Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 108
• Name: Robert Mitford Bowker 1820
• Baptism: 4 Oct 1813, Parish Church of Saint Mary, Almer, Dorset, England
• Residence: 1816, 'Manor Farm', South Newton, Wiltshire, England
• 1820 Settler: 7 Jan 1820, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England; Address:
  Bowker's Party on the Weymouth
• Residence: 25 Jun 1820, Olive Burn farm, Kleinemonde, Eastern Cape, South Africa
• Residence: Abt 1847, 'Craigie Burn', Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa
• Residence: Abt 1847, Craigie Burn farm, Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Notes:

Initially thought that Robert was born at Morpeth in Northumberland, but then discovered that Miles and Anna and their sons must have moved to Charborough Park in Devon sometime in 1810, as I discovered that Miles was paying 'Land Tax' for rented lands at Lythchett Matravers from a William Trenchard, Esq. from 1811 through to at least 1816. Miles also paid £32 tax for the tithing of Charborough on 3rd May 1811, owned by the Earl Drax Grosvenor, Esq. When we found a transcription Robert's Death Notice, it stated that he was born in Newcastle, ie Deckhams Hall, which means that Miles and family would have only 'gone south' in the latter part of 1810.

Robert married Sarah Elizabeth Hart of the farm Glen Avon, Somerset East. He farmed at Craigie Burn, Somerset East, which was formerly a part of Glen Avon. Craigie Burn was up in the Bosberg mountains above Glen Avon, and as it was isolated it remained unmolested throughout the many Kaffir Wars. It was used as a place of refuge for the rest of the family, and Robert's brothers often brought their stock, wives, families and left them there while they went to the wars.

On our (Janet & Paul TT) trip to South Africa in May 2014, we stayed at Glen Avon, and managed to get up the pass to Craigie Burn. The original house was in the process of being renovated by the current owners, Petri and Suzanne Snyman. We had parked our hire car, a VW Polo, at the entrance gate to the farm, and walked down to the house, as the humps and gulleys on the drive would have left our car high and dry. We met Suzanne briefly, and she advised that any non-4wd vehicle would not get further up the road towards Glen Craig!

Robert took part in the campaign against the M'fecani in 1828, and served in the war of 1850-1853. . Member of the House of Assembly from 1854 - 1873 and Member of the Legislative Council from 1879 to 1883.



Baptism:
Parish of Almer
BAPTISMS 1731 - 1879
These records have been transcribed from the Bishop's Transcripts.

Parish of Almer
BAPTISMS 1731 - 1879
These records have been transcribed from the Bishop's Transcripts.


Died:
DEPOT KAB
SOURCE MOOC
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 6/9/308
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 2005
PART 1
DESCRIPTION BOWKER, ROBERT MILFORD. DEATH NOTICE.
STARTING 18920000
ENDING 18920000

DEATH NOTICE:
MOOC 6/9/308 R2995
Name of the Deceased: Robert Mitford BOWKER
Place of Birth of Deceased: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland
Names of Parents of Deceased: Father: Miles BOWKER
Mother: Anna Maria MITFORD
Age of the Deceased: 82 years
Widower
Name of pre-deceased Spouse: Sarah Elizabeth HART
Date of Death: 23 September 1892
Place of Death: 'Glen Avon', Somerset East
Names of Children and whether major or minor:
Ellen BOWKER married Robert HART (deceased)
Ann Stretch BOWKER married James Scott PRINGLE
James Frederick Fleischer BOWKER
Robert Mitford BOWKER
Effie Mitford BOWKER (deceased) married John Ward STEVENS
Septimus Bouchier BOWKER
William Henry BOWKER
Sara Elizabeth BOWKER married John Mitford BOWKER
Robert Hart BOWKER
Oliver Osbaldiston BOWKER
Miles Egerton BOWKER
Signed J.F.F. BOWKER, Son

Robert married Sarah Elizabeth Hart on 19 Dec 1838 in 'Glen Avon', Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Sarah was born on 16 Jun 1820 in Somerset Farm, Eastern Cape, South Africa; died on 25 Aug 1875 in 'Craigie Burn', Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Residence: Between 1857 and 1890, Craigie Burn farm, Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa
• Residence: Between 1890 and 1951, Glen Craig farm, Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Oliver married Susan Margaret Serrurier Smuts on 26 Sep 1889 in Glen Avon farm, Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Susan was born on 9 Nov 1870 in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa; died on 3 Feb 1949 in Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried in Somerset East , Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Residence: Between 12 Jun 1890 and 27 Jun 1911, Glen Craig farm, Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Family/Spouse: Stuart Aylward. Stuart was born on 16 Jun 1885 in Edmonton, Hornsey, London, England; died on 24 Apr 1976 in Welkom, Free State, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Susie-Bell married Henry Dirk Jackson on 6 Mar 1943 in St Wilfred's Church, Hillcrest, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. Henry was born on 9 Mar 1918; died on 26 Oct 2008 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]