Biographical data

Biographical Data
Owen, William Fitzwilliam If you have images associated with this Person, please contact us at admin@nauticapedia.ca

Title	Admiral (RN)
Official Number	(na)

Birth	17/09/1774	Death	03/11/1857
Place	Manchester	Place	Saint John
Area		Area
Country	UK	Country	New Brunswick

Titles
Honours
Awards
Qualifications

Biography
He was the illegitimate son of a naval officer, his mother a serving girl from Campobello New Brunswick. He was orphaned at the age of four when his father died in India. On half-pay he retired to Campobello New Brunswick in 1836 and entered politics serving as a Justice of the Peace. He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick 1838-42 and in 1843-51 he was appointed to the Legislative Council. He spent five years surveying the Saint John River and the Bay of Fundy. (He named Owen Sound (the body of water in Lake Huron) for his brother Sir Edward W.C.R. Owen.)

Biography

He was the illegitimate son of a naval officer, his mother a serving girl from Campobello New Brunswick. He was orphaned at the age of four when his father died in India. On half-pay he retired to Campobello New Brunswick in 1836 and entered politics serving as a Justice of the Peace. He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick 1838-42 and in 1843-51 he was appointed to the Legislative Council. He spent five years surveying the Saint John River and the Bay of Fundy. (He named Owen Sound (the body of water in Lake Huron) for his brother Sir Edward W.C.R. Owen.)

Military Service
He entered the Royal Navy in 1788. He was appointed as a Midshipman RN in 1794 serving in H.M.S. Culloden (He was present for Lord Howe's victory on the Glorious First of June 1794. He was reduced to the rate of Able Seaman twice. He was qualified as a Lieutenant in 1794 and appointed as a Lieutenant RN (With seniority dated 12/06/1797). He was court-martialled for insubordination with the year and dismissed from the service. He was re-appointed as a Midshipman through his connections. He served in H.M.S. London (He was present for the Great Mutiny where he was confined with both legs in irons - the only midshipman so confined.) Afterwards he was re-appointed as a Lieutenant and served under Nelson in the English Channel until 1803. He served in H.M.S. Nemesis (In command) 1801. He was a Prisoner of War in Mauritius with Matthew Flinders from 1808-10. He served in H.M.S. Seaflower (In command) 1803 in the Indian Ocean. He and his vessel were captured by the French and he was made a Prisoner of War in Mauritius to 1810. Afterwards he served as the Quartermaster-General for the British invasion of Mauritius. He was appointed as a Commander RN (With seniority dated 20/05/1809). He was appointed as a Captain RN (With seniority dated 02/05/1811). He returned to England in 1813 in charge of a convoy. He was appointed as a Commodore RN in 1815 and as Commander-in-Chief Great Lakes Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence River 01/11/1815. He surveyed the Great Lakes 1815-16 as Chief Hydrographer with responsibility for charting the water frontier of British North America from Montreal to Lake HMCS Huron. He fixed the exact latitudes for towns located from Quebec City to Penetanguishene and verified the boundary line with the United States. He served in H.M.S. Leven (In command) 1821. In 1821-26 he led an expedition to the west coast of Africa in H.M.S. Leven and H.M.S. Barracouda where he surveyed the east coast of Africa from Cape of Good Hope, Madagascar and parts of Arabia. He was sent to H.M.S. Eden in 1827 and he continued his African survey work settling the Colony of Fernando Po and charting the Gambia River. He also worked informally to supress the slave trade. He was offered the post of Hydrographer of the Navy only to learn in the same mail that the post had been offered to Sir Francis Beaufort who had been selected. He served in H.M.S. Columbia (In command) 1847 and surveyed on the east coast of North America and fixed the longitudes of many places. He returned to England on promotion and had no further service. He was appointed as a Rear-Admiral RN on (With seniority dated 21/12/1847) and Vice-Admiral RN on (With seniority dated 27/10/1854). (He retired on 06/02/1855.) He was appointed as an Admiral (Retired) RN in 1847.

Military Service

He entered the Royal Navy in 1788. He was appointed as a Midshipman RN in 1794 serving in H.M.S. Culloden (He was present for Lord Howe's victory on the Glorious First of June 1794. He was reduced to the rate of Able Seaman twice. He was qualified as a Lieutenant in 1794 and appointed as a Lieutenant RN (With seniority dated 12/06/1797). He was court-martialled for insubordination with the year and dismissed from the service. He was re-appointed as a Midshipman through his connections. He served in H.M.S. London (He was present for the Great Mutiny where he was confined with both legs in irons - the only midshipman so confined.) Afterwards he was re-appointed as a Lieutenant and served under Nelson in the English Channel until 1803. He served in H.M.S. Nemesis (In command) 1801. He was a Prisoner of War in Mauritius with Matthew Flinders from 1808-10. He served in H.M.S. Seaflower (In command) 1803 in the Indian Ocean. He and his vessel were captured by the French and he was made a Prisoner of War in Mauritius to 1810. Afterwards he served as the Quartermaster-General for the British invasion of Mauritius. He was appointed as a Commander RN (With seniority dated 20/05/1809). He was appointed as a Captain RN (With seniority dated 02/05/1811). He returned to England in 1813 in charge of a convoy. He was appointed as a Commodore RN in 1815 and as Commander-in-Chief Great Lakes Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence River 01/11/1815. He surveyed the Great Lakes 1815-16 as Chief Hydrographer with responsibility for charting the water frontier of British North America from Montreal to Lake HMCS Huron. He fixed the exact latitudes for towns located from Quebec City to Penetanguishene and verified the boundary line with the United States. He served in H.M.S. Leven (In command) 1821. In 1821-26 he led an expedition to the west coast of Africa in H.M.S. Leven and H.M.S. Barracouda where he surveyed the east coast of Africa from Cape of Good Hope, Madagascar and parts of Arabia. He was sent to H.M.S. Eden in 1827 and he continued his African survey work settling the Colony of Fernando Po and charting the Gambia River. He also worked informally to supress the slave trade. He was offered the post of Hydrographer of the Navy only to learn in the same mail that the post had been offered to Sir Francis Beaufort who had been selected. He served in H.M.S. Columbia (In command) 1847 and surveyed on the east coast of North America and fixed the longitudes of many places. He returned to England on promotion and had no further service. He was appointed as a Rear-Admiral RN on (With seniority dated 21/12/1847) and Vice-Admiral RN on (With seniority dated 27/10/1854). (He retired on 06/02/1855.) He was appointed as an Admiral (Retired) RN in 1847.

Vessels Owned
Aircraft Flown
Named Features	Owen Point (BC); Owen Sound ON (Named for him in 1857).

Anecdotes

References
Walbran, Captain John T. (1909); MacFarlane, John M. (1994); The Canadian Encyclopedia (2nd ed.) Volume III Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers; Kemp, Peter (Ed.) (1976); Harding, Les (1991);
Last update
2011-01-31 00:00:00

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Biographical Data

Owen, William Fitzwilliam