This article is about the Royal Navy admiral. For the poet, see William Lisle Bowles.

Sir William Bowles (1780-1869) was a British admiral.

He became a Lieutenant RN, 30 August 1803. Commander, 22 January 1806. Captain, 13 October 1807. Married 9 August 1820 to The Hon. Frances Temple, daughter of the late 2nd Viscount Palmerston and sister of the 3rd Viscount, Secretary at War and later Prime Minister. Companion of the Bath, 1839. Rear-Admiral, 23 November 1841. Third Naval Lord, 22 May 1844 to July 1846. Vice-Admiral, 8 March 1852. Admiral, 28 November 1857. Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, 1 March 1859 to 29 February 1860. Knight Commander of the Bath, 10 November 1862. Admiral of the Fleet, 15 January 1869. Principal source: http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=16