Logo

15 Facts About William Rowan

1.

Field Marshal Sir William Shearman Rowan, was a British Army officer.

2.

William Rowan served in the Peninsular War and then the Hundred Days, fighting at the Battle of Waterloo and taking part in an important charge led by Sir John Colborne against the Imperial Guard when he was wounded.

3.

William Rowan later assisted Colborne in Colborne's new role as Acting Governor General of British North America during the rebellions by the Patriote movement in 1837.

4.

At the age of 14 years, William Rowan was commissioned as an ensign in the 52nd Light Infantry on 4 November 1803 and promoted to lieutenant on 15 June 1804.

5.

William Rowan was deployed to Sicily in 1806 and to Sweden in 1808 before being promoted to captain and being given command of a company in the 2nd Battalion of his regiment on 19 October 1808.

6.

William Rowan was present at the capture of Flushing in August 1809 during the disastrous Walcheren Campaign.

7.

William Rowan transferred to the 58th Regiment of Foot on 27 July 1826 and, having been promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant colonel on 22 July 1830, he became Military and Civil Secretary to Sir John Colborne, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, in 1832.

8.

William Rowan was promoted to colonel on 10 January 1837 and assisted Colborne in Colborne's new role as Acting Governor General of British North America during the rebellions by the Patriote movement in 1837.

9.

William Rowan was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 19 July 1838 before returning to England in 1839.

10.

William Rowan was promoted to the local rank of lieutenant general on 22 June 1849.

11.

William Rowan was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 5 February 1856.

12.

William Rowan was colonel of the 19th Regiment of Foot and later of the 52nd Light Infantry.

13.

William Rowan was promoted to full general on 13 August 1862 and, having been advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 28 March 1865, he was promoted to field marshal on 2 June 1877.

14.

William Rowan died on 26 September 1879 at No 9 Gay Street, Bath and was buried at Lansdown Cemetery in Bath.

15.

William Rowan married Martha Spong of Aylesford, Kent, daughter of John and Rosamond Spong on 21 January 1811 at West Malling in Kent; they had no children.