Where they were and what they did

The following summary gives a pen picture of my ancestors:

Christopher Bower (circa 1794/5 - 1851)

- my great, great, great grandfather
- tailor and publican

Our knowledge of my great, great, great grandfather is limited to the latter years of his life:

• 1794/5 - per 1851 Census
  Born Fulham

• 1839 - per Pigot's Directory
  Shopkeeper and dealer in groceries and sundries, Parson's Green

• 1841 - per Census (age 46)
  Living with his wife Elizabeth and 3 children (Benjamin, Alfred and Elizabeth) in Peterboro Lane, Parsons Green. Trade given as Tailor

• 1842 - per Marriage Certificate
  Marriage of son Benjamin Bates Bower. Trade given as Tailor.

• 1845 - per Birth Certificate of daughter Elizabeth
  Living at Parsons Green, Fulham. Trade given as Tailor.

• 1849 - per Marriage Certificate
  Marriage of son Alfred Bower. Trade given as Publican.

• 1851 - per Census (age 57)
  Living with wife and grandson George at The George Inn, Walham Green (now Fulham Broadway near Stamford Bridge). Trade given as Victualler.

• 1851 - per death certificate
  Died (age 56) whilst living at the George Inn, Walham Green

The George Inn (Outside and Inside!) near Fulham Broadway

Things we wish we knew

Where and when Christopher Bower was born and name of parents

What happenend to his wife Elizabeth (Bates?) and his daughter Elizabeth Bower after he died.

Benjamin Bates Bower (circa 1819/20 - 1876)

- my great, great grandfather
- tailor and photographer

The known whereabouts of my great, great grandfather are:

• 1819/20 - per 1851 Census
  Born Fulham

• 1841 (age circa 20)- per Census
  Living with his parents at Parsons Green. His trade was given as Tailor.

• 1842 - per Marriage Certificate (age circa 21)
  Married Mary Pitts at St George, Hanover Square. His trade was given as Tailor.

• 1851 - per Census
  His son George (age 8) was living with his grandfather Christopher at George Inn, Walham Green

• 1861 - per Census
  Living at 1 Felix Street, Bethnal Green. His trade was given as Tailor.
  

• 1861 - per Census
  His son George (age 18) was living with his Uncle Alfred in Whitechapel Road.

• 1864 - per Marriage Certificate
  When his son George was married in Mile End, Benjamin's trade was given as Photographer (his brother Alfred had a photographer's studio in Whitechapel Road 1862 - 1882 per Directory of London Photographers 1841 - 1908)

• 1871 - per Census
  Living at 20 Bath Place, Whitechapel being a Tailor (age 50)

• 1876 - per death certificate (age 56)
  Died whilst living at Raven Row, Whitechapel. His trade was given as Tailor.

Things we wish we knew

Where Benjamin was living in 1851.
Where the family were living when daughter Louise was born in Whitechapel in 1856/7
Where and when his wife Mary died.

George Christopher Bower (circa 1841/2 - 1877)

- my great grandfather
- baker

We have not been able to trace George's birth certificate but have traced him throughout his short life:

• circa 1841/2 - per 1851 and 1861 Censuses
  Born Fulham

• 1851 - per Census (age 8)
  Staying with his grandfather at the George Inn, Walham Green, Fulham

 

• 1861 - per Census (age 18)
  Staying in Whitechapel Road with his Uncle Alfred who had a photographic studio and was previously a master baker

 

• 1864 - per marriage certificate (age 21)
  Married Martha Hannah Jones at Mile End. Trade given as Baker.

• 1871 - per Census (age 29)
  Living in Edinboro Road, Mile End with his wife and children (George, William, Alice, Louisa). Trade given as Pastry Cook.

• 1877 - per death certificate (age 35)
  Died at Edinboro Road, Mile End. Trade given as Labourer.

Things we wish we knew.

His birth certificate and whether he had any siblings.

William Bower (1867-1948)

-my grandfather
- sailor and linesman

We have not been able to trace my grandfather's birth certificate and his date remains something of a mystery though 23.10.1866 looks favourite:

• 23.10.1867 - per Naval records
  Born Stepney

• 1871 per Census (age 4)
  Living with his parents at Edinboro Road, Mile End

• 1877 per Death Certificate
  Father dies young (age 35)

• 1878 per Records at London Metropolitan Archives (age 12)
  Admitted to Training (Correction Ship) Exmouth (did he get into trouble?)

• 1881 per Census (age 13)
  On the Training Ship "Exmouth"

• 1881 per Exmouth records
  Left to sign on as cabin boy for one year on the Canadian-owned vessel "Bell" sailing for New York. (he had told my father that he had sailed on "Blue-Noses", i.e. Canadian merchant vessels)

• 1883 per Naval records
  Joined Navy

• 1885 per Naval records
  Signed on for further 10 years (age 18)

• 1883 - 1895 per Naval Records
  Saw service on a number of naval ships including HMS Buzzard where he was yeoman of signals and told my father that he dressed the vessel overall when Queen Victoria visited the port in question.

• 1895 per Naval records
  Invalided out of Navy at Haslar Hospital , Portsmouth

• 1897 - per Marriage Certificate (age given as 26)
  Married Charlotte Hayes at Trinity Church, Stepney. Occupation given as Wireman. (Per my Father. William Bower was a linesman for the National Telephone Company (later part of the Post Office) working on installation of telephone lines and underground cables)

• 1898 - 1915 per family records
  Had children (William (died as child), Charlotte(Cissie), Ellen (Nell), Dorothy (Doll), Reuben Thomas (Tom), Frederick,John Reginald (Jack) and Lily (Lill). Lived at:
  
• Ashcroft Road, Mile End (1898)
  
• Lowell Street, Limehouse (1900-1901)
  
• Rhodeswell Road, Limehouse (1903 & 1910/1)
  
• Turners Road (1906-1908)
  
• Locksley Street, Limehouse (1918-1931)
  
• Sheppey Road, Barking, near Becontree Underground Station (now part of Dagenham)
  
• Dixon Street, Limehouse which was destroyed in the war.(1933-1939)
  
• 1901 per Census (age 29)
  Living at 39 Lowell Street, Limehouse with wife Charlotte (age 24)
  
• 154 Streatfield Road, Kenton, Harrow (1941-1948)
  
• 1948 per family records
  Died when my father was working on Ascension Island for Cable & Wireless

Things we wish we knew

Birth Certificate and
Entry in 1891 Census (when in Royal Navy).

Frederick Bower (1910-2006)

- my father
- electrical engineer

• 1910 per Birth Certificate
  Born at Rhodeswell Road, Limehouse

• Circa 1915-1924 per Father
  Went to local school, i.e. St Anne's School, Limehouse

• 1924-6 per Father
  Had a number of initial jobs

• 1926 per Father
  Joined Elecricial Services as electician's "mate" and amongst the jobs installed "talkies" in cinemas

• 1931 per Father
  Qualified as electician (age 21)

• 1933/4 per Father
  Joined Electrical Installations
• 1936 per Marriage Certificate (age 25)
  Married Doris Brecht at Edinburgh Castle, Mile End

• 1939 per Birth Certificate
  Son Don born at Ernest Grove, Beckenham

• 1939-1941 per Father
  In war years had reserved occupation as electrician and worked on electrical installations at munition factories and radar stations. Also undertook work for Cable & Wireless.

• 1941 per Father
  On SS Britannia bound for Bombay (electification of University in Teheran, Iran) when sunk by surface raider Thor. Picked up by Spanish vessel Cabo de Hornos and taken to Cadiz/Gibraltar then home on the Empress of Japan.

• 1944 per Birth Certificate
  Son Colin born at Stone Park Maternity Hospital, Beckenham

My Father Frederick Bower (kneeling) working for Electrical Installations on Bomb Damage to Cable & Wireless' Head Office at Electra House

• 1946 per Father
  Joined Cable & Wireless working at Electra House on the embankment

• 1948 per Father
  Worked on Ascension Island for 3 months (with his "mate" Len Brock. Received news that his father had died)

• 1974 per Father
  Retired as Assistant Engineer in charge of stores

• 1975 per Father
  Moved to Hart's Way, Everton near Lymington, Hampshire

• 2003 per Death Certificate
  Wife Doris died in Lymington Hospital

• 2006 per Death Certificate
  died in Southampton General Hospital

More detail is given in an Appendix: "My Life:

My Life

Colin Bower
31 December 2007

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Bower Family - Main Links
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