Lowe, SIR HUDSON,

Lowe, SIR HUDSON, the custodian of Napoleon in St Helena, was born at Galway, 28th July 1769. Entering the army in 1787, he served in various parts of the Mediterranean, and in 1808 capitulated at Capri to the French. But in the following year he helped to conquer Zante and Cephalonia, and then for nearly two years acted as governor of Santa Maura, Ithaca, and Cephalonia. He was afterwards for some time attached to the Prussian army commanded by Blücher. On 14th April 1816 he reached St Helena as governor of the island. Napoleon had landed there on the 17th October of the previous year. The strictness of Lowe's watch upon the disturber of the peace of Europe brought down upon him much obloquy, and exposed him to bitter and rancorous attacks from Napoleon's friends and admirers, especially from O'Meara (Napoleon in Exile, 1822). He was even assaulted in London in 1822. His defence of his conduct and acts may be read in his Mémorial relatif à la Captivité de Napoléon à Ste-Hélène (2 vols. Paris, 1830) and in W. Forsyth's Captivity of Napoleon at St Helena (3 vols. 1853). In 1825 Lowe became commander of the forces in Ceylon. He died 10th July 1844. See NAPOLEON; and R. C. Seaton, Sir Hudson Lowe and Napoleon (1898).