A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Rawlins, Robert Dicklegg
RAWLINS. (Commander, 1815. f-p., 16; h-p., 38.)
Robert Dicklegg Rawlins is the son of a Purser in the Royal Navy, now deceased. This officer entered the Navy, 11 June, 1793, as a Boy, on board the Cyclops 24, commanded in the Channel by Capt. Davidge Gould; and in the following Sept. was discharged, at his own request, in consequence of some severe injuries he had sustained in falling into the main hold. In Dec. 1800 he again embarked, as Midshipman, on board the Guildford, Lieut.-Commanders Wetherstone and Murray, lying at Portsmouth; in the early part of 1802 he sailed in the Buffalo store-ship, Capt. Wm. Kent, for New Holland; and in Feb. 1804 (a few months after he had returned to England in the Glatton 50, Capt. Jas. Collnett) he joined the Ruby 64, Capt. Chas. Rowley. In a boat belonging to that ship he participated in an attempt made to cut out a large Dutch sloop-of-war, the Texel, from the neighbourhood of Cadiz, where, on a subsequent occasion, he contributed, also in the boats, to the eapture of three merchant-vessels. In one instance he was sent to Gibraltar in charge of several prizes, seven of which were lost in a gale. He afterwards visited the North Sea; and in Nov. 1805, while on his passage in the Woodlark 10, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Innes, to join the Eagle 74, was wrecked on the coast of France. In spite of all his endeavours to escape he remained a prisoner until May, 1814. He afterwards served on the coast of Ireland in the Montagu 74, Capt. Peter Heywood, and at Sheerness in the Namur 74, flag-ship of Sir C. Rowley; obtained, 1 Feb. 1815, a Lieutenant’s commission; was employed duripg three months of the same year in the Meteor bomb, Capt. Sam. Roberts, and Namur 74, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Rowley; and in 1824 was appointed to the Coast Guard, from which service he was, in 1827, after nearly two months of deliberation, dismissed by sentence of court-martial for having been off his station. In consequence of this he addressed a letter, containing an explanation of the circumstances, to the Admiralty, the result of which was that by return of post he was appointed Third-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74. From that ship he removed, by exchange, to the command, which he retained about 18 months, of a station in the Coast Blockade. He was then, in consequence of ill health produced by the fatigues of the service, sent to the hospital at Chatham; and he has not been since employed.
The Lieutenant is married, and has one son, a Clerk in the service. Agents – Messrs. Chard.