The Bower & Collier Family History
Research by Colin Bower
What's New?
Birthday in the Canary Islands
The year began with a Saga cruise around the Canary Islands.
I celebrated my birthday on La Gomera:
Visit to Silk Weavers in El Paso, La Palma
One of the excursions from the ship was a visit to El Paso on La Palma where silk weaving is still undertaken:
Visit to Cadiz
The highlight of the cruise was a visit to the beautiful city of Cadiz where Dad was taken by the Spanish rescue ship in 1941, before making his way home from Gibraltar:
Early Developments
We started the year trying to catch up on summarising some visits at the end of 2024:
Silk Weavers named Collier
- Vist to Sudbury, Suffolk October 2024
Saunders/Neville Family Tree
- Visit to Plymouth 11 December 2024
We made a further visit to Plymounth as part of a coach holiday in Babbacombe, Devon.
I took the opportunity to find out more about Stoke Damerel, where Ann Neville was baptised in 1811, and the Neville Family:
Joan Hughes, Female Aviator
I checked to see if there had been any articles on the internet about Joan Hughes which were new to me.
I duly came acros 3 articles:
Ferry Pilots of the ATA - Joan Hughes MBE
Women RAF pilots "forgotten" in centenary celebrations (RAF100), say relatives
Women of the ATA mentioned on International Women's Day 8 March 2023
International Women's Day 2023
and I updated my entry under RAF100:
Bower/Bagley Family - Cherry Orchard at Crabtree & Rowberry Mead
In the Bower Mini-Project, I identified that adjacent to the Bowers of Rowberry Mead was Millshot Farm, the property of Mr William Bagley, a descendant of one of the oldest families in Fulham:
Extract from Publication, "Fulham Old& New" Volume III by Charles Feret
"In 1757 is an entry in the Highway Rate books, relating to "Mr Bowers for the cherry orchard late Thompson".
This was Mr. George Bower, who is rated for it down to 1764.
The "messuage, barn and mead called Rowberry Mead" were in 1761 leased to Mr. William Cobb, on whose surrender it was, in 1795, leased to Mr. William Bower, the son of Mr. George Bower.
On the death of William Bower, the lease of Rowberry Mead was, in 1816, renewed to his widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Bower.
In 1823 it became the property of Mr George Bower, who resided here down to 1859. (Editor:Should have read, George died in 1845 and his son George took over).His widow lived here for some years.
It was subsequently taken by Mr. S.J. Walden, in connection with his basket-making business.
The boundaries of Rowberry Mead are the river on the west, Pale Mead on the south, and Fulham Fields on east and north.
On the east side of the road, nearly facing Rowberry Mead, is Millshot Farm, the property of Mr William Bagley, a descendant of one of the oldest families in Fulham.
A little further along the road, on the same side as Rowberry Mead, we reach the site of Craven Cottage, a charming villa which was the home of some notable charaters."
Bower/Bagley Family
A current member of the Bagley Family advised me of the following marriage:
St Clement Danes
William Bagley born c 1785
married 10.10.1808
Ann Bower born c 1785
and wondered if there was some link to "our" Bowers.
Like the Bowers of Fulham, the Bagleys were market gardeners.
At first glance, the most likely link would be to George Bower or his son William. However George Bower leased the cherry orchard adjacent to Rowberry Mead 1757-1764 and therefore he does not appear to fit the bill. William Bower married 1775 so a link also seems unlikely.
I did find 2 interesting entries at All Saints Fulham, though:
- Ann Bagley of Fulham Fields
buried 5.7.1831 (age 43)
giving her birth as 1787/8
George Bower of Crabtree
buried 19.2.1845 (age 68)
George was bp in 1776 in Dartford Kent and William's son.
Both entries Fulham and about the right ages. A link looked possible but at the time of writing, I have not found one.
Death of Cousin Colin Jeffrey
We were sad to hear that Chis' First Cousin Colin (Mother Queenie (Collier) Jeffrey) died on 19 March 2025 in Peterborough Hospital.
We had lost contact and made an interesting visit to see his bungalow in Market Deeping near Stamford, to where he moved from Enfield.
Colin Bower
31 May 2025
