Sir Josias Rowley, 1st Baronet

Sir Josias Rowley, Bt
Admiral Sir Josias Rowley
Born	1765
Died	10 January 1842
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Lark HMS Braave HMS Impérieuse HMS Raisonnable HMS Boadicea HMS America Cape of Good Hope Station Cork Station Mediterranean Fleet
Battles/wars	Napoleonic Wars
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George

Admiral Sir Josias Rowley, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCMG (1765 – 10 January 1842), known as "The Sweeper of the Seas", was an Anglo-Irish naval officer who commanded the campaign that captured the French Indian Ocean islands of Réunion and Mauritius in 1810.

Rowley was born in 1765 the second son of Clotworthy Rowley and Letitia (née Campbell), of Mountcampbell, Drumsna, County Leitrim, in the West of Ireland. His father was Barrister and MP for Downpatrick in the Irish Parliament. His paternal grandfather was Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Rowley, KCB.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1778, age 13, in HMS Suffolk in the West Indies.

Promoted to post captain in 1795, age 30, he commanded HMS Braave (40 guns) at the Cape of Good Hope and then HMS Impérieuse (38 guns) in the East Indies. He also commanded HMS Raisonnable (64 guns) and took part in the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805. In 1798 he became the Member of the Irish House of Commons for Downpatrick.