A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Fowler, Robert Merrick
FOWLER. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 17; h-p., 37.)
Robert Merrick Fowler entered the Navy, 6 May, 1793, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ruby 64, Capt. Sir Rich. Hussey Bickerton, lying at Spithead, where, for two months in 1794, he served as Midshipman in the Royal William, flag-ship of Sir Peter Parker. Until promoted to the rank of lieutenant, 27 Feb. 1800, we afterwards find him joining in succcession the Hector and Cumberland 74’s, Capt. Robt. Montagu, Mercury frigate, Capt. Thos. Rogers, and Royal George 100, flag-ship of Admirals Lord Bridport and Chas. Morice Pole. On the date of his promotion he joined the Xenophon alias Investigator, Capts. John Henry Martin and Matthew Flinders, with the latter of whom he sailed on a voyage of discovery to New Holland. Having assumed command, in the previous May, of the Porpoise armed store-ship, for the purpose of conveying Capt. Matthew Flinders from Port Jackson to England, Mr. Fowler, on 17 Aug. 1803, had the misfortune to lose that vessel on a coral reef near Cato Bank; but he ultimately succeeded in reaching Canton, where he embarked as a passenger on board the Earl Camden East Indiaman, Capt. Nathaniel Dance, the Commodore of a homeward-bound China fleet of 16 sail. In consideration of the assistance afforded to that officer by Mr. Fowler, in beating off, during their voyage, a powerful French squadron under M. Linois, he was presented by the East India Company with the sum of 300l. for the purchase of a piece of plate, and the Patriotic Society also awarded him a sword valued at 50 guineas.[1] He subsequently, in the Dragon 74, Capt. Edw. Griffith, took part in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, 22 July, 1805, and, attaining the rank of Commander 4 Feb. 1806, was further appointed – in 1807, to the Sea Fencibles in Ireland – 27 June, 1808, to the Crocus brig, employed, we believe, in the expedition to the Walcheren – 18 Sept. 1809, to the Charybdis 16, on the Leeward Islands station – and, 20 April, 1811, as Acting-Captain, to a frigate, in which he returned to England with convoy. He went on half-pay in Oct. of the latter year, having been confirmed in Post-rank on the date previously mentioned; and on 1 Oct. 1846, accepted his present rank.
The Rear-Admiral married, 16 June, 1813, Caroline Matilda, eldest daughter of the late Jas. Dashwood, Esq., of Valla- Wood, co. Somerset, and Forest Lodge, co. Berks, and niece of Vice-Admiral Sir Chas. Dashwood, K.C.B. By that lady, who died in 1816, he has, with other issue, two sons, Robert Dashwood, and George Campbell, both in the R.N. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1804, p. 955.