A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Rawle, Richard
RAWLE. (Retired Commander, 14; h-p., 35.)
Richard Rawle was born 26 May, 1782 uncle of Lieut. Graham Hewett, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 July, 1798, as A.B., on board the Frederick hired tender, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Jennis, under whom we find him employed in raising seamen and volunteers for the fleet, and carrying them from Bristol to Plymouth. On being paid off in June, 1799, he became Midshipman (a rating he had previously attained) of the Canada 74, Capts. Hon. Michael De Courcy and Joseph Sydney Yorke, attached to the Channel fleet, with which he continued until May, 1802. In March, 1806, he rejoined the officer last mentioned on board the Barfleur 98, also stationed in the Channel; and he was next, in June, 1807, and May, 1808, nominated Master’s Mate of the Niobe 40 and Christian VII. 80, Capts. John Wentworth Loring and Sir J. S. Yorke, employed on the coast of Ireland and off Ushant. He was made Lieutenant, 20 April, 1809, into the Caesar 80, flag-ship of Rear-Admirals Hon. Robt. Stopford and Wm. Albany Otway; and subsequently appointed – 14 May, 1810, to the Clio sloop, Capts. Thos. Folliott Baugh and Wm. Ffarington, engaged in convoying the trade between Leith and Gottenborg, and in cruising off the coast off Norway and among the Orkney and Shetland Isles – 2 Nov. 1812 (nearly six months after ill health had obliged him to leave the Cuo), to the Doris 36, Capt. Wm. Jones Lye, lying at Plymouth – 10 Dec. following, to the Rota 38, Capts. Philip Somerville and John Pasco – and, 2 Dec. 1815, to the Lee 20, also commanded, on the Plymouth station, by Capt. Pasco. Accompanying in the Caesar the expedition of 1809 to the Scheldt, Mr. Rawle served on shore with a party of seamen, and assisted in erecting and working the batteries during the bombardment of Flushing. The Walcheren fever, in the month of Oct., compelled him to invalid. While attached to the Rota he escorted convoy to and from Quebec and also to the West Indies, where he cruised With much activity. On 26 Sept. 1814 he participated in an unsuccessful attempt made to cut out from the road of Fayal the American privateer General Armstrong, a vessel whose resistance killed 34 and wounded 86 of her assailants, consisting originally of about 180 seamen and marines. Among the wounded was Lieut. Rawle. He was under the necessity, when afterwards serving in the Lee, of being sent to the Naval Hospital at Stonehouse, 2 April, 1817. He accepted his present rank 9 April, 1847.
He married 23 Jan. 1822, and has issue one son.