A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bowen, Charles
BOWEN. (Captain, 1825. f-p., 17; h-p., 31.)
Charles Bowen entered the Navy, 18 Jan. 1799, as a Boy, on board the Achille 74, Capts. Hon. Edwin Henry Stanhope and Geo. Murray, on the Channel station; attained the rating of Midshipman 21 Oct. 1800; and, on removing with the last-mentioned officer to the Edgar 74, was present, under Lord Nelson, in the battle of Copenhagen, 2 April, 1801. He next accompanied Capt. Murray into the London 98, and afterwards, from Nov. 1802, until Feb. 1806, served in the Juno 32, Capt. Henry Richardson, attached to the fleet in the Mediterranean. In Nov. 1806, Mr. Bowen rejoined his former Captain, then Rear-Admiral Murray, as Master’s Mate, in the Polyphemus 64, in which ship we find him, from May to Aug. 1807, employed, latterly as Acting-Lieutenant, during the hostile operations in the Rio de la Plata. He was confirmed, on 30 of the latter month, into the Hermes sloop-of-war, Capt. Edw. Reynolds Sibly, and subsequently appointed – 20 Aug. 1808, to the Thisbe 28, bearing the flag in the Thames of Hon. Sir Henry Edwin Stanhope – 11 Sept. 1809, to the Nereus 36, Capt. Peter Heywood, in which vessel he returned home from the Mediterranean, with the remains of Lord Collingwood, in April, 1810 – 8 Nov. following to the Northumberland 74, Capt. Henry Hotham, under whom (the Growler gun-brig in company) he assisted at the destruction, with a loss to the Northumberland of 5 killed and 28 wounded, of the two French 40-gun frigates L’Arienne and L’Andromaque, of 450 men each, and Mamelouck brig, of 18 guns and 150 men, defended by numerous galling batteries at the entrance of L’Orient, 22 May, 1812 – and, 5 Feb. 1813, to the Indus 74, Capt. Wm. Hall Gage, employed off the Texel, and also in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in Sept. 1814. Being promoted to the command, 19 July, 1822, of the Driver sloop, he served for about two years in that vessel on the coast of Africa, where he acquired great credit, as evinced by the acknowledgments of Commodore Sir Robt. Mends, for his disinterested zeal and active exertions during the Ashantee war, particularly in mounting and equipping the guns of Cape Coast Castle in 1823; and likewise for his co-operation, in May, 1824, with the troops under Lieut.-Col. Sutherland.[1] He was advanced to Post-rank 27 June, 1825, and placed upon retired half-pay 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Bowen married Mary Hannah, youngest daughter of the late Geo, Fisher, Esq., of Hillside, co. Gloucester, by whom he has issue.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1824, pp. 1011, 1273.