Major General William Biddlecomb Marlow (19 February 1794 – 4 January May 1864) was an English military engineer of the Corps of Royal Engineers. In New Zealand he played key role in the battles of the Flagstaff War—Ōhaeawai, Ruapekapeka—and in the construction of Albert Barracks, Auckland.
Early life William Biddlecomb Marlow was born 19 February 1794 at Gosport, Hampshire, England, the son of Benjamin Marlow and Jane Biddlecomb. He trained at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, for four years and three months to 1814.
Career Gentleman Cadet Marlow was commissioned as no. 546, 2nd lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers, Board of Ordnance, at Woolwich, on 1 September 1814. He was stationed at Portsmouth in 1816-17, Chatham in 1816-17 and Portsmouth in 1817-19. On 4 January 1819, he married Catherine Mulhollan at his home village of Alverstoke, Gosport, and was thereafter stationed in Ireland from March 1819 to December 1820, where at Greencastle, County Donegal, their first son Benjamin William Marlow was born in March 1820.
Canada Assigned to Canada in May 1823, Marlow advanced to rank of lieutenant from 23 March 1825. Later that year, on 16 August, the family suffered the death of their infant daughter, Catherine, at Chambly, Quebec.
One of his more notable assignments of this period was the exploration of the Black River with Lieutenant William Mein Smith, RA, and an Indian guide in 1826. They were to examine and report on the river to its source, the country between its source, the Rice Lakes, and the Talbot River, the length of portages and most feasible methods of opening communication with the Talbot River to Lake Simcoe. From his base in Kingston on 22 September 1826, Marlow and Smith reported to Colonel John Ross Wright, RE, that the mouth of the Black River was to be found emptying in to the Matchadash or Severn River, rather than the narrows of Lake Simcoe as previously supposed, that making communication to the Ottawa River through the falls and hard granite bed of Black River would be difficult and not be easily accomplished, compared to making communication by the Talbot River with its soft limestone bed. However, a canal from the source of the Black River through the Morass and Rice Lakes to the Ottawa and Talbot Rivers could be easily achieved.
He also surveyed Chambly Basin on the Richelieu River in 1828. Second son John By Durnford Marlow was born at Bytown in 1829.
England Back in England, Marlow was stationed in Hull from November 1828 to 1833, Chatham and the Medway District to April 1833.
Bermuda Assigned to Bermuda between May 1833 and December 1837, he worked on Military buildings, particularly the casemated barracks on Ireland Island There, he was promoted to 2nd captain on 28 March 1837.
North Britain From 1838 the Marlow and family were stationed at Fort George, Scotland. In February 1841, Marlow sought assignment overseas for the welfare of his family, preferably New South Wales rather than America. In consequence, he was posted to New South Wales in September 1841 the family traveling by the barque Sir Edward Paget which had departed from Cork on the 26 October 1841. Eldest daughter, Jane Mary, had married William Cruickshank, 93rd Highlanders, at Inverness on 5 June 1841.
New South Wales Marlow and family landed at Sydney from the barque Sir Edward Paget, on 14 February 1842. The construction of the Victoria Barracks, Sydney had been underway since 1841, with the officers quarters completed in 1842, and the main barrack block destined for completion in 1846. In July 1843 Marlow and the crew of the engineer department boat, came to the rescue of an intoxicated fisherman who fallen from his dingy in the harbour during a squall, saving the fellow from drowning. Second daughter, Marianne Catherine married John Smith Burke at St Lawrence Church, Sydney, on 26 November 1844.
Dr Ludwig Leichhardt and the Marlows had become friends on the Sir Edward Paget Cork–Sydney voyage; Leichhardt thereon tutored son John Marlow and Marlow assisted Leichhardt in outfitting his 1844–45 expedition across the north of Australia, from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, for which, in appreciation, Leichhardt named the Marlow River in Far North Queensland after him.
Following promotion to captain on 24 March 1845, on 16 May, Marlow was instructed to proceed to New Zealand to relieve Captain George Augustus Bennett as Commanding Royal Engineer in New Zealand. Bennett was to therefore to proceed to Sydney for the benefit of his health, but had died on 30 April, several weeks before Marlow had received instructions. Captain Marlow embarked with the officers and troops of the 99th Regiment, for Auckland, New Zealand, on the British Sovereign on 18 May, for the emergency that had broken out at the Bay of Islands in March. Whilst abroad, in July his residence at the New Military Barracks in South Head Road, Sydney, was burgled.
New Zealand Ōhaeawai
British Sovereign arrived in Auckland on Sunday, 1 June 1845. Marlow's skills were immediately required in the field—Ōhaeawai in June–July 1845, Haratua's pā at Pakaraka in July, and Ruapekapeka in January 1846—with his clerk of works, George Graham, tending to military works in Auckland.
The whole military force proceeded to Kerikeri on Saturday, 14 June, in HMS Hazard and other vessels. Beating up the Bay of Islands before daylight, under hard sqaulls and poor weather, British Sovereign soon struck the Brampton reef, damaging the bottom, losing the false keel and rudder; the colour union down and firing muskets. By 10:00 am the government brig Victoria had moved to assist in removing troops including the officers—Major McPherson, 99th; Ensign Symonds, 99th; Dr Galbraith, 99th; Lieutenant Johnson, 99th, Lieutenant Beattie, 99th; Captain Marlow, RE; Lieutenant Dearing, 99th; and Henry Clarke. Having been held up for two days, they landed at Onewhero Bay on the 16 June, marched to Kerikeri, and later moved on with baggage, two 6-pounder field guns and two 12-pounder carronades on a slow march to Waimate. On the 23 June they moved on seven miles to Ohaeawai with their Māori allies. The guns were installed, fired and moved in stages up to 80 yards from the pā to improve effect, but had little effect at all and were withdrawn.
Thomas Bernard Collinson noted in 1853: "Captain Marlow considered that 12-pounder guns and 5-1/2 inch howitzers would be required to make a breach in Ohaiawai pah. It does not appear that Lieutenant Bennett's recommendations were attended to, for no equipment was provided until the difficulties had arrived at too great a height for them to be of the use expected." Bennett had recommended: "A couple of 12-pounder 4 3/5 inch brass howitzers to break down the palisades, and with a few carcases to set fire to the huts and interior fencing already described, places the strongest pah at the mercy of a few men; but without these means, I conceive that the attack of a strong pah must always be attended with considerable loss to the assailants." At some point, it had been suggested to Despard that a breach might be effected by powder bags; Lieutenant George Phillpotts, RN, volunteering to carry out the hazardous task, was snubbed.
Commander George Johnson, RN, had a 32-pounder gun hauled up by bullocks from HMS Hazard in a day. Whilst Despard supervised the installation of the gun in the early morning of 1 July, covered by a 6-pounder mounted atop Waka's hill, Hōne Heke made a surprise attack on the hill, carrying off the 6-pounder gun along with the flag and flagstaff.
That day, after the 32-pounder had fired the last of its 26 shots, and with Heke's morning attack still fresh in mind, Despard put his opinion to council that the palisades had been loosened and an assault may be successful. Marlow didn't think the breach was practicable, with Colonel William Hulme and Captain Johnson, RN, also protesting against Despard's intent. Lieutenant Phillpotts, alone and unarmed, made a reconnaissance of the pā to within pistol-shot of the palisades targeted by the 32-pounder. After warnings from within the pā for him to go away, he sauntered back to British lines to report that an assault was impracticable. Tamati Waaka Nene warned Despard again that an assault was absolutely impossible, but Despard ordered an assault upon the pā to be made at 3:00 pm.
Marlow's advice, and Bennett's earlier assessment, proved correct when the soldiers suffered considerable losses when assailing the pā without success that afternoon. In a despatch to Governor FitzRoy the following day, 2 July, Despard acknowledged the assistance of Marlow and his volunteer pioneers who had laboured under the same inefficiency as the artillery.
Chatham pā experiments
Upon Marlow's drawings and description of Hōne Heke's pā sent to home to England, in August–September 1846, the Royal Engineers erected part of a stockaded work based upon it, to the left of Chatham Lines, so as to establish the best mode of breaching it by bags of gunpowder. The experiments at Chatham were made in October and December producing some practical breaches. In June 1847 the Engineers erected a double stockade for training the newly formed Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps, then about to proceed to New Zealand, in the means of capturing such works.
Pakaraka Before daylight on 16 July 1845, with Despard, 200 infantry, two guns and a proper proportion of artillery, with Marlow and his pioneers, marched from Waimate to engage one of Heke's principal chiefs, Te Haratua, and warriors, at his Pakaraka pā, some six miles away. About half a mile short of the pā, the Waitangi River bridge was found cut down and burning, requiring immediate repair. Meanwhile, Despard moved on with a reconnoitering party, only to find the pā had been deserted, its inhabitants having moved off through thick bush adjoining the pā as the troops came into view. Most of the provisions found inside were destroyed or carried away, and Te Haratua's pā was burned to the ground. Following this, winter quarters were taken up at Waimate until weather improved for further field operations and the arrival of reinforcements from overseas.
Ruapekapeka
Following Ohaeawai, the troops proceeded to protect themselves in the construction of defensive works at Waimate and later moved the troops to Kororareka. Kawiti constructed a remote strong pā at Ruapekapeka.