Toulon, family patronage, and a captain at nineteen

Born in 1734, Rowley probably entered naval service in 1744 and was present at Toulon aboard his father William Rowley's flagship, HMS Stirling Castle. After Thomas Mathews lost control of the operation and ordered a withdrawal, William Rowley became commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean from 1744 to 1748. Joshua spent his formative midshipman years observing an active fleet command. He became a lieutenant in 1747 and a posted captain in 1753, receiving the sixth-rate HMS Rye as his first posted command. Family influence plainly helped, though William Rowley was unlikely to risk his own reputation on an incapable son. Patronage could combine opportunity with accountability.