Bowyer Study Group Newsletter #16

December 1995

Author:
Mr. Denis Bowyer
Conkers
Hurst Green
Etchingham
East Sussex, TN19 7QD, UK

Samuel Sydney Bowyer Reunion

I was once told of this event that whilst touring in Australia ... or maybe it was New Zealand ... my informants began to notice signs leading to a local family re-union. Intrigued, they arrived at the meeting place to find that the party was for the descendants of Samuel Sydney and Harriet Bowyer who had thirteen children, and thus enough descendants after a hundred years for any kind of celebratory party. Samuel Sydney Bowyer was born in Sydney in1819, the elder of two sons of Samuel and Charlotte. His Father has arrived in Australia in 1810 on the convict ship "Indian", having been sent there by the Worcester Assizes for a term of fourteen years. A stiff sentence, probably for an horrific crime. Well ... maybe.......... He was caught with a forged Bank of England note "in his custody".

Father Samuel soon settled into the way of life of his new country, changing sides to eventually become a constable, marrying a likewise "felon with a seven year sentence" Charlotte French, in January 1819. Their elder son, a shipbuilder, emigrated to New Zealand when he was twenty years old. The picture above shows him with his wife, Harriet Hansen, whom he married in 1847. The homestead at Kaeo for his large family looks to be of wood, rather like a holiday beachside chalet. He built it on the bank of the River Kaeo, necessarily on short piles to escape the floodwaters, a wintery happening every time the dams were opened to float logs down river.

With celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Samuel Sydney’s death, family surnames must abound, his daughter having married into the families of Cruller, Bramley, Bramley again, Warwick, Francis, Yorke, Maddox & Corbett, whereas the sons marrying Irving, Stewart, Gibson, Reid, & Hainsworth. One organiser of the N.Z. 100th year celebrations was seventy five year old Walter Noel Bowyer who died the following March 1992, leaving fourteen grandchildren.

The Eighty-one fiche

Two more counties have arrived in this series, both important to we Bowyers, that of Staffordshire and Cheshire. I am trying to build up a bank balance ready for the London issue, which will be of mammoth proportions, I am thinking. Apropos this series Lynette Patrick (N.Z.) writes: " Just to be a kill joy my COUNSELL ancestors have been missed off the Somerset fiche, it is just as well that I know where they are living. A bit disappointing though." I am sure that Lynette will find her missing Counsells under a different spelling of the name (She did under another spelling: Addendum RCB 28/04/2001). When helping with the Kent census we sometimes has to choose from three different interpretations of the jumble of letters before us ... it was up to a fourth to select one. I suggest to Lynette that, as she knows the address, a look at the 'as enumerated' fiche will find her missing folk. But how to tell future researchers?

I know just how Lynette feels ...... My great grandfather and his 'at home' family are missing from the Bowyer clan on the Wiltshire fiche. So ..... all you researchers in the future, I give you yet another spelling of our noble surname, and advise you to seek them out in the cold, as BOUYERS. On the credit side though my grandfather could well ended up a Williams ... as the enumerator gave him a first name of Bowyer. This has been corrected on the fiche, thank goodness, otherwise I could be writing this as a Williams newsletter. "Promises, promises," I can hear you saying.

The Brent Book

I asked for an extra copy for myself in our order to Canada for this book, with the idea that I could offer it on loan so that you could see for yourself what you are missing. My halo fell about my neck when I enquired about the postage cost a disheartening Ł3.15 each way. Far cheaper to ask me questions as to probable content, I can look them up ‘in stereo’.. I am getting to know my way around the book by now. Brent tells me that the initial demand was so satisfying that he considers another batch of printing. Which brings me to the point of asking what WE are doing to write up similar family histories? In my letters I have suggested that we all write up something about our research finds, however small or large, so that I can offer the resultant information, county by county, at photocopying costs. This can be added to as we progress, leaving you to store as you please, until each county is full of facts about the Bowyer families living there. With all this in mind would you permit your name and address in the copy, and also quotes from your letters to me?

What have I let myself in for?

I have already received a ten page print-out from David Hussey about the family of Catherine Ada Bowyer (b. 1870, St. Saviour, Spry)...... " the results of my researches so far", he says. The daughter of Thomas Edwin (b. 1846, Walworth), these Bowyers were a family of Watermen, which has David scurrying amongst their records. Thanks David.

It is that Book again........

Most of you out there with the surname Bowyer will have received the envelope bearing the orate armorial device of Palmer E. Bowyer. And I suppose that all of you would have known that the chappie with a rather posh name would want something, and find that he is reissuing the WORLD BOOK OF BOWYERS (and no doubt all other surnames ad lib), supposedly, but not actually so, under the hitherto terribly posh banner of Burke, as in ‘Peerage’. Now at Ł22, which shatters my brand of curiosity, will anyone who falls for the charms of ‘p.p.Palmer E. Bowyer’ enough to purchase a copy of the book, please report on it for us. Thanks. Wonder what the ‘E’ stands for? As my envelope was addressed to me at ‘Silverhill’ I know that the telephone book was the source, the only place that uses this location in my address, in spite of telling the Post Office that it sends visitors to my house in quite the wrong direction! Luckily I have a wise postman.

So please write to me,
cheers,
Denis.

P.S. Here is a piece of the Brent Bowyer book. I am sure you can produce something like it for me.

THE BOWYERS OF WHELNETHAM, SUFFOLK


           Benjamin Summers Bowyer (1825-1910) = 1. Hannah Cottee Dyer (1822-1877)

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                                         |     = 2. Sarah Tryphena Davis 

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                 ________________________|_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

                |                |                        |                                  |

Charles Beriah Bowyer    Agnes Algatha Bowyer    George Samuel Bowyer                  Agnes L. Warren

      (1849-1919)          (1852-c.1938)               (1853- )                            (1865- )

As mentioned near the end of Chapter 8. Benjamin Summers Bowyer & Hannah Cottee (Dyer) Bowyer had been living up to the 1850s at Chilton, near Clare, Suffolk. By 1861, they had moved to Monks Eleigh, a small village further east, near Lavenham. The census for that year, taken on April 7th, shows that they were living on the High St. Benjamin’s occupation was given as a "shoeing smith (farrier)", age 36, along with his wife, Hannah - 37, and their 3 children: Charles [Beriah] Bowyer - 11, Agnes Bowyer - 8, and George Bowyer - 7, all "scholars". (Next door was a John Warren, a widower aged 53, cabinet-maker, living with his sister, Mary Ann Cadbrook, aged 44, his housekeeper). They apparently were members at the nearby Baptist chapel in the village of Bildeston, as indicated by a subsequent membership transfer (unfortunately the records of the Baptist chapel at Bildeston cannot be found, so no details available re: the family’s involvement there).

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