William Fitzwilliam Owen
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
William Fitzwilliam Owen (17 September 1774 – 3 November 1857), was a British
naval officer and explorer. He is best known for his exploration of the west and east Africa
n coasts, discovery of the Seaflower Channel off the coast of Sumatra
and for surveying the Canadian Great Lakes
.
The illegitimate son of Captain William Owen he was orphaned at the age of four, however, his father’s friend Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Rich, kept an eye on both William and his elder brother Edward, in 1788 at age 13 he embarked as a midshipman in Rich’s ship, , and from that time the Royal Navy was his life. Self-willed and boisterous, he had not infrequent difficulties early in his naval career.
He served at home and on ships in the East Indies
. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1797. In 1803 he was given command of the brig Seaflower, of 16 guns, and sailed to the East Indies, serving under Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew
, Commander-in-Chief East Indies.
He explored the Maldive Islands in 1806, and in the same year discovered the Seaflower Channel, between the islands of Siberut
and Sipora off the west coast of Sumatra.
He fought the Dutch in the East Indies
, and was captured and held by the French from 1808 to 1810 in Mauritius
, during which time he was promoted to commander. After his release Owen was promoted to post captain in May 1811, before returning to England in 1813.
From 1815 to 1816, he surveyed the upper Canadian Great Lakes with Lieutenant Henry Bayfield, naming an inlet in southern Georgian Bay
"Owen's Sound" in honour of his elder brother, Admiral Sir Edward William Campbell Rich Owen. Between 26 October 1815 and 31 May 1816 he was the senior Royal Navy Officer on the Great Lakes.
Owen mapped the entire east African coast from the Cape to the Horn of Africa between 1821 and 1826 in the sloop Leven
and in company with the brig . When they returned in 1826, with 300 new charts, covering some 30,000 miles of coastline, over half the original crew had been killed by tropical diseases.
In 1827 he was in charge of settling a colony at Fernando Po
. During the first year, he was joined by Lieutenant James Holman
who was famous in his time as "the Blind Traveller".
In the mid-1830s, having little hope of further naval appointment, he removed with his family to New Brunswick. He secured title to Campobello Island, which had been granted to his grandfather and was lord proprietor of the same as well being involved in other investments in New Brunswick. From 1841 he served as a justice of the peace as well as concurrently as judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas.
Between 1837 and 1842 he was a very visible member of the New Brunswick House of Assembly for Charlotte County. Following his defeat for reelection, he was appointed in December 1843 to the New Brunswick Legislative Council of which he was an active member through 1851.
In the final action of his naval career, between September 1842 and December 1847, he conducted the definitive survey of the Bay of Fundy for the Admiralty. Indeed some charts of the area are still based upon his surveys
-Owen), secondly 11 December 1852 in Saint John, New Brunwick to Amy (née Vernon) Nicholson widow of Captain Thomas L. Nicholson (see William Johnstone Ritchie
).
Owen was promoted rear-admiral in 1841 and vice-admiral in 1854. He died on 3 November 1857 at St. John
, New Brunswick
.
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
William Fitzwilliam Owen (17 September 1774 – 3 November 1857), was a British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
naval officer and explorer. He is best known for his exploration of the west and east Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n coasts, discovery of the Seaflower Channel off the coast of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and for surveying the Canadian Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
.
The illegitimate son of Captain William Owen he was orphaned at the age of four, however, his father’s friend Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Rich, kept an eye on both William and his elder brother Edward, in 1788 at age 13 he embarked as a midshipman in Rich’s ship, , and from that time the Royal Navy was his life. Self-willed and boisterous, he had not infrequent difficulties early in his naval career.
He served at home and on ships in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1797. In 1803 he was given command of the brig Seaflower, of 16 guns, and sailed to the East Indies, serving under Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew
Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary, and the Napoleonic Wars...
, Commander-in-Chief East Indies.
He explored the Maldive Islands in 1806, and in the same year discovered the Seaflower Channel, between the islands of Siberut
Siberut
Siberut is the largest and northernmost of the Mentawai Islands, lying 150 kilometres west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. A part of Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park in 1993...
and Sipora off the west coast of Sumatra.
He fought the Dutch in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
, and was captured and held by the French from 1808 to 1810 in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, during which time he was promoted to commander. After his release Owen was promoted to post captain in May 1811, before returning to England in 1813.
From 1815 to 1816, he surveyed the upper Canadian Great Lakes with Lieutenant Henry Bayfield, naming an inlet in southern Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
"Owen's Sound" in honour of his elder brother, Admiral Sir Edward William Campbell Rich Owen. Between 26 October 1815 and 31 May 1816 he was the senior Royal Navy Officer on the Great Lakes.
Owen mapped the entire east African coast from the Cape to the Horn of Africa between 1821 and 1826 in the sloop Leven
HMS Leven (1813)
HMS Leven, was a 20-gun sixth-rate post ship of the Cyrus class, of the Royal Navy. She was built in Ipswich, and launched on 23 December 1813. She was notable as the survey ship that mapped large stretches of the coast of Africa in a voyage from 1821 to 1826 under the command of Captain William...
and in company with the brig . When they returned in 1826, with 300 new charts, covering some 30,000 miles of coastline, over half the original crew had been killed by tropical diseases.
In 1827 he was in charge of settling a colony at Fernando Po
Bioko
Bioko is an island 32 km off the west coast of Africa, specifically Cameroon, in the Gulf of Guinea. It is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea with a population of 124,000 and an area of . It is volcanic with its highest peak the Pico Basile at .-Geography:Bioko has a total area of...
. During the first year, he was joined by Lieutenant James Holman
James Holman
James Holman FRS , known as the "Blind Traveler," was a British adventurer, author and social observer, best known for his writings on his extensive travels...
who was famous in his time as "the Blind Traveller".
In the mid-1830s, having little hope of further naval appointment, he removed with his family to New Brunswick. He secured title to Campobello Island, which had been granted to his grandfather and was lord proprietor of the same as well being involved in other investments in New Brunswick. From 1841 he served as a justice of the peace as well as concurrently as judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas.
Between 1837 and 1842 he was a very visible member of the New Brunswick House of Assembly for Charlotte County. Following his defeat for reelection, he was appointed in December 1843 to the New Brunswick Legislative Council of which he was an active member through 1851.
In the final action of his naval career, between September 1842 and December 1847, he conducted the definitive survey of the Bay of Fundy for the Admiralty. Indeed some charts of the area are still based upon his surveys
Family
Vice Admiral Owen was twice married: first in January 1818 to Martha Evans with whom he had two daughters (see Captain John James RobinsonJohn James Robinson
John James Robinson-Owen was a naval officer and political figure in England and New Brunswick. He represented Charlotte County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1850 to 1854....
-Owen), secondly 11 December 1852 in Saint John, New Brunwick to Amy (née Vernon) Nicholson widow of Captain Thomas L. Nicholson (see William Johnstone Ritchie
William Johnstone Ritchie
Sir William Johnstone Ritchie was one of the first judges appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada and became the second Chief Justice of the court....
).
Owen was promoted rear-admiral in 1841 and vice-admiral in 1854. He died on 3 November 1857 at St. John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.