John James Robson Bowman (1789 - 1853)

Born 3 Nov 1789 in St Marylebone, Middlesex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Greenhill) Bowman — married 19 Mar 1815 in Shenley, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Catharine (Arthur) Bowman — married 27 Jan 1821 in Calcutta, Bengal, India

Husband of Elizabeth (Boyson) Bowman — married 30 May 1831 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India

Descendants

Died 21 Apr 1853 at age 63 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mark Bowman [send private message]

Biography

Birth: John Bowman was born on 3 November 1789 at St Marylebone, Middlesex, and baptised on 2 December 1789 at Swallow Street Scotch Church, Westminster, London, Middlesex, England. The baptismal register recorded on 2 December 1789: "John son of John Bowman and Honor his wife was born the 3'd of November last, in Woll[?] Street in the parish of St Mary le bonne and baptised this day".^[1]

John arrived in Sydney, New South Wales aboard the Barwell in 1798 with his parents and siblings.^[2] According to his obituary, at the age of twelve, he entered the Royal Navy and when he was 25, he left the Navy and England "to seek his fortune as a free mariner",

At some stage he adopted the name "John James Robson Bowman".

Marriage 1: John James Robson Bowman married Sarah Greenhill (1788–1817) on 19 March 1815 at Shenley, Hertfordshire, England.^[3][4]

John's wife Sarah died in October 1817.

Marriage 2: John James Robson Bowman married Catherine Arthur on 27 January 1821 in Calcutta, Bengal, India.^[5] "John James Robson Bowman, Commanding the ship George Gutterden, Bachelor and Catherine Arthur, of Colsia Baugaun, Spinster were married at St John's Cathedral in Calcutta aforesaid by Licence". Witnesses were G J Garrick, H A Livingston, H Barons.^[6]

They had three children:

• John Horatio Nelson Bowman 1822–
• Edward Barons Bowman, surgeon, M.D, M.R.C.S. Eng 1824–1865
• Catherine Harriet Bowman 1826–1869

John's wife Catherine died in May 1829 on board the ship Circassian. (primary source required)^[7]

Marriage 3: to Elizabeth Cockell nee Boyson (b. abt 1808) on 30 May 1831 at Calcutta, Bengal, India: "John James Robson Bowman, Com'd H C Bark Brougham widower, Elizabeth Cockell of Calcutta widow".^[8][9] Reported (where?) as Capt. J.J.R. Bowman, of the Brougham, to the relict of the late Capt. W.W. Cockell.

John had a daughter, Jane Bowman, born about 1831. Jane's mother is probably John's wife Elizabeth.

In 1839 he obtained a grant of 2560 acres, "Clwyd Valley" near Hassan's Walls in New South Wales.^[10]

Death: John died on 21 April 1853.^[11][12]

Obituary: Bengal Hurkaru, April 23rd 1853:^[13]

Calcutta has lost one of the most estimable of its citizens and deserving of public officers by the death of Captain J.J.R. Bowman, first Assistant to the Master Attendant.

Up to Tuesday we understand he was apparently in perfect good health, and humanly speaking bade fair to last for many a long year to come. On Wednesday morning, however, he was attacked by that most mysterious and terrible of diseases, cholera, and in spite of all that medical skill or friendly attentions could avail; the malady ran its fatal course in two days, and on the evening of Thursday had made its victim its own.

Although Captain Bowman was a good decade and more short of the allotted period of three score years and ten, his professional career extended over half a century. He entered the Royal Navy in 1800, at the age of twelve, and continued in that service to the age of five and twenty. In 1813 he left England to seek his fortune as a free mariner, and from 1814 to 1818 he was commander of the Sherburn.

In the month of November 1818 he proceeded with the expedition to the Straits under Sir T.S. Raffles, in command of the Hon'ble Company's [East India Company] hired armed ship Mercury and shared in the operations on the taking of the Island of Singapore.

During 1825-26, Captain Bowman, having been nominated to the office by the Madras authorities, acted as Deputy Agent for Transports, in the first Burmese war. His services at every turn seem to have been appreciated by those immediately above him, in acknowledgment of which we find him in 1827 in command of the H.C [Hon'ble Company] armed brig Helen and second in command of the flotilla on the coast of Arracan.

Two years after he was transferred to the command of the armed barque Brougham, and in two years more, 1832, he held the office of Quarantine and Port Master at Chittagong.

The first fixed office in Calcutta to which Captain Bowman was appointed was that of Second Assistant Master Attendant in 1837. His scrupulous attention to his duties and the unswerving fidelity with which he ever discharged them, soon secured him the confidence of the Government, and on the fitting out of the expedition to China in 1840, he was sent on special deputation as Agent for Transports.

Captain Bowman did not return to his duties at Bankshall till June 1841, when he found himself placed in the acting appointment of First Assistant to the Master Attendant. In this office he acted at various intervals, once even officiating as Master Attendant, and it was not until the death of Captain Clapperton that Captain Bowman was finally and errantly appointed as First Assistant. In this, as in every other appointment he held, he was a model to all around him for zeal and diligence, and won the good opinion and esteem of every one who came in contact with him in the course of business.

In all the relations of private life he was equally estimable, and both in his public and private connections the hiatus this melancholy event has caused will be long felt and deeply deplored.

We may add the vessels in harbour yesterday had their colours half-mast high, out of respect to the deceased, and the funeral, we are told, was very numerously attended last evening.

Burial: Scottish Cemetery, Calcutta, West Bengal, India^[14]

Will and Probate: The will of "John James Robson Bowman of the town of Calcutta in the Province of Bengal first Assistant to the Master Attendant of the Port Of Calcutta" was written on 31 December 1849, appointing as executors his brothers George and William Bowman. Probate was granted to his brother William Bowman on 30 December 1853. His sister Margaret Robson, daughter Catherine Harriet, daughter Jane Bowman, and son Edward Barons were mentioned in the will.^[15]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth and baptism England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1936 for John Bowman RG4: Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths, London Scotch Church Piece 4538: Swallow Street, St James´, Westminster (Scotch Church), 1783-1840, Ancestry.com sharing link
2. ↑ Bowman, E. S. John and Honor Bowman of Richmond, New South Wales, and Their Family / E.S. Bowman. Singleton, [N.S.W.]: Archer Press, 1999, pp.33-36.
3. ↑ Marriage 1: John James Robson Bowman in the England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1988 Ancestry.com sharing link
4. ↑ Marriage 1 "England Marriages, 1538–1973 " Web page: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N671-25J Citation: "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N671-25J : 13 March 2020), Sarah Greenhill in entry for John James Robson Bowman, 1815.
5. ↑ Marriage 2 "India Marriages, 1792-1948 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGNW-QPL : 5 February 2020), Catharine Arthur in entry for John James Robson Bowman, 1821.
6. ↑ Marriage 2 Marriage certificate shared on Ancestry.com https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/22505316/person/19137336784/gallery?galleryPage=1
7. ↑ Catherine died in May 1829 on board the ship Circassian according to several trees on Ancestry.com, but what is the source?
8. ↑ Marriage 3 Indexed as "John James Robson" and "Elizabeth Cockell" https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-content/view/432941:9901?ssrc=pt&tid=20797658&pid=382131555512
9. ↑ Marriage 3 Elizabeth Cockell in 1831, British India Office Marriages Calcutta, Bengal https://www.findmypast.com.au/transcript?id=BL%2FBIND%2FM%2F33279%2F2
10. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Land Grants and Leases, 1792-1867: Counties of Cook, Westmoreland and Argyle 1830-1858 (Vol. 14) for John James Robson Bowman Ancestry.com sharing link
11. ↑ Date of death is on his memorial in Calcutta
12. ↑ Death or Burial "India Deaths and Burials, 1719-1948", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGL5-96K : 5 February 2020), John James Robson Bowman, 1853.
13. ↑ Obituary was quoted in Findagrave
14. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/173825286/john-james_robson-bowman: accessed 14 September 2022), memorial page for CPT John James Robson Bowman (2 Dec 1789–21 Apr 1853), Find A Grave: Memorial #173825286, citing Scottish Cemetery, Calcutta, West Bengal, India; Maintained by Dedicated ~ Aurorae Little (contributor 48644964) .
15. ↑ John James Robson Bowman in 1853, New South Wales Will Books 1800-1952 Will No. 2784 https://www.findmypast.com.au/transcript?id=ANZ%2FNSWWILLS%2F500884

• Named as father — "India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGSY-MYW : 5 February 2020), John James Robson Bowman in entry for John Horatio Nelson Bowman, 1822.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/173825286/john-james_robson-bowman: accessed 28 March 2023), memorial page for CPT John James Robson Bowman (2 Dec 1789–21 Apr 1853), Find a Grave Memorial ID 173825286, citing Scottish Cemetery, Calcutta, West Bengal, India; Maintained by Dedicated Aurorae Little (contributor 48644964).