A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Rawstorne, James
RAWSTORNE. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 25; h-p., 16.)
James Rawstorne (whose very respectable family, seated for centuries in Lancashire, is now represented by Colonel Lawrence Rawstorne, of Penwortham, in that co.) is second son of the late Capt. Jas. Rawstorne, who fought in the American and Peninsular wars, by a daughter of Capt. Gibson. Two of his brothers, Fleetwood and John George, are officers in the army – the latter a Captain in the 62nd regt. One of his aunts married the late Sir Michael Pilkington, Bart., and was the mother of the present Sir Wm. Pilkington, Bart., of Chevet Hall, co. York. His eldest sister is the wife of Retired Commander John Arnold, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 9 Oct. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Mutine 18, Capt. Hew Steuart, on the Channel station; removed, in April, 1807, to the San Josef 110, Capt. John Conn, lying at Plymouth; and from the following June until Sept. 1812 was employed as Midshipman, on the Home, Lisbon, and Mediterranean stations, in the Hibernia 120 and San Josef again, flag-ships of Sir Jas. Saumarez, Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, and Sir Chas. Cotton, and Blossom 18, Swiftsure 74, and Stately 64, all commanded by Capt. Wm. Stewart. Under Sir W. S. Smith, in the Hibernia, we find him, towards the close of 1807, witnessing the flight of the Royal House of Portugal to the Brazils; and, in the boats of the Blossom, contributing, in 1811, to the capture of the Medes Islands and to the destruction of an armed schooner and convoy at the mouth of the Rhone. After serving for about a month at Cadiz in the Revenge 74, flag-ship of Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge, Mr. Rawstorne joined, in Nov. 1812, the Superb 74, Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, bearing the flag afterwards of Hon. Henry Hotham, and proceeded to the coast of North America, where, in command of a tender, he succeeded, during the year 1814, in capturing several vessels laden with military stores. In July, 1815, at which period he had been for many weeks stationed in Basque Roads, he took up a commission bearing date 3 of the preceding March. His subsequent appointments were – 16 March, 1830, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye – 16 March, 1831, to the Coast Guard, in which service he continued upwards of seven years – 28 Aug. 1838, as First, to the Orestes 18, Capt. Peter Sampson Hambly, fitting for South America, whence he returned to England and was paid off at the close of 1841 – 1 Feb. 1842, in a similar capacity, to the Agincourt 72, which ship, bearing the flag of Sir Thos. John Cochrane in the East Indies, he left about the commencement of 1845 – 5 Dec. 1845, again as Senior, to the Trafalgar 120, Capt. John Neale Nott, attached to the Channel squadron – and, 6 July, 1845, as Additional, to the Victory 104, Capt. John Pasco, at Portsmouth. He was advanced to his present rank 9 Nov. 1846.
Commander Rawstorne married Harriet, daughter of Capt. Atkins, R.N. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.