Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Rowley, Charles
ROWLEY, Sir CHARLES (1770–1845), admiral, born on 16 Dec. 1770, was youngest son of Sir Joshua Rowley, bart. [q. v.], and first cousin of Sir Josias Rowley, bart. [q. v.] He entered the navy in April 1785, served in different ships on the North American station, from November 1786 to October 1788 was with Prince William Henry—afterwards William IV—in the Pegasus and Andromeda; was again on the North American station, and in Newfoundland, with Vice-admiral Milbanke, by whom, on 8 Oct. 1789, he was promoted to be lieutenant and put in command of the Trepassy, where he remained till February 1791. In 1794 he went out to North America in the Resolution, flagship of Rear-admiral George Murray, by whom he was promoted to be commander on 20 April, and captain on 1 Aug. 1795. He then commanded the Cleopatra till May 1796, the Hussar till the following October, and from October 1796 to August 1798 the Unité in the Channel. In 1800 he was flag-captain to Sir Charles Cotton in the Prince George. From March 1804 to November 1805 he was in the Ruby, for the most part in the North Sea, and from November 1805 to May 1814 he commanded the Eagle in the Mediterranean, in the expedition to Walcheren in 1809, off Cadiz in 1810, and from 1811 in the Adriatic, where he repeatedly distinguished himself in engagements with the enemy's batteries, and especially at the capture of Fiume on 3 July, and of Trieste in October 1813. The Emperor of Austria conferred on him the order of Maria Theresa, which he received permission to wear. On 4 June 1814 he was promoted to be rear-admiral, and on 2 Jan. 1815 was nominated a K.C.B. From 1815 to 1818 he was commander-in-chief at the Nore, and at Jamaica from 1820 to 1823. He became a vice-admiral on 27 May 1825; was a lord of the admiralty in 1834–5; was made a G.C.H. on 7 Oct. 1835; a baronet on 22 Feb. 1836; a G.C.B. on 4 July 1840; and an admiral on 23 Nov. 1841. From December 1842 to September 1845 he was commander-in-chief at Portsmouth. He died at Brighton on 10 Oct. 1845. He married, on 7 Dec. 1797, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Admiral Sir Richard King, bart. She died on 11 Jan. 1838, leaving issue.
[O'Byrne's Nav. Biogr. Dict.; Marshall's Roy. Nav. Biogr. ii. (vol. i. pt. ii.) 672; Service-book in the Public Record Office; Foster's Baronetage.]