Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
NameRear-Admiral Rafe Grenville Rowley-Conwy RN, CMG 
[62, 1914 edn, Langford article, p. 1156], [4, 1881 ref: RG11 Piece: 5527 Folio: 126 Page: 42], [3, His birth, Q 4 of 1875, St Asaph dist, vol 11b, p. 349], [13, 6 Apr 1951: His death on 4 Apr and his obituary]
[62, 1914 edn, Langford article, p. 1156], [4, 1881 ref: RG11 Piece: 5527 Folio: 126 Page: 42], [3, His birth, Q 4 of 1875, St Asaph dist, vol 11b, p. 349], [13, 6 Apr 1951: His death on 4 Apr and his obituary]Birth11 Sep 1875, Rhuddlan, Flints
Death4 Apr 1951, Bodrhyddan, Rhuddlan, Flints
GeneralA long career in RN. d.unm.
FatherConwy Grenville Hercules Rowley-Conwy (ca1841-1900)
MotherMarian Harford (ca1842-1911)
Notes for Rear-Admiral Rafe Grenville Rowley-Conwy RN, CMG
Times announcements:
30 Aug 1890: To be additional naval cadet to the Anson.
31 Jul 1896: To be Sub-Lieut on the Hood when recommissioned.
23 Jun 1897: Promoted to Lieut.
14 Jul 1897: Appointed as Lieut to the Scout.
10 Nov 1899: Appointed to the Hermes.
3 May 1902: Appointed to the Medusa (1st and G).
25 Feb 1904: Appointed to the Excellent and Defiance for short T and G course.
10 Jul 1905: Appointed to the Eclipse on recommissioning.
22 Jul 1905: Appointed to the Dokis (1st and G).
12 Aug 1908: Appointed to the Sappho (1st and G) on recommissioning.
24 Aug 1908: Appointed temporarily to the Donegal (first).
10 Nov 1908: Appointed to the Circe, in command.
19 Jun 1911: Promoted to Commander.
26 Aug 1911: Appointed to the Leander, additional, and for the Violet, incommand, to date August 31.
29 Apr 1912: Appointed to the Blake, additional, for the Martin.
1 Jan 1917: Promoted to Captain.
26 Aug 1921: Transfer from the Caledon to the light cruiser the Curacoa.
27 Mar 1922: Still on Curacoa, which is the flagship of Rear-Admiral W S Nicholson.
24 Jun 1922: Placed on Retired list at his own request (he was now the heir of the estates)
18 Feb 1928: Appointed Rear-Admiral on the retired list.
18 Apr 1929: “Rear Adm and MrsRowley-Conwy” were at a funeral. When and where did they get married? Seemingly not at all, from his obituary.
5 Jun 1935: Appointed, by the King, Lieutenant of and in the county of Flint.
6 Apr 1951: His death announcement, funeral to be strictly private but memorial service to be held at St Asaph Cathedral at 3pm on Thursday April 12th.
6 Apr 1951: His obituary:
“Born in 1875, he was the son of Captain C G H Rowley-Conwy and marian, daughter of Mr Frederick Harford of Down Place, Berkshire. He entered the Britannia as a naval cadet in July 1888 and became a Lieutenant in in 1897 and a commander in 1911 after commanding small craft. From 1912 and throughout the 1914-18 war he commanded destroyers, including the Martin, Lark, Mentor and Nimrod. In the Mentor he took part in the Dogger Bank action in January 1915. He was promoted to Captain in December 1916 and afterwards commanded the Parker and the 15th Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet, for which he received a C.M.G. in March 1919 and received the United States D.S.M. In 1921-2 he was Flag-Captain in the Curacoa to the Rear-Admiral Commanding the Second Cruiser Squadron. Rowley-Conwy was recognised as a fine seaman and an outstanding flotilla commander. His war record would have ensured him a further distinguished career had he remained in the navy. He had family responsibilities in North Wales, however, and in the difficult times he saw coming, preferring to sacrifice that prospect and devote himself to the personal management of his estates and the welfare of his tenants, he retired in 1922. He was promoted to rear-admiral on the retired list in 1928, and in the recent war returned to serve as a commodore of convoys. He was lord of the manor of Rhoddlan and succeeded Lord Gladstone of Hawarden as Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire on the death of the latter in 1935. He was unmarried.”
13 Apr 1951: His memorial service, attended by Mrs G Rowley-Conwy (sister-in-law), Lt-Col G A Rowley-Conwy, Mr & Mrs R Skinner.
24 Jul 1951: His will was for £170,650 on settled land.
_________________________
On 17 jan 1973, there was a notice of death in The Times for:
“Grete, dearly loved wife of Geoffrey Lord langford of Bodrhyddan and mother of Peter, John and Owen Rowley-Conwy.”
Had Bodrhyddan been given to his cousins by the Admiral? or what. And how had their name changed from the original Rowley?
The answer is that the title had in fact gone to the Admiral’s nephew, G A Rowley-Conwy on the expiry of the senior line in 1953. See Burke and CP.
_________________________
A portrait of him is in the National Portrait Gallery.
30 Aug 1890: To be additional naval cadet to the Anson.
31 Jul 1896: To be Sub-Lieut on the Hood when recommissioned.
23 Jun 1897: Promoted to Lieut.
14 Jul 1897: Appointed as Lieut to the Scout.
10 Nov 1899: Appointed to the Hermes.
3 May 1902: Appointed to the Medusa (1st and G).
25 Feb 1904: Appointed to the Excellent and Defiance for short T and G course.
10 Jul 1905: Appointed to the Eclipse on recommissioning.
22 Jul 1905: Appointed to the Dokis (1st and G).
12 Aug 1908: Appointed to the Sappho (1st and G) on recommissioning.
24 Aug 1908: Appointed temporarily to the Donegal (first).
10 Nov 1908: Appointed to the Circe, in command.
19 Jun 1911: Promoted to Commander.
26 Aug 1911: Appointed to the Leander, additional, and for the Violet, incommand, to date August 31.
29 Apr 1912: Appointed to the Blake, additional, for the Martin.
1 Jan 1917: Promoted to Captain.
26 Aug 1921: Transfer from the Caledon to the light cruiser the Curacoa.
27 Mar 1922: Still on Curacoa, which is the flagship of Rear-Admiral W S Nicholson.
24 Jun 1922: Placed on Retired list at his own request (he was now the heir of the estates)
18 Feb 1928: Appointed Rear-Admiral on the retired list.
18 Apr 1929: “Rear Adm and MrsRowley-Conwy” were at a funeral. When and where did they get married? Seemingly not at all, from his obituary.
5 Jun 1935: Appointed, by the King, Lieutenant of and in the county of Flint.
6 Apr 1951: His death announcement, funeral to be strictly private but memorial service to be held at St Asaph Cathedral at 3pm on Thursday April 12th.
6 Apr 1951: His obituary:
“Born in 1875, he was the son of Captain C G H Rowley-Conwy and marian, daughter of Mr Frederick Harford of Down Place, Berkshire. He entered the Britannia as a naval cadet in July 1888 and became a Lieutenant in in 1897 and a commander in 1911 after commanding small craft. From 1912 and throughout the 1914-18 war he commanded destroyers, including the Martin, Lark, Mentor and Nimrod. In the Mentor he took part in the Dogger Bank action in January 1915. He was promoted to Captain in December 1916 and afterwards commanded the Parker and the 15th Destroyer Flotilla, Grand Fleet, for which he received a C.M.G. in March 1919 and received the United States D.S.M. In 1921-2 he was Flag-Captain in the Curacoa to the Rear-Admiral Commanding the Second Cruiser Squadron. Rowley-Conwy was recognised as a fine seaman and an outstanding flotilla commander. His war record would have ensured him a further distinguished career had he remained in the navy. He had family responsibilities in North Wales, however, and in the difficult times he saw coming, preferring to sacrifice that prospect and devote himself to the personal management of his estates and the welfare of his tenants, he retired in 1922. He was promoted to rear-admiral on the retired list in 1928, and in the recent war returned to serve as a commodore of convoys. He was lord of the manor of Rhoddlan and succeeded Lord Gladstone of Hawarden as Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire on the death of the latter in 1935. He was unmarried.”
13 Apr 1951: His memorial service, attended by Mrs G Rowley-Conwy (sister-in-law), Lt-Col G A Rowley-Conwy, Mr & Mrs R Skinner.
24 Jul 1951: His will was for £170,650 on settled land.
_________________________
On 17 jan 1973, there was a notice of death in The Times for:
“Grete, dearly loved wife of Geoffrey Lord langford of Bodrhyddan and mother of Peter, John and Owen Rowley-Conwy.”
Had Bodrhyddan been given to his cousins by the Admiral? or what. And how had their name changed from the original Rowley?
The answer is that the title had in fact gone to the Admiral’s nephew, G A Rowley-Conwy on the expiry of the senior line in 1953. See Burke and CP.
_________________________
A portrait of him is in the National Portrait Gallery.