Harry Holdsworth Rawson GCB GCMG (1843 - 1910)

Born 5 Nov 1843 in Walton-on-Hill, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Florence Alice Stewart (Shaw) Rawson — married 19 Oct 1871 in Woodford, Cheshire, England

Died 3 Nov 1910 at age 66 in Marylebone, London, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Harry Rawson GCB GCMG is Notable.

Preceded by The Rt Hon. The Earl Beauchamp KCMG PC

21st Governor of New South Wales 27th May 1902 to 27th May 1909

Succeeded by The Rt Hon. The Lord Chelmsford GCMG

Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson GCB GCMG, admiral and governor, was born on 5th November 1843 at Walton-on-Hill, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, second son of Christopher Rawson, merchant, and his wife Ellen Frances Wright. ^[1] Educated at Marlborough College (1854-55), he joined the British Navy in April 1857, serving in the Calcutta during the Second China War (1857-60). He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on leaving the royal yacht in September 1871.

Harry married Florence Shaw on 19th October 1871 in Woodford, Cheshire. ^[2] When he was knighted in 1897, Florence became entitled as Lady Rawson.

Promoted to Captain (1877) and then to Rear Admiral (1892), Rawson served in the Channel and Mediterranean. While commander-in-chief on the Cape of Good Hope and west coast of Africa Station (1895-98) he landed in command of the naval brigade that captured Benin city. Created Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1897 and promoted Vice Admiral, he commanded the Channel Squadron from 1898 to 1901.

On 29 January 1902 Rawson was the first naval officer since Vice Admiral William Bligh RN to be appointed Governor of New South Wales. Sworn in on 27th May, he was said to have governed New South Wales as if from his own quarterdeck. Despite constant pain from his arthritic hip, Rawson travelled widely throughout the State and attended assiduously to his charitable and social duties. Lady Rawson, 'a kind gentle-voiced motherly grey-haired woman', never spared herself; sadly, she died at sea on 3rd December 1905 while returning to Australia. Eldest daughter, Alice Rawson, took over her mother's duties. Rawson enjoyed clay-pigeon shooting at the vice-regal country residence at Sutton Forest, in the New South Wales Southern Highlands.

He so endeared himself that his term was extended; he retired on 27 May 1909. He had been promoted Admiral in 1903 and was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1906 and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1909.

Survived by two sons and a daughter, Rawson died on 3rd November 1910 in London after an operation for appendicitis and was buried in Bracknell parish churchyard, Berkshire. ^[3]

His nephew, Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair, was Governor of New South Wales from 1924 to 1930.

A portrait of Rawson hangs in Government House, Sydney.

The Rawson Institute for Seamen and the Alice Rawson School for Mothers were named after him and his daughter.

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Dec qtr 1843, vol 20, page 386
2. ↑ UK FreeBMD Marriage Index Dec qtr 1871, vol 8a, page 707; registered at Wirral
3. ↑ UK FreeBMD Death Index Dec qtr 1910, vol 1a, page 352; registered at Marylebone

• Rutledge, Martha. Rawson, Sir Harry Holdsworth (1843–1910), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University; accessed online 15 Aug 2019.
• Wikipedia profile: Harry Rawson; accessed 15 Aug 2019