Harry Rawson
| Admiral Sir Harry Rawson GCB GCMG RN |
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| 21st Governor of New South Wales | |
| In office 27 May 1902 – 27 May 1909 |
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| Monarch | Edward VII |
| Lieutenant | Sir Frederick Darley |
| Preceded by | The Earl Beauchamp |
| Succeeded by | Viscount Chelmsford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 November 1843 Walton-on-Hill, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 3 November 1910 (aged 66) London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Florence Alice Stewart Rawson (nee Shaw) |
| Occupation | Naval Officer |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1857–1901 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Cape of Good Hope Station Channel Fleet |
| Battles/wars | Benin Expedition of 1897, Anglo-Zanzibar War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George |
Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, GCB, GCMG RN (5 November 1843 – 3 November 1910), is chiefly remembered for overseeing the British Benin Expedition of 1897 that burned and looted the city of the Kingdom of Benin, now in Nigeria. No shame was attached to the event at the time, which amounted to a punitive expedition, and Admiral Rawson was appointed Governor of New South Wales, 27 May 1902 – 27 May 1909.
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[edit] Personal life
Harry Rawson was born at Walton-on-Hill, Lancashire on 5 November 1843, the son of Christopher Rawson.[1]
Harry Rawson was educated at Marlborough College.[1]
In October 1871 in Cheshire, England, he married Florence Alice Stewart Shaw, daughter of John Ralph Shaw, of Arrowe Park, Cheshire.[1][2] The couple had five children.
In March 1905 (during his term as Governor of New South Wales), his wife was in poor health and returned to England with her son Wyatt and a daughter to seek the best medical advice.[3] Her condition deteriorated and in June 1905 Harry Rawson travelled to England to be with her.[4] In the belief she was recovering, the four of them set sail for Australia in December 1905, but Lady Rawson died on board the ship "Ormuz" in the Red Sea on 3 December 1905 and was buried at sea.[5][1][6]
Rawson died on 3 November 1910 in London after an operation for appendicitis; he was survived by two sons and a daughter.[7][1]
[edit] Freemasonry
Rawson was a Freemason. During his period as Governor of New South Wales, he served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales (as it was at that time.)
[edit] Military Service
Rawson joined the Royal Navy in 1857 and took part in the capture of the Taku Forts in 1860 during the Second Opium War.[7] Promoted to Captain in 1877, he was given command of HMS Minotaur.[7] He was the Principal Transport Officer during the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882.[7] Then, in 1883, he was made Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet and, in 1885, he was appointed Captain of the steam reserve at Devonport.[7] He return to sea as Captain of HMS Benbow in 1889.[7]
Admiral Rawson was appointed commander of British naval forces at the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station in 1895[8] and held that post at the time of the Benin Expedition which was regarded in British circles largely as a stroke of disciplined and coordinated planning:
- "In twenty-nine days a force of 1,200 men, coming from three places between 3000 and 4500 m. from the Benin river, was landed, organized, equipped and provided with transport. Five days later the city of Benin was taken, and in twelve days more the men were re-embarked, and the ships coaled and ready for any further service."[9]
Rawson was also the commanding officer of the British forces in the Anglo-Zanzibar War, the shortest war in history, which lasted for 38 minutes on 27 August 1896.[7] For this he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and a first class member of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar. He commanded the Channel Squadron from 1898 to 1901.[7]
[edit] Colonial Service
In 1902 he became Governor of New South Wales - the first naval officer since Captain Bligh to hold the post and he proved so popular that his term was extended.[7]
From 1903 to 1909, his aide-de-camp was Leslie Orme Wilson, later to be Governor of Queensland.
[edit] Honours
He was promoted admiral in 1903 and was appointed GCB (1906) and GCMG (1909).
[edit] Named in his Honour
The four male colleges of the University of Sydney now compete for the 'Rawson Cup.' This Intercollegiate Cup was donated in 1906 by Sir Harry Rawson when he was Governor of New South Wales. The colleges that compete for the cup are St John's College, St Andrew's College, Wesley College and St Paul's College.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Obituary: Admiral Sir Harry H. Rawson, The Times, Friday 4 November 1910, retrieved 5 March 2011
- ^ FreeBMD, retrieved 5 March 2011.
- ^ "PERSONAL.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 4. 17 March 1905. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14668325. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "THE STATE GOVERNOR.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 4. 6 June 1905. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14702453. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "WIDESPREAD SYMPATHY WITH THE STATE GOVERNOR.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 9. 13 December 1905. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14723017. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- ^ "PERSONAL.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 9. 6 December 1905. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14735565. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Harry Rawson at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- ^ William Loney RN
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
[edit] External links
Media related to Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson at Wikimedia Commons
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Frederick Bedford |
Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station 1895–1898 |
Succeeded by Sir Robert Harris |
| Preceded by Sir Henry Stephenson |
Commander-in-Chief, Channel Fleet 1898–1901 |
Succeeded by Sir Arthur Wilson |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by The Earl Beauchamp |
Governor of New South Wales 1902–1909 |
Succeeded by The Lord Chelmsford |
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