life:Before the death of his father, he was known at court...
, military commander of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, had gathered some 12 infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalions. In addition to these forces the French army amounting to 8,000 or 9,000 men, under the field command of Marquis d'Aubigné, were fast marching on Saint Cast from Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
.
Bligh broke camp by 3am on the morning of the 11 September and reached the beach at Saint Cast before 9am but the embarkation went very slowly. Hardly any soldiers had embarked when the French appeared and began a cannonade of the beach. A great deal of confusion followed and as panic set in among the British the French forces moved down a covered way to the beach and deployed three brigades into line with a fourth in reserve. The five frigates and the bomb ketches tried to cover the British retreat and their fire disordered and drove back the French line for a while. The French artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
batteries however were well positioned on higher ground and drove off the frigates and sank three landing boats full of soldiers and other landing boats were destroyed on the beach. The rear guard attempted a counter-attack during which the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
broke and routed. According to Fortescue, of the 1400 men that remained in the rear guard 750 officers and men were killed and wounded...the rest of the rear guard were taken prisoner." Captain Rowley was wounded and was left on the beach. Along with captains Maplesden, Paston, and Elphinstone
John Elphinstone
John Elphinstone, also known as John Elphinston, , was a senior British naval officer who worked closely with the Russian Navy after 1770, with approval from the Admiralty, during the period of naval reform under Russian Empress Catherine II...
he was taken prisoner on the beach.
With the huge loss of life and military equipment, the battle ended British hopes of an invasion of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
during the Seven Year's War. The battle was an embarrassment for both the British Army and Navy.
Battle of Quiberon Bay
Prisoner exchange
A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners. These may be prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc...
by the French for their own prisoners who were held by the British (a common practise of the time) and was once more in command of the Montagu. He was again assigned to Admiral Hawke’s squadron and was with the fleet with Hawke off Brest and in the Battle of Quiberon Bay
Battle of Quiberon Bay
The naval Battle of Quiberon Bay took place on 20 November 1759 during the Seven Years' War in Quiberon Bay, off the coast of France near St. Nazaire...
. The French had designs to invade Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and had been ordered to break through the blockading British ships and collect transports for the invasion. On the 20th November, 23 ships of Hawke’s squadron that had been sheltering from the seasonal gales in Torbay
Torbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
caught up with and attacked 21 Ships of the Line under Admiral Conflans
Hubert de Brienne, Comte de Conflans
Hubert de Brienne, Comte de Conflans was a French naval commander.-Early life:The son of Henri Jacob marquis de Conflans and Marie du Bouchet, at 15 he was made a knight of the Order of Saint Lazarus and the following year entered the Gardes de la Marine school at Brest...
in Quiberon bay. The bay itself is infamous due to its clustered and hidden shoals and variable wind and weather. The battle was fought directly through the dangerous shoals and the British lost two ships wrecked on the shoals and the French lost six with another successfully captured. The battle has been described by several later historians as the "Trafalgar" of the Seven Year’s War. The risks of taking such a large fleet into the dangerous shoals of the bay with the Atlantic gales beating down upon them separated Hawke from many of his contemporaries and showed not only his daring genius but the confidence that he inspired in his subordinates. The French were equally impressed at the daring and audacity of the British Naval commanders and it took a great many years for them to recover.
West Indies and Convoy Duty
In 1760 he went out with CommodoreCommodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Sir James Douglas
Sir James Douglas, 1st Baronet
Admiral Sir James Douglas, 1st Baronet naval officer and Commodore of Newfoundland.-Naval career:Douglas became a captain in the Royal Navy in 1744 In 1745 commanded the HMS Mermaid at Louisbourg and in 1746 he commanded the HMS Vigilante at Louisbourg. In 1746 was appointed Commodore of...
to the West Indies, where he took part in the expedition against Dominica
British expedition against Dominica
The British expedition against Dominica was a military action in June 1761, as part of the Seven Years' War.- Prelude :By the end of 1760, the conquest of Canada was completed and a great number of British troops were left idle in North America....
that landed General Rollo
Andrew Rollo, 5th Lord Rollo
Andrew Rollo, 5th Lord Rollo, was a Scottish army commander in Canada and Dominica during the Seven Years' War, who led the British land forces in the capture of Dominica on June 6, 1761....
and forced the island into capitulation on June 7 after one day of fighting.
In November 1760 Rowley moved into the third-rate 74-gun . He accompanied an East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
convoy in that year and returned to England. In 1762, with two frigates, , under a young Captain John Jervis
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
, and , in company, he took another convoy of East and West Indian trade to the westward, and successfully protected it from the squadron of Commodore de Ternay
Chevalier de Ternay
Charles-Henri-Louis d'Arsac de Ternay was a French naval officer. Most active in the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence, Ternay was the naval commander of a 1762 expedition that successfully captured St. John's Newfoundland...
. “So highly, however, was his conduct approved, by the East India Company, and by the London West - India merchants, that they presented him with a handsome silver epergne
Epergne
Epergne is a type of table centerpiece, usually made of silver, but may be made of any metal or glass or porcelain.-Design:An epergne generally has a large central "bowl" or basket sitting on three to five feet. From this center "bowl" radiate branches supporting small baskets, dishes, or...
and dish”.
After several years on the beach, in October 1776 he was appointed to the 74-gun , in which at the beginning of 1778 he convoyed some transports to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
.
Battle of Ushant
On his return to England he was attached to the fleet under Admiral KeppelAugustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
whom he had last seen leading the van
Vanguard (military tactics)
The vanguard is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.- Medieval origins :...
at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in HMS Torbay
HMS Neptune (1683)
HMS Neptune was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built under the 1677 "Thirty Great Ships" Programme and launched in 1683 at Deptford Dockyard. She was first commissioned in 1690 under Captain Thomas Gardiner, as the flagship of Vice-Admiral George Rooke...
. It was with Keppel on 27 July 1778 that Rowley led the van (on the starboard tack) at the First Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1778)
The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
. Monarch had two killed and nine wounded. Once more Rowley was involved in a battle that ended ambiguously and yet caused great upheaval and political and naval ramifications. As a consequence of the battle Keppel resigned his command after a court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
acquitted him and Admiral Hugh Palliser
Hugh Palliser
Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War...
was also court martialled and was heavily criticized leading to his resignation as a member of parliament.
Battle of Grenada
At the end of 1778 Rowley moved into the 74-gun and was sent to the West Indies with a commodore’s Broad pennantBroad pennant
A broad pennant is a swallow-tailed tapering flag flown from the masthead of a ship to indicate the presence of a commodore on board. It is so called because its dimensions are roughly 2:3....
in command of a squadron of seven ships, as a reinforcement to Admiral John Byron
John Byron
Vice Admiral The Hon. John Byron, RN was a Royal Navy officer. He was known as Foul-weather Jack because of his frequent bad luck with weather.-Early career:...
, whom he joined at Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
in February 1779. On 19 March he was promoted to rear-admiral of the blue. On 6 July 1779 Rowley once more led the van division against Admiral d’Estaing
Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing was a French general, and admiral. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of war of the British during the Seven Years' War...
. The battle was a draw and did little to change the course of the war that was already moving into its closing stages. Later that year Rowley captured two French frigates and a Sloop-of-war
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
. They were, la Fortune (42 guns), La Blanche (36 guns), and Ellis (28 guns). Rowley also led his squadron to capture of a large French convoy, from Marseilles, off Martinique.
Rodney and the Battle of Martinique
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
arrived from England to command the station, Rowley shifted his flag to the 74-gun in which ship he commanded the rear division in the action off Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
on 17 April against the comte de Guichen
Luc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de Guichen
Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen - French admiral; entered the navy in 1730 as "garde de la Marine," the first rank in the corps of royal officers.His promotion was not rapid...
and the van in the two further stalemate
Stalemate
Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal moves. A stalemate ends the game in a draw. Stalemate is covered in the rules of chess....
engagements of the 15 and 19 May. The three battles were inconclusive and when the hurricane season
1780 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1780 Atlantic hurricane season ran through the summer and fall in 1780. The 1780 season was extraordinarily destructive, and was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history with over 25,000 deaths...
arrived de Guichen returned to Europe and Rodney sent Rowley to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
with ten ships of the line to reinforce Sir Peter Parker
Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet was a British naval officer.-Naval career:Peter Parker was born probably in Ireland. He became a lieutenant in the Royal Navy in 1743 and captain in 1747. In 1761, he took command of HMS Buckingham and helped cover operations on Belle Île...
, as there was an imminent threat to the colony from the Spanish.
Commander-in-Chief Jamaica
In 1782 Rowley succeeded to the command of the Jamaica station a post which he held until the end of the American War of Independence. Rowley had proved throughout his career that he was both brave and a very capable officer and yet the successes of other commanders of the Jamaica station had set an extraordinary precedent that he could not match in his brief time there. Rowley returned to England in 1783 and was not appointed to another command. On 10 June 1786 he was honoured with a baronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
cy, and on 24 September 1787 was promoted to vice-admiral of the white. He died at his home, Tendring Hall in Suffolk, on 26 February 1790.
Family
Rowley was married in 1759, Sarah Burton, daughter of Bartholomew Burton, Governor of the Bank of EnglandGovernor of the Bank of England
The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the Bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor...
, and despite his active service the two had a large family:
Sir William Rowley, 2nd Baronet, 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,...
for Suffolk
Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)
Suffolk was a county constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1290 until 1832, when it was split into two divisions.-Boundaries and franchise:...
1812-1830, High Sheriff of Suffolk
High Sheriff of Suffolk
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Suffolk. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually by the Crown. He was originally the principal law enforcement officer in the county and presided at the Assizes and other important county meetings...
in 1791;
Bartholomew Samuel Rowley, Vice-Admiral of the Blue Squadron who also served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station;
Sir Charles Rowley. Bart, Admiral of the White;
Philadelphia Rowley, married Admiral Sir Charles Cotton
Sir Charles Cotton, 5th Baronet
Sir Charles Cotton, 5th Baronet was a senior Royal Navy officer of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars whose service continued until his death in command of the Channel Fleet from apoplexy in 1812. During his service, Cotton saw action off the Eastern Seaboard of the Thirteen Colonies and...
.
Rowley had at least one other son and daughter and was the father and grandfather of several captains and admirals.