William Bowman (1766 - 1811)

Born 1766 in Crail, Fife, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Susan Catherine (McKenzie) Bowman — married 25 Jun 1796 in St Anne Soho, Middlesex, England

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Finnegan — married 1 Jan 1806 in St Philips Sydney New South Wales Australia

Descendants

Died Dec 1811 at about age 45 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

William Bowman was born in 1766, and passed away in 1811.

Birth: William was baptised on 6 May 1766, at Crail, Fife, Scotland. His parents were recorded as George Bowman and Margaret Mill.^[1]

William and his brother John had gone "to London at an early age and were apprenticed to an uncle, Mr Mills(sic), their mother's brother, who is said to have maintained a large cabinet-making establishment in Bond Street and they were taught their trade under his guidance. They were also placed under the protection of their slightly older first cousin Thomas Bowman of New Bond Street and lived with him for several years".^[2]

Marriage: William Bowman married Susanna Catherine Mackenzie on 25 June 1796 at St Anne, Soho, Middlesex, England, ^[3][4]

He came to Australia with his wife and two children in 1801 on the NIle. The Nile arrived at Portsmouth on 20th May 1801 and departed Spithead on 21st June 1801 in convoy with the Minorca and Canada. The Nile sailed via Rio de Janeiro. Besides the 96 female convicts there were ten male passengers including William Bowman, Richard Rouse, John Tibbett, John Jones, Israel Rayner, John Hillas and Peter Hodge, and nine female passengers and 21 children. arrived on the Nile. The ship arrived at Port Jackson on 14 December 1801.^[5]

William's wife Susanna died on 17 July 1803. Her death notice was in the Sydney Gazette on Sunday 24 July 1803:

"DIED.

Suddenly, on Sunday morning last, Mrs. Bowman, wife of Wm. Bowman, of Richmond Hill, settler."

Marriage: William Bowman married Mary Giles on 1 January 1806 at St Philips Church of England, Sydney: William Bowman, resident of Richmond Hill, (signed name), and Mary Giles, resident of Richmond Hill (marked the register with an X) were married by Samuel Marsden, "by permission of His Excellency Phillip Gidley King Governor". Witnesses were Eloner Bowman, and William Barnfeld (both signed).^[6] Mary Giles was apparently the widow of William Giles (convict Pitt 1792) who had land on the Hawkesbury and died in Sydney in 1805.^[7]

William Bowman became a publican in Sydney in 1810. He was in a list of those with Licences to sell spiritous liquors and wines, in February 1810: ""NOTICE. THE undermentioned Persons, being entitled to Licences for Retailing Wines and Spirituous Liquors are required to attend at the Judge Advocate's Office on Saturday next, the 233d Instant, to receive the same:- Matthew Lock, Matthew Everingham, George Hall, John Hillus, William Hayden, William Bowman, Martin Mantz, Wm. Hibburd".

He sold his original 50 grant in October 1810. The "old" land registers has: “Transfer dated 31st Oct 1810 from William Bowman to Samuel Thorley in consideration of £350, his farm known by the name of Giles’s farm”, a grant from Governor Hunter 1 May 1797, 50 acres on the banks of the River Hawksbury in the district of Mulgrave Place.^[8]

Death: William Bowman died in December 1811 at Sydney General Hospital. He was buried on 16 December 1811 in Sydney, his burial registered at St Philip's Church of England, Sydney. The register noted that he was aged 45, had arrived per ship Nile, 1802, and was a Free Settler.^[9][10]

Will and Probate: A copy of his will is in the "old" land registers:

"Will dated 26 Nov 1811 by William Bowman Sydney Publican, wherein he bequests to his wife Mary Bowman (who he appoints his soul executrix) all his stock of all descriptions, lands, messuages, tenements, household goods, debts and movable effects buy her freely to be possessed and enjoyed as long as she liveth, and at her death, the said stock with the produce of them, etc to be equally divided between his son and daughter Wm and Ann Bowman etc signed Wm Bowman and witnessed by Robert Bailis Robert Boulton & David Langley".^[11]

Probate (6 months after death) was granted to his brother John Bowman, and to Richard Rouse, with a notice in The Sydney Gazette on July 11, 1812:^[12]

"NOTICE.

ADMINISTRATION of the Estate and Effects of Mr. William Bowman, late of Richmond Hill, deceased, being granted to Mr. Richard Rouse, of Parramatta, and Mr. John Bowman, of Richmond Hill, all Persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to pay their respective Debts into the Hands of the Administrators, or either of then within the present Month, July; and those who have Claims against the Estate are requested to furnish their Accounts.

R. ROUSE

J. BOWMAN

Administrators."^[13]

However it appears that his widow had a falling out with her brother in law John Bowman, because the following notice appeared in The Sydney Gazette on April 17, 1813 (1 year after death):

"LETTERS of Administration to the Estate and Effects of the late William Gyles, of Richmond, deceased, being ordered to Mary Bowman, Widow, who was the Widow of the said William Gyles, all Persons are requested to make immediate Payment to her at Richmond, of all Debts due to the said Estate; and all Persons having Claims thereupon are requested to present the same for Payment. - And the said Mary Bowman hereby cautions and forbids any Person in any way paying or delivering any Rents of any of the said William Gyles's Estates, or other Goods that are belonging to the Estate of the said William Gyles, either to Mr. John Bowman, or any other Person pretending to Claim as the Administrators to William Bowman, her second husband, as they will be compelled to pay it over again to the said MARY BOWMAN."^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYV6-GFS : 11 February 2020), William Bowman, 1766.
2. ↑ Affadavit, George Bowman, 29 Jan 1868, Norton & Barton, Notaries, in Bowman papers, Mitchell Library, Sydney, cited in Bowman, E. S. John and Honor Bowman of Richmond, New South Wales, and Their Family
3. ↑ England, Middlesex, Westminster, Parish Registers, 1538-1912

   Name: William Bowman

   Event Type: Marriage

   Event Date: 1796

   Event Place: St Anne, Soho, Middlesex, England

   Spouse's Name: Susanna Catherine Macknzie

   "England, Middlesex, Westminster, Parish Registers, 1538-1912," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCZ8-QDL : 13 March 2018), William Bowman and Susanna Catherine Macknzie, 1796, Marriage; from "Parish registers 1539-1945," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing St Anne, Soho, Middlesex, England, City of Westminster Archives Centre, London; FHL microfilm 918,596.

4. ↑ Westminster, London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935 for William Bowman, St Anne, Soho 1794-1802 Ancestry.com sharing link
5. ↑ https://www.jenwilletts.com/convict_ship_nile_1801.htm
6. ↑ St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Marriages; ML ref: Reel SAG 90, cited in Biographical report for William BOWMAN Person ID: U#30003030301, Biographical Database of Australia (BDA) to check
7. ↑ Biographical report for William GILES Person ID: L#11231411101, Biographical Database of Australia (BDA) https://www.bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/11231411101?f=william&l=giles&ol=&i=1&s=&p= See also https://www.bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/30004131001?f=william&l=giles&ol=&i=1&s=&p=2 and https://www.bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/91022731401?f=william&l=giles&ol=&i=1&s=&p=2 and https://www.bda-online.org.au/mybda/search/biographical-report/39961056201?f=william&l=gyles&ol=&i=1&s=&p=
8. ↑ State Records Authority of New South Wales. Old Register : One to Nine : The Registers of Assignments and Other Legal Instruments. [electronic Resource] Kingswood, NSW: State Records NSW, 2008: Book 5 p.68 No. 573 1811-11-22
9. ↑ St Philip's Church of England, Sydney NSW: Church Register - Burials; State Library of NSW ref: Reel SAG 90.
10. ↑ Deaths in Sydney Hospital 1811-1812, 1818 & 1826 extracted by Carol Baxter from SRNSW Reel 6024; 2/8295 pp.1-17, cited in Biographical Database of Australia (BDA) Biographical report for William BOWMAN Person ID: U#11381014401
11. ↑ State Records Authority of New South Wales. Old Register : One to Nine : The Registers of Assignments and Other Legal Instruments. [electronic Resource] Kingswood, NSW: State Records NSW, 2008: Book 5 p.68 No. 575 1811-11-29
12. ↑ Source: National Library of Australia. Trove: one search...a wealth of information. [database on-line]. Citation details: The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842) Sat 11 Jul 1812 Page 1
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Marion Purnell, Australian Royalty database, "William Bowman, 1766–1811" https://australianroyalty.net.au/tree/purnellmccord.ged/individual/I64282/William-Bowman