The Bowker Children

5.  Bertram Egerton Bowker (1810-1907)
m. Anne Simpson

Extract from 'The Bowkers of Tharfield' by Ivan Mitford-Barberton:
It seems hardly necessary to give many details in this biography as we are including in this chapter many extracts from his journal, now in the 'Bowker Case' in the Albany Museum.....
For many years Bertram was a member of the Legislative Council and a great friend of sir Bartle Frere and when in Capetown he spent much time at Government House.
In 1887 the whole family moved by coach to the new goldfields in Johannesburg.  Bertram's family by this time had grown up and he lived with his daughter Fanny who had married Col. Rowland Bettington.
In his old age he moved to Natal and lived with his brother Col. James Henry Bowker, and after the latter's death he returned to Johannesburg, where he died in 1907.

Diary of B. E. Bowker
Piet Uys
When I was young, I used to spend every spare day I could get in hunting and shooting with my brothers.  A very rough life but a jolly one.  A life that a man cannot last long in, if he follows it.  You get so excited when in the chase that I have often nearly run myself dead.  Had I not left it I should have been dead 30 years ago.  I have often sat down in the bush and wondered whether I could give up that kind of life.  I kept at it until I was about 25.  Then came the first Kaffir war (1835)  and after that war I went with my late brother Mitford to Wesleyville, a mission station, and there I found the girl that was to be my wife, and a happy union it turned out to be.  That was the best journey tat I ever made in my life.
But for that circumstance I should have gone with old Piet Uys to Port Natal and perhaps been killed with him.  My advice might have saved the 72 men that was killed at Dingaan's Kraal.  I knew the most of them personally;  we had hunted many a day together but the love of the girl was stronger then Uys's persuasion to go into the wilderness.

5.1  Ellen Bowker, died in childhood
5.2  Sybil Bowker, died in childhood
5.3  Mary Ellen Bowker, m. Thomas Charles White
       5.3.1  Mary Mitford White, b. 1859 d. 1859
       5.3.2  Bertha Egerton White, b.1863 d. 1863
       5.3.3  Thomas Charles White, b. 1864 d. 1942 m. Hilda Josephine Currie
                  5.3.3.1  Thomas Charles White, b. 1898 m. Louie Martin
                                5.3.3.1.1  Thomas Charles White
                                5.3.3.1.2  Francis White
                                5.3.3.1.3  Adrian White
                  5.3.3.2  Agnes Carlisle White, m. Charles Gingell
                                5.3.3.2.1  Jennifer Gingell
                                5.3.3.2.2  Rosemary Gingell
       5.3.4  Bertram Egerton White, b. 1867 d. 1936 m. Frances Kathleen Hoole
                 5.3.4.1  Mary Frances White, b. 1904 m Meyrick Richard Bowker
                               5.3.4.1.1  John Meyrick Bowker, b. 1932
                               5.3.4.1.2  Julian Richard Meyrick Bowker, b. 1935
                 5.3.4.2  Bertram Egerton Bowker White, b. 1907 m.  Zilla Pringle
                               5.3.4.2.1  Marion Egerton White, b. 1936
                               5.3.4.2.2  Bertram Egerton White, b. 1939
                               5.3.4.2.3  Justin Egerton White, b. 1942
                 5.3.4.3  Shirley Elizabeth Sancroft White, b. 1910 m. Bertram Maclear Brayshaw
                               5.3.4.3.1  Bertram Maclear Brayshaw, b. 1938
                               5.3.4.3.2  Phillip Maclear Brayshaw, b. 1940
       5.3.5  Agnes Damant White, b. 1870 m. Charles Lawford
                 5.3.5.1  Arthur Loraine Lawford, b. 1892
                               m1.  Margaret Foster
                               5.3.5.1.1  Anne Lawford
                               5.3.5.1.2  Joan Lawford
                               5.3.5.1.3  Helen Lawford
                               m2.  Helen Foster
                               5.3.5.1.4  Margaret Lawford
                               5.3.5.1.5  David Lawford
                 5.3.5.2  Isabel de Grey Lawford, b. 1897.  Unmarried
                 5.3.5.3  Eloise Bathurst Lawford, b.1902 m. William Cowden
                               5.3.5.3.1  Jean Benson Cowden
                               5.3.5.3.2  Christine Cowden (twin)
                               5.3.5.3.3  Eloise Cowden (twin)
                               5.3.5.3.4  Anthony Benson Cowden
       5.3.6  Mary Bowker White.  Unmarried
       5.3.7  Norman Mitford Bowker White, (triplet) b. 1875 m. Sybil Bowker
                 5.3.7.1  Sylvia Castell White, b. 1914 m. Richard Guy Cookson
                               5.3.7.1.1  Elaine Margaret Cookson, b. 1934
                               5.3.7.1.2  Norma Marion Cookson, b. 1936
                               5.3.7.1.3  Charlotte May Cookson, b. 1940
                 5.2.7.2  Norman Castell White, b. 1918 m. Diana Gordon Comyn

Extract from 'The Bowkers of Tharfield' by Ivan Mitford-Barberton: He was a P.O.W. in Germany

       5.3.8  Castell Damant Bowker White, (triplet) b. 1875

Extract from 'The Bowkers of Tharfield' by Ivan Mitford-Barberton: Mortally wounded at Elandslaagte, 1899.

       5.3.9  Osbaldiston White, (triplet) b. 1875.  Died in infancy
5.4  Bertram Egerton Bowker, died in childhood
5.5  Ann Elizabeth Bowker, d. 1845 m. John Frank
       5.5.1  Frances A. Frank (Chickey), b. 1864 m. Walter Bisset
                  5.5.1.1  Frank Bowker Bisset m. Beryl Schultz
                                5.5.1.1.1  Walter John Vivian Bissett, b. 1920.  Was with 6th Div. in Italy
                  5.5.1.2  Reginal Egerton Bisset m. Eileen Wynne
       5.5.2  John Bowker Frank, b. 1866 d. 1931 m. Ada Russel-Jones
                  5.5.2.1  Marie Russel Frank m. Malcolm Neal
                                5.5.2.1.1  Bernard Neal b. 1935
                  5.5.2.2  John Leslie Mitford Frank m. Nora Eveline Spurr
                                5.5.2.2.1  Joan Blanche Catrina Frank
                                5.5.2.2.2  John Peter Mitford Frank
                                5.5.2.2.3  Geoffrey Arthur Mitford Frank
                  5.5.2.3  Norman Hughes Frank m. Ivy Ulyate. Lieut. in the K.A.R. at Nairobi
                  5.5.2.4  Guy Whitworth Frank, m. Kathleen Leary
       5.5.3  Bertram Egerton Frank, b. 1868 m. Charlotte Florence Philipps
                 5.5.3.1  Bertram Egerton Frank, died young
                 5.5.3.2  Annie Petronella Frank, b. 1909 m. John Harold Bisseker
                               5.5.3.2.1  Trevor John Bisseker, b. 1936
                               5.5.3.2.2  Noel Tylden Bisseker, b/ 1939
                 5.5.3.3  Edward Noel Frank, b. 1911 m. Joan Muldoon
       5.5.4  William Hughes Bowker Frank, b. 1872 d. 1945 m Hope Askew Becker
                 5.5.4.1  Athol Bowker Frank, b. 1909 m. Margaret Joy Meeson.

Extract from 'The Bowkers of Tharfield' by Ivan Mitford-Barberton: Served in Abyssinia and Egypt.  Won M.M.

                 5.5.4.2  John Frank, (twin) b. 1912 m. Rita Distin.  P.O.W.
                 5.5.4.3  Helen Betty Frank (twin) b. 1912 m. Dudley Maynard
                               5.5.4.3.1  Jil Maynard, b. 1935
                               5.5.4.3.2  Stanley Maynard, b. 1937
                 5.5.4.4  Daphne Hope Frank, b. 1914 m. Leonard Gillibrand
                               5.5.4.4.1  Diane Hope Gillibrand, b. 1937
                               5.5.4.4.2  Kenneth Gillibrand, b. 1938
       5.5.5  Russell Bowker Frank, b. 1875 m. Caroline Cecelia Philipps
                  5.5.5.1. Florence Evelyn Bowker Frank, b. 1899 m. Thomas Selwyn Hughes
                  5.5.5.2  Hugh Russell Frank, b. 1901 m. Margery Maureen Croeste
                                5.5.5.2.1  Rosemary Russell Frank, b. 1930
                                5.5.5.2.2  Jillian Russell Frank, b. 1932
                  5.5.5.3  Sheila May Russell Frank, b. 1907 m. Coenraad Coetzer
                                5.5.5.3.1  Elizabeth Owen Coetzer, b. 1937
                                5.5.5.3.2  Helen Owen Coetzer, b. 1939
                  5.5.5.4  Thelma Mary Russell Frank, b. 1910 m. Laurentius Barry
                                5.5.5.4.1  Leslie Monica Barry, b. 1940
                                5.5.5.4.2  Anne Marie Barry, b. 1943
5.6  Thomas Holden Bowker.  Unmarried
5.7  Bertha Bowker, b. 24/3/1848 d. 24/5/1946

Extract from 'The Bowkers of Tharfield' by Ivan Mitford-Barberton: In the Afrikana Museum in Johannesburg there is an old album of photographs, inscribed 'Bertha Bowker 1862' and an old family Bible dated 1846, which contains the birth register of the family of the Hon. Bertram Egerton Bowker.

Berth Bowker grave stone found in the Settlers Cemetry in Port Alfred

5.8  Fanny Bowker, b. 1850 d. 1940 m. Col. Rowland Albermarle Bettington
       5.8.1  Claude Albemarle Bettington. Killed in plane accident in about 1912
       5.8.2  Rowland Bettington, b. 1885.  Capt in First World War
       5.8.3  Arthur Vere Bettington.  m. Florence Wright.  Group Capt. R.A.F. 1944
       5.8.4  Egerton Mitford Bettington m. Cecilie Mitford
       5.8.5  Aylmer Fitzwarren Bettington, b. 1896.  Killed in First World War
                 5.8.5.1  Faulkner Bettington
                 5.8.5.2  Gladys Bettington.  Died young
5.9  Agnes Bowker, m1.  Charles Wright, m2. Claude Wright
5.10 Alec Bowker.  Unmarried.  Emigrated to Kenya
5.11 William Russell Bowker, m. Helena Birt.  Emigrated to Kenya
        5.11.1  Margaret Bowker, m1.  Frank Douglass m2.  ? Rowland
                     5.11.1.1  Russell Bowker Douglass m. Connie ?
                     5.11.1.2  Margaret Douglass, killed in a car accident in Uganda
                                     5.11.1.2.1  Allen ?
5.12 Gordon Cross Bowker, b. 1857 d. 1946 m. Eveline Currie. Emigrated to Kenya
         5.12.1  Ruby Gordon Bowker, b. 1890 m. Chas. Roger Hobart-Tichborne

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