Bartholomew Rowley Admiral Sir Bartholomew Samuel Rowley ( 10 June 1764 – 7 October 1811 ) was a British naval officer who served during the American , French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . Biography . He was second son of Vice - Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley , and was a member of a notable naval dynasty ; his grandfather was Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Rowley , while his younger brother was Admiral Sir Charles Rowley , and his cousins included Admiral Sir Josias Rowley , Rear - Admiral Samuel Campbell Rowley , Vice - Admiral Sir Joshua Ricketts Rowley , and Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Martin . His sister Philadelphia Rowley was married to Admiral Sir Charles Cotton . Rowley attended Harrow School from 1775 , and then entered in the Navy . By 1780 was serving as a lieutenant aboard his father ' s flagship , the 74 - gun . On 31 January 1781 he was made post ( before his 17th birthday ! ) in order to command the 28 - gun sixth - rate frigate . On 20 April 1781 " Resource " captured the 20 - gun French frigate " Licorne " in an action lasting 1½ hours . She proved to be the former , which had been captured on 4 September 1780 by a French frigate and two ships of the line off Tortuga . In October 1782 Rowley took command of the fifth - rate 32 - gun frigate , where he served until August 1783 . However , with the end of the American Revolutionary War in September 1783 , Rowley found himself , like many other naval officers , unemployed on half - pay for nearly a decade . By the time of the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War in February 1793 Rowley was back at sea in command of the 32 - gun frigate , serving in the Jamaica Squadron , under the command of Commodore John Ford . On 16 April 1793 " Penelope " captured the French aviso " Le Goéland " , commanded by " lieutenant de vaisseau " Leissègues de Pennenyum , en route from Cap - Français to Jérémie . In late 1793 Ford took advantage of the Haitian Revolution to occupy several ports in the French colony of Saint - Domingue ( now Haiti ) . On 20 November 1793 " Penelope " sailed from Môle - Saint - Nicolas , having received news that the French 36 - gun frigate " L ' Inconstante " was sailing from Port - au - Prince , escorting a large merchant ship . The next day " Penelope " met the 32 - gun frigate and the two ships proceeded towards Port - au - Prince . However they learned that " L ' Inconstante " had sailed to Petit Trou with two mail ships , but was soon expected to return to port . They intended to cut her out of the harbour of Port - au - Prince , but on the night of the 25 November met her at sea , and after a brisk exchange of broadsides , " L ' Inconstante " surrendered . The " Penelope " had only one man killed and seven wounded , while the " L ' Inconstante " had nine killed , including the Captain and the First Lieutenant , and 17 wounded . On 2 January 1794 Ford sent " Penelope " into Port - au - Prince under a flag of truce where Rowley demanded the surrender of the island from the French Civil Commissioner Léger - Félicité Sonthonax . He refused , and the British promptly blockaded the island . After the capture of Port - au - Prince on 4 June 1794 , Rowley and Lieutenant - Colonel John Whitelocke were sent back to England with dispatches aboard the sloop . In August 1794 Rowley was appointed captain of the 74 - gun , taking part in the Battle of Hyères Islands on 13 July 1795 , off the southern coast of France , when a British fleet under Admiral William Hotham engaged a French fleet . " Cumberland " was in the van of the British fleet , accepting the surrender of the French 74 , before Hotham ordered the fleet to disengage . From July 1797 until October 1798 Rowley commanded the 74 - gun , capturing the French brig " L ' Arrogant " . Rowley was promoted to Rear - Admiral on 14 February 1799 , and to Vice - Admiral on 9 November 1805 . He was appointed Commander - in - Chief at Jamaica , and sailed from England in July 1808 aboard , commanded by Captain William Pryce Cumby . As C - in - C Rowley resided ashore , flying his flag in . He was promoted to Admiral of the Blue on 31 July 1810 , and died at Jamaica on 7 October 1811 . References .