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Robert Barlow (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Robert Barlow GCB
(25 December 1757 – 11 May 1843) was a senior and distinguished officer of the British Royal Navy
who saw extensive service in the American Revolutionary War
, the French Revolutionary Wars
and the Napoleonic Wars
. He made his name in small ship actions, especially fighting French frigates, or which he captured three. In his later career Barlow served as comptroller of the Navy and was influential at the Admiralty
right up to his death. Although born to a middle class family, Barlow and his siblings made names for themselves and two of Barlow's daughters married into the naval aristocracy.
to wealthy mercer William Barlow and his wife Hilaire. The couple had numerous children, including Robert's elder brother George Hilario Barlow
who later became Governor-General of India. Robert joined the Navy as a teenager and was promoted lieutenant in 1778, serving on HMS Courageux in the American Revolutionary War. In her, Barlow participated in the capture of the French frigate Minerve
and also was part of the fleet which relieved the Great Siege of Gibraltar
.
After the peace in 1783, Barlow married Elizabeth Garrett of Worting, Hampshire
. The couple had a close relationship and numerous children. Between 1786 and 1789, Barlow commanded the revenue cutter HMS Barracouta, transferring to the larger brig HMS Childers on the same service in November 1790.
to reconnoitre the port due to the growing hostility between Britain and the First French Republic. Tensions had been mounting for months since the French Revolution
and the opening of the French Revolutionary Wars
the previous year between France, Prussia
, Austria
and Sardinia
but Britain and France were not yet at war when Barlow entered Brest. Within minutes of his arrival, one of the formidable forts overlooking the harbour mouth opened fire on his diminutive craft with 48 lb shot. One of the first balls fired struck a gun on Childers deck and split the cannon in two. Barlow beat a hasty retreat without suffering any casualties and reported the attack to his superiors. One month later Britain and France were at war; in his excursion to Brest, Barlow had received the first shots of a 23 year conflict.
Two weeks after war was declared, Barlow secured an early victory with seizure of the privateer
Patriote off Gravelines
. This was the first naval engagement of the wars and his success secured Barlow a promotion to post captain in the frigate HMS Pegasus. Pegasus was attached to the Channel Fleet
under Lord Howe
and acted as a repeating ship for the admiral's signals. Barlow was still in this position at the battle of the Glorious First of June
, when he relayed Howe's orders to the rest of the fleet. Despite a mixed reaction from many of Howe's captains the battle was a success and Barlow was upgraded to the frigate HMS Aquilon
as a reward for his service.
In 1795, Barlow moved to the new frigate HMS Phoebe
and in her captured the French frigate Néréide
in December 1797. Four years later in the Straits of Gibraltar, Barlow repeated the feat by capturing the French frigate Africaine, which was transporting French soldiers to Egypt
and had over 400 aboard, at the Action of 19 February 1801
. In a close contest, Phoebe forced her opponent to surrender and caused over 300 casualties to Africaine for just 13 of her own. For this second victory, Barlow was knighted
and given command of the ship of the line
HMS Triumph
in the Mediterranean until 1804.
. During this period he showed great skill as an administrator and improved services where ever he was stationed.
Barlow continued on shore service until 1823, when he was retired as a rear-admiral. He had been made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath three years before. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in January, 1819.
Barlow enjoyed a lengthy retirement in Canterbury
and in 1840 was restored to naval service in order to receive a belated promotion to full admiral and advancement to Knight Grand Cross. He died at the archbishop's palace in Canterbury in May 1843. His wife had predeceased him by 26 years, but two of his daughters had married well, wedding George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington
and William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson
.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Robert Barlow GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(25 December 1757 – 11 May 1843) was a senior and distinguished officer of the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who saw extensive service in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He made his name in small ship actions, especially fighting French frigates, or which he captured three. In his later career Barlow served as comptroller of the Navy and was influential at the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
right up to his death. Although born to a middle class family, Barlow and his siblings made names for themselves and two of Barlow's daughters married into the naval aristocracy.
Early career
Robert Barlow was born in 1757 in Covent GardenCovent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
to wealthy mercer William Barlow and his wife Hilaire. The couple had numerous children, including Robert's elder brother George Hilario Barlow
George Hilario Barlow
Sir George Hilario Barlow, 1st Baronet, GCB served as Acting Governor-General of India from the death of Lord Cornwallis in 1805 until the arrival of Lord Minto in 1807....
who later became Governor-General of India. Robert joined the Navy as a teenager and was promoted lieutenant in 1778, serving on HMS Courageux in the American Revolutionary War. In her, Barlow participated in the capture of the French frigate Minerve
French ship Minerve
Fifteen ships of the French Navy have born the name Minerve, in honour of goddess Minerva:* Minerve, a 26-gun frigate, lead ship of her class * Minerve, a 32-gun frigate...
and also was part of the fleet which relieved the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
.
After the peace in 1783, Barlow married Elizabeth Garrett of Worting, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. The couple had a close relationship and numerous children. Between 1786 and 1789, Barlow commanded the revenue cutter HMS Barracouta, transferring to the larger brig HMS Childers on the same service in November 1790.
French Revolutionary Wars
On 2 January 1793, Barlow took Childers into BrestBrest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
to reconnoitre the port due to the growing hostility between Britain and the First French Republic. Tensions had been mounting for months since the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and the opening of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
the previous year between France, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
but Britain and France were not yet at war when Barlow entered Brest. Within minutes of his arrival, one of the formidable forts overlooking the harbour mouth opened fire on his diminutive craft with 48 lb shot. One of the first balls fired struck a gun on Childers deck and split the cannon in two. Barlow beat a hasty retreat without suffering any casualties and reported the attack to his superiors. One month later Britain and France were at war; in his excursion to Brest, Barlow had received the first shots of a 23 year conflict.
Two weeks after war was declared, Barlow secured an early victory with seizure of the privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
Patriote off Gravelines
Gravelines
Gravelines is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies at the mouth of the river Aa 15 miles southwest of Dunkirk. There is a market in the town square on Saturdays. The "Arsenal" approached from the town square is home to an extensive and carefully displayed art collection....
. This was the first naval engagement of the wars and his success secured Barlow a promotion to post captain in the frigate HMS Pegasus. Pegasus was attached to the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
under Lord Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
and acted as a repeating ship for the admiral's signals. Barlow was still in this position at the battle of the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
, when he relayed Howe's orders to the rest of the fleet. Despite a mixed reaction from many of Howe's captains the battle was a success and Barlow was upgraded to the frigate HMS Aquilon
HMS Aquilon
Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Aquilon, to commemorate the destruction of the French ship Aquilon by HMS Antelope in 1757. Aquilon was originally the Roman name for the North Wind....
as a reward for his service.
In 1795, Barlow moved to the new frigate HMS Phoebe
HMS Phoebe (1795)
HMS Phoebe was a 36-gun fifth rate of the British Royal Navy. She had a career of almost twenty years and fought in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812...
and in her captured the French frigate Néréide
French ship Néréide
A number of ships of the French Navy have born the name Néréide . Among them:* Néréide , a 32-gun Sibylle class frigate* Néréide, a 38-gun frigate....
in December 1797. Four years later in the Straits of Gibraltar, Barlow repeated the feat by capturing the French frigate Africaine, which was transporting French soldiers to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and had over 400 aboard, at the Action of 19 February 1801
Action of 19 February 1801
The Action of 19 February 1801 was a minor naval battle fought off Ceuta in Spanish North Africa in February 1801 between a French Navy frigate and British Royal Navy frigate during the French Revolutionary Wars...
. In a close contest, Phoebe forced her opponent to surrender and caused over 300 casualties to Africaine for just 13 of her own. For this second victory, Barlow was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
and given command of the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Triumph
HMS Triumph (1764)
HMS Triumph was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 3 March 1764 at Woolwich.In 1797, she took part in the Battle of Camperdown, and in 1805 Triumph was part of Admiral Calder's fleet at the Battle of Cape Finisterre....
in the Mediterranean until 1804.
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic wars were a less active period for Barlow, who served as Lord Keith's flag captain for a time and then as deputy controller of the navy before moving as superintendent of Chatham DockyardChatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
. During this period he showed great skill as an administrator and improved services where ever he was stationed.
Barlow continued on shore service until 1823, when he was retired as a rear-admiral. He had been made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath three years before. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in January, 1819.
Barlow enjoyed a lengthy retirement in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
and in 1840 was restored to naval service in order to receive a belated promotion to full admiral and advancement to Knight Grand Cross. He died at the archbishop's palace in Canterbury in May 1843. His wife had predeceased him by 26 years, but two of his daughters had married well, wedding George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington
George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington
George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington was a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy. His son, the seventh Viscount, served as Governor of Ceylon between 1847 and 1850....
and William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson
William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson
William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronté was the elder brother of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson....
.