Robert Barlow (Royal Navy officer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Robert Barlow
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| Born | 25 December 1757 Covent Garden, London |
| Died | 11 May 1843 Cadogan Place, Canterbury |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1770s to 1843 |
| Rank | Royal Navy Admiral |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War
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| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral Sir Robert Barlow was an important officer in the British Royal Navy. He served in three big wars: the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. He became famous for capturing French ships, especially fast warships called frigates. He captured three of them! Later in his career, Barlow helped manage the Navy. He was a key person at the Admiralty, which is like the Navy's headquarters, until he passed away.
Robert Barlow was born in 1757 in Covent Garden, London. His father, William Barlow, was a wealthy merchant. Robert had many brothers and sisters. His older brother, George Hilario Barlow, later became a very important leader in India.
Robert joined the Navy when he was a teenager. He became a lieutenant in 1778. He served on a ship called HMS Courageux during the American Revolutionary War. While on this ship, he helped capture a French frigate named Minerve. He also helped a fleet that brought supplies to the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
After the war ended in 1783, Barlow married Elizabeth Garrett. They had a happy marriage and many children. From 1786 to 1789, Lieutenant Barlow commanded a small ship called HMS Barracouta. This ship helped collect taxes on goods. In 1790, he was promoted to commander and took charge of another ship, HMS Childers.
Fighting in the French Revolutionary Wars
In January 1793, Barlow took his ship, Childers, to Brest in France. He was there to check on the port because Britain and France were becoming enemies. Tensions had been high since the French Revolution. Even though Britain and France were not officially at war yet, a French fort fired at his ship. One cannonball hit a gun on Childers and broke it in half! Barlow quickly left without anyone getting hurt. He reported the attack to his leaders. One month later, Britain and France were at war. Barlow's trip to Brest saw the first shots of a long 23-year conflict.
Just two weeks after war was declared, Barlow won an early victory. He captured a privateer ship called Patriote. A privateer was a private ship allowed to attack enemy ships. This success helped Barlow get promoted to post captain. He was given command of the frigate HMS Pegasus.
Pegasus joined the Channel Fleet under Lord Howe. Barlow's ship helped relay the admiral's signals to other ships. He was still doing this job at the battle of the Glorious First of June. He passed on Lord Howe's orders to the rest of the fleet. The battle was a success, and Barlow was rewarded. He was given command of a better frigate, HMS Aquilon.
In 1795, Barlow moved to a new frigate called HMS Phoebe. In December 1797, he captured the French frigate Néréide. Four years later, in 1801, he did it again! In the Straits of Gibraltar, he captured another French frigate, Africaine. This ship was carrying over 400 French soldiers to Egypt. In a tough fight, Phoebe forced Africaine to surrender. Africaine had over 300 people hurt, while Phoebe only had 13. For this big victory, Barlow was made a knight. He then commanded a large warship, HMS Triumph, in the Mediterranean until 1804.
Later Career and Retirement
The Napoleonic Wars were a quieter time for Barlow. He served as a "flag captain" for Lord Keith, which meant he commanded the ship where the admiral was. Then he became a deputy controller of the Navy. In 1808, he became the superintendent of Chatham Dockyard. A dockyard is a place where ships are built and repaired. During this time, he showed great skill in managing things and made improvements wherever he worked.
Barlow continued to work on shore until 1823, when he retired as a rear-admiral. He had been made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath three years before. In 1819, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a group of important scientists.
Barlow enjoyed a long retirement in Canterbury. In 1840, he was brought back into naval service. This allowed him to receive a promotion to full admiral and become a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. He passed away in May 1843 in Canterbury.
