A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Stewart, Robert Arthur
STEWART. (Commander, 1845. f-p., 13; h-p., 5.)
Robert Arthur Stewart was born 20 April, 1813.
This officer entered the Navy, 14 Feb. 1829, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Zebra 18, Capt. Rich. Pridham, fitting at Plymouth. He served next, from 16 March following until 6 Feb. 1832, part of the time as Midshipman, in the Despatch 18, Capts. Wm. Bohun Bowyer and Edw. Augustus Frankland, on the coasts of Ireland and Portugal; and from March in the latter year until June, 1834, in the San Josef 110, flag-ship of Sir Manley Dixon and Sir Wm. Hargood at Plymouth. He was then for nearly 11 months employed between Falmouth and Lisbon in the Viper brigantine of 6 guns, Lieut.-Commander Louis Augustus Robinson; and he next, in Sept. 1835, joined the Quail 4, Lieut.-Commander Philip Bisson. On 24 March, 1836, being then on her passage to Lisbon, the latter vessel, while laying to in a severe gale of wind, was struck by a heavy sea, thrown on her beam-ends, and dismasted; she soon became water-logged, and in that state, after the greater part of her crew had been drowned, she remained a complete wreck and perfectly helpless for the space of 10 days; at the expiration of which period she was providentially fallen in with and towed into Jersey. After serving for nine months with Lieuts. Bisson and Henry Pryce Deschamps as Mate in the Bonetta 3, on the coast of Africa, Mr. Stewart returned, in March, 1837, to England, and in the following Dec. was appointed to the Volage 26, Capt. Henry Smith, equipping for the East Indies. In her he assisted in Jan. 1839 at the capture of Aden and in taking possession of the island of Seerah;[1] and being strongly recommended for his gallant conduct, he was promoted, 1 May in the same year, to the rank of Lieutenant. Continuing in the Volage until removed, in June, 1840, to the Hyacinth 18, Capts. Wm. Warren and Geo. Goldsmith, he proceeded in her to China, and was present, 4 Nov. 1839, in an action fought with a fleet of war-junks off Chuenpee. In the Hyacinth he took part, 19 Aug. 1840, in a prompt and decisive attack made upon the works and barracks erected close to the barrier at Macao, in which the Chinese were quickly put to flight, and their intentions against that city frustrated. He assisted also in the operations of March[2] and May, 1841, against Canton; and on 26 of the latter month, in command of the Hyacinth’s pinnace, assisted by the boats of the Modeste 18 and Algerine 10, he proved instrumental in spiking the guns of a heavy battery, whose fire had been directed against the Algerine.[3] He became ultimately First-Lieutenant of the Hyacinth, and in that capacity was employed in a variety of boat-attacks in the Ningpo river. He returned home and was paid off in Nov. 1842; was next, 14 Dec. 1844, appointed to the Eagle 50, Capt. Geo. Bohun Martin, fitting at Chatham; and on 24 Feb. 1845 was advanced to the rank he now holds. He has not been since afloat. Agents – Messrs. Chard.