Family and Early Life
Bowen was born in Ilfracombe, Devon in 1761. The Bowens were a seafaring family, with Richard's older brother James and two other siblings, George and Thomas, all serving in the navy. Richard went to sea at the age of thirteen, joining his father, who was captain of merchant ship. After two years with his father Richard joined his elder brother James' merchant ship and made trading voyages between England and Jamaica. He was at Jamaica in 1778 when news reached him of the outbreak of war with the American colonies. He applied to join the navy as a volunteer and a position was found for him by his friend, Captain Benjamin Caldwell, then the commander of the frigate HMS Emerald. Caldwell and Bowen sailed to England in 1779, whereupon Caldwell was appointed to command the 50-gun HMS Hannibal. Finding her to be unready for sea, Bowen and a number of the officers from Emerald joined the guardship at the Nore, HMS Dunkirk. Caldwell went on to equip the 14-gun ship-sloop HMS Lightning for service while awaiting the launch of Hannibal, and Bowen received an appointment to her and the position of midshipman on 12 August 1779. Despite this he does not seem to have served aboard her, instead joining HMS Foudroyant under Captain John Jervis.
Bowen served with Jervis aboard Foudroyant for several years. On 29 July 1781 Foudroyant was part of Vice-Admiral Sir George Darby's fleet when two French warships were sighted. The wind made prevented the British from approaching, causing Darby to order boats to tow HMS Perseverance into range. Bowen commanded one of the boats, and his actions and exertions caused favourable comments from his superiors. Perseverance was able to capture one of the French ships, which proved to be the former British HMS Lively, while the second French ship, the corvette Hirondelle, escaped by using her sweeps. Bowen's second chance to prove his qualities came in 1782, after Darby had been succeeded by Samuel Barrington as commander of the Channel Fleet. On 20 April an enemy French fleet was sighted by lookouts aboard Captain John MacBride's HMS Artois. A general chase ensued, forcing the enemy fleet to disperse. Foudroyant led the chase and eventually became separated from the rest of the fleet. Jervis pressed on, bringing the sternmost French ship, the 74-gun Pégase to action early in the morning of 21 April and forcing her to surrender. Bowen acted as aide-de-camp to Jervis during the battle, and acquitted himself so well that Jervis advanced him to acting-lieutenant. Bowen also received a sword from his friend Robert Calder.
The damaged Foudroyant underwent a repair and refit, during which time Jervis arranged for the transfer of some his crew including Bowen to MacBride's Artois. Bowen, serving as third-lieutenant, and MacBride cruised in the Bay of Biscay, with Richard coincidentally serving under his brother James, the elder Bowen being the master of Artois. Richard's service aboard Artois came to an end when Jervis, by now appointed commodore and commander-in-chief of a secret expedition, sent for his men to rejoin Foudroyant. The war came to an end before the expedition could be carried out and Foudroyant was paid off. Jervis found a place for Bowen as master's mate aboard HMS Pegase, the ship he had helped to capture in 1782. From there he was moved to the 98-gun HMS Blenheim and in late 1783 to the 50-gun HMS Adamant. He went out in the later ship to the West Indies with Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Hughes. He spent three years on the station, several times being appointed temporary lieutenant but being unable to have the commission confirmed.
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