A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bowden, Richard Booth
BOWDEN. (Commander, 1813. f-p., 20; h-p., 32.)
Richard Booth Bowden entered the Navy, 1 June, 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Concorde 36, Capt. Anthony Hunt, on the Channel station; attained the rating of Midshipman in Sept. following; and, after serving for more than six years in the Caroline 36, Capts. Wm. Luke and Wm. Bowen, employed off Lisbon and in the Mediterranean, where he assisted at the capture of many privateers and other armed vessels, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 29 April, 1802. His appointments, in the latter capacity, were – in July, 1803, to the Weymouth District of Sea Fencibles – 5 May, 1804, to the Queen 98, Capts. Manley Dixon and Fras. Pender, in the Channel – 4 July, 1805, to the Royal Sovereign 100, Capt. Mark Robinson, lying at Portsmouth – 14 Aug. 1805, to the Quebec 32, Capts. Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas, Geo. M‘Kinley, Lord Viscount Falkland, and Hon. Geo. Paulet, under the third of whom he witnessed the surrender of the Danish island of Heligoland, 5 Sept. 1807 – 16 May, 1810, after an unemployed interval of 13 months, to the Courageux 74, Capt. Wm. Butterfield, attached to the fleet in the Channel – and, 22 Nov. 1810, and 8 May, 1811, to the Christian VII. 80, and Caledonia 120, bearing each the flag in the Downs and Mediterranean of Sir Edw. Pellew. Being superseded from the latter ship on advancement to his present rank, 5 Aug. 1813, Commander Bowden, on 15 Oct. following, assumed command of the Gorgon hospital-ship, which for some time bore the flag, at Port Mahon, Minorca, of Vice-Admiral Fras. Pickmore, and subsequently, in 1814-15, after serving on the coast of North America, formed part of the expedition sent against New Orleans. His last appointment was, 16 May, 1815, to the Antelope 50, in which he served at Portsmouth for a period of three months.
Commander Bowden, who has been twice married, wedded first the youngest daughter of the Rev. R. Hawker, D.D., Vicar of Charles, Devon. By his second marriage he has issue.