A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Prowse, William Jones
PROWSE. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 22; h-p., 24.)
William Jones Prowse is son of the late Geo. Bragge Prowse, Esq., Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Somerset Regt. of Militia.
This officer entered the Navy, 15 Nov. 1801, as Third-cl. Boy, on board the Narcissus 32, Capts. Ross Donnelly and Chas. Malcolm. Under the former he was at first employed in the Mediterranean, and afterwards, as Midshipman, at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope and Buenos Ayres in Jan. and June, 1806. During his passage to the Cape he assisted in taking Le Prudent privateer of 12 guns and 70 men, in re-capturing the English merchant-ship Horatio Nelson mounting 22 guns, and in driving on shore the Napoléon privateer of 32 guns and 250 men. With Capt. Malcolm Mr. Prowse continued actively employed, as Master’s Mate, on the Channel and Lisbon stations undl transferred, in the early part of 1809, to the Captain 74, Capts. Sir Jas. Athol Wood and Christopher John Williams Nesham. Of that ship, after having witnessed the capture, on the West India station, of the French 74 D’Haupoult, he was constituted, 11 July, 1809, an Acting-Lieutenant. He had however, although the intelligence had not reached him, been promoted by the Admiralty on 22 of the preceding May. He left the Captain in Dec. of the same year, and was subsequently appointed – 1 May, 1810, and 15 June, 1812, to the Hamadryad 42 and Briton 46, both commanded by Capt. Thos. Staines, under whom he visited Newfoundland, Lisbon, St. Helena, and the Brazils, and served with activity both on the coasts of France and Spain and in the Pacific until Aug. 1815 – 24 Oct. 1816, to the Conqueror 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Robt. Plampin at St. Helena, where he remained, for the purpose of guarding the person of Napoleon Buonaparte, until the close of 1819 – and, 27 Oct. 1823, as First-Lieutenant (a post he had latterly filled on board the Conqueror), to the Superb 74, in which ship, commanded by Capt., then Sir Thos., Staines, he was for two years employed on the West India and Lisbon stations. Attaining the rank of Commander 27 March, 1826, Capt. Prowse, from 1 Oct. 1827 until June, 1830, served as Second Captain of the Isis 50, also commanded by Sir Thos. Staines, in the Mediterranean, where he aided in destroying several piratical vessels. He has since been on half-pay. He attained his present rank 23 Nov. 1841.
He married, 7 May, 1840, the Hon. Rachel Emily Irby, eldest daughter of Lord Boston, by whom he has issue two children.