A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Stanley, Owen
STANLEY, F.E.S., F.R.A.S. (Captain, 1844. f-p., 19; h-p., 4.)
Owen Stanley, born 13 June, 1811, is eldest son of the Right Rev. Edw. Stanley, Bishop of Norwich, by Catherine, daughter of the Rev. Oswald Leicester, Rector of Stoke, Salop; and nephew of Lord Stanley, of Alderley. His youngest brother, Charles Edward, is a Captain in the Royal Engineers.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 5 Aug. 1824; and embarked, 8 Jan. 1826, as a Volunteer, on board the Druid frigate, Capt. Sam. Chambers, stationed in the Channel. In the following March he became Midshipman of the Ganges 84, fitting for the flag of Sir Robt. Waller Otway, Commander-in-Chief in South America; where he removed, in Dec. 1827, to the Forte 44, Capt. Jeremiah Coghlan, and in Jan. 1830 joined the Adventure sloop, Capt. Philip Parker King, employed in surveying the Straits of Magellan. Returning to England in the ensuing Nov. he was next (he had passed his examination 28 June, 1830) nominated, 14 March and 8 June, 1831, Mate of the Belvidera 42 and Rainbow 28, Capts. Hon. Rich. Saunders Dundas and Sir John Franklin, both in the Mediterranean. He left the latter ship 4 July in the same year, having been advanced at home to the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 14 May, 1831; and he was subsequently appointed – 18 July and 19 Oct. 1831, 22 Oct. 1832, and 28 March, 1834, to the Kent 78, Capt. Sam. Pym, Procris 10, Capt. John Thos. Talbot, Malabar 74, Capt. Hon. Josceline Percy, and Mastiff 6, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Graves, all in the Mediterranean – 11 May, 1836, to the Terror bomb, Capt. Geo. Back – and 21 Dec. 1837, to the command of the Britomart 10. In the Mastiff he assisted in surveying the Grecian Archipelago; and in the Terror he had charge of the Astronomical and Magnetic Observations during the Polar Expedition which sailed from the Orkneys 23 June, 1836, and returned to Lough Swilly 3 Sept. 1837. Between those dates he took a survey, for the first time, of the north-eastern shore of Southampton Island; and made various views of the coast. While in the Britomart, in which vessel he remained until 27 April, 1843, Capt. Stanley, whose promotion to the rank of Commander took place 26 March, 1839, aided in forming the colony of Port Essington, made a track survey of the Arafura Sea (see his published chart), and visited and surveyed various harbours in New Zealand and the Tenasserian province. He attained his present rank 23 Sept. 1844; and since 20 Sept. 1846 has been in command of the Rattlesnake, another surveying-vessel, now in the East Indies.
Capt. Stanley is a Fellow of the Royal and Astronomical Societies. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.