Lot Essay
Sir Joshua Rowley 1st Bt.
Joshua Rowley was born into a naval family. His father, Admiral Sir William Rowley (c.1690-1768) was knighted for his services in the Navy and it was with his father that Joshua served, whilst still a boy, learning to speak both French and Italian. He was promoted to teh rank of lieutenant in 1747 and served in the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean. He married a daughter of the deputy governor of the Bank of England, Sarah Burton in 1759 but left for the West Indies the next year commanding HMS Superbe that November, the ship in which he would sail in to the West Indies in 1762. It was this journey which occasioned the presentation of the present epergne. He stayed with the ship until 1778 when he transferred to HMS Monarch and then the Suffolk. He was made rear admiral of the blue in 1779 seeing further action off Grenada and Martinique. He was appointed officer commanding the station in Jamaica until his return to England in 1783. He received a baronetcy in 1786 and a promotion to vice admiral of the white the next year. He retired to his Suffolk seat, Tendring Hall, which had been designed for him by Sir John Soane. It was there that he died in 1790.
The importance of the epergne to Sir Joshua Rowley is reflected by the care and consideration he gives the piece in his will, which was drawn up on 4 August 1786 and proved on 10 March 1790, following the Admirals's death on the 26 February, (PRO Mss. PROB 11/1190/36). He makes particular note of the presentation and his wish that it goes not to his eldest son, to his second son Bartholomew. If on his death he was childless it should to pass to Sir Joshua's fourth son Charles or his heirs, his reasoning being that they were both Navy men.
'I give the use of my large silver epergne with all the ffurniture [sic] thereto belonging which was given to me by the West India merchants and which is engraved with their arms ...to my son Bartholomew Samuel Rowley for his life and from and after his decease I give the said epergne...(so far as by law I may) unto the eldest or only son of him the said Bartholomew Samuel Rowley, lawfully to be begotten which shall be living at his decease and in default of issue male of the said Bartholomew Samuel Rowley I give the use of the said epergne...to my son Charles Rowley for his life and from and after his decease...unto the eldest or only son of the said Charles Rowley lawfully to be begotten which shall be living at his decease and in default of such issue to the personal representatives of said Charles Rowley my reason for which bequest in favour of my two sons Bartholomew Samuel Rowley and Charles Rowley is that they are both of my profession.'
Joshua Rowley was born into a naval family. His father, Admiral Sir William Rowley (c.1690-1768) was knighted for his services in the Navy and it was with his father that Joshua served, whilst still a boy, learning to speak both French and Italian. He was promoted to teh rank of lieutenant in 1747 and served in the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean. He married a daughter of the deputy governor of the Bank of England, Sarah Burton in 1759 but left for the West Indies the next year commanding HMS Superbe that November, the ship in which he would sail in to the West Indies in 1762. It was this journey which occasioned the presentation of the present epergne. He stayed with the ship until 1778 when he transferred to HMS Monarch and then the Suffolk. He was made rear admiral of the blue in 1779 seeing further action off Grenada and Martinique. He was appointed officer commanding the station in Jamaica until his return to England in 1783. He received a baronetcy in 1786 and a promotion to vice admiral of the white the next year. He retired to his Suffolk seat, Tendring Hall, which had been designed for him by Sir John Soane. It was there that he died in 1790.
The importance of the epergne to Sir Joshua Rowley is reflected by the care and consideration he gives the piece in his will, which was drawn up on 4 August 1786 and proved on 10 March 1790, following the Admirals's death on the 26 February, (PRO Mss. PROB 11/1190/36). He makes particular note of the presentation and his wish that it goes not to his eldest son, to his second son Bartholomew. If on his death he was childless it should to pass to Sir Joshua's fourth son Charles or his heirs, his reasoning being that they were both Navy men.
'I give the use of my large silver epergne with all the ffurniture [sic] thereto belonging which was given to me by the West India merchants and which is engraved with their arms ...to my son Bartholomew Samuel Rowley for his life and from and after his decease I give the said epergne...(so far as by law I may) unto the eldest or only son of him the said Bartholomew Samuel Rowley, lawfully to be begotten which shall be living at his decease and in default of issue male of the said Bartholomew Samuel Rowley I give the use of the said epergne...to my son Charles Rowley for his life and from and after his decease...unto the eldest or only son of the said Charles Rowley lawfully to be begotten which shall be living at his decease and in default of such issue to the personal representatives of said Charles Rowley my reason for which bequest in favour of my two sons Bartholomew Samuel Rowley and Charles Rowley is that they are both of my profession.'