[Index]
John BOWCHER (1730 - )
Children Self + Spouses Parents Grandparents Greatgrandparents
Ann BOWCHER (1757 - )
Elizabeth BOWCHER (1759 - )
Richard BOWCHER (1760 - )
John BOWCHER (1762 - 1828)
Deborah BOWCHER (1765 - )
Samuel BOWCHER (1768 - )
Henry BOWCHER (1772 - )
John BOWCHER (1730 - )

+

Deborah CHOWNE (1727 - 1788)

Ann SELLACK
John BOWCHER











Mary (BOWCHER)












b. abt 21 Aug 1730 at Crediton, Devon, England
m. (1) 11 Aug 1756 Deborah CHOWNE (1727 - 1788) at Exminster, Devon, England
m. (2) abt Sep 1788 Ann SELLACK at Devon, England
Near Relatives of John BOWCHER (1730 - )
Relationship Person Born Birth Place Died Death Place Age
Father in Law Henry CHOWNE 07 Apr 1702 Rockbeare, Devon, England abt 29 Oct 1770 Exminster, Devon, England 68
Mother in Law Ann COOKNEY abt 1705 Devon, England bef 16 Feb 1775 Devon, England 70

Father John BOWCHER
Mother Mary (BOWCHER)

Self John BOWCHER abt 21 Aug 1730 Crediton, Devon, England

Wife Deborah CHOWNE 18 Mar 1727 Rockbeare, Devon, England 07 Feb 1788 Exminster, Devon, England 60
Wife Ann SELLACK

Daughter Ann BOWCHER Jul 1757 Exminster, Devon, England
Daughter Elizabeth BOWCHER bef 10 Jan 1759 Exminster, Devon, England
Son Richard BOWCHER bef 12 Jul 1760 Devon, England
Son John BOWCHER Mar 1762 Kenton, Devon, England 28 Feb 1828 Exeter, Devon, England 65
Daughter Deborah BOWCHER Aug 1765
Son Samuel BOWCHER Apr 1768
Son Henry BOWCHER 15 Jul 1772

Brother Samuel BOWCHER 1734

Son in Law John JOREY
Son in Law Jasper PIDGEON 1750 Kenton, Devon, England
Daughter in Law Ellenor TOWNSEND bef 09 Jul 1767 Shillingford St George, Exeter, Devon, England
Daughter in Law Mary REED abt 12 Jan 1805 St Thomas, Exeter, Devon, England
Daughter in Law Elizabeth TOWNSEND bef 01 Jul 1772 St Petrock, Exeter, Devon, England 16 Apr 1858 Exeter, Devon, England 85
Daughter in Law Ann COFFIN

Grandson William PIDGEON bef 15 Sep 1779 Kenton, Devon, England
Grandson Charles Chown PIDGEON bef 10 Oct 1781 Powderham, Devon, England
Granddaughter Ann PIDGEON bef 21 May 1786 Powderham, Devon, England
Grandson Nathaniel PIDGEON bef 25 Jan 1789 Powderham, Devon, England
Granddaughter Deborah Ann PIDGEON bef 26 Feb 1792 Powderham, Devon, England
Granddaughter Rebecca PIDGEON bef 22 May 1796 Powderham, Devon, England
Granddaughter Julia PIDGEON bef 13 Dec 1801 Powderham, Devon, England
Grandson William BOWCHER 16 Feb 1787 Kenton, Devon, England
Granddaughter Deborah BOWCHER bef 23 Apr 1788 Kenton, Devon, England abt Sep 1862 Totnes, Devon, England 74
Grandson John BOWCHER 26 Aug 1789 Kenton, Devon, England
Granddaughter Eleanor BOWCHER 1792 Kenton, Devon, England abt Jun 1863 Totnes, Devon, England 71
Granddaughter Bathsheba Ann BOWCHER 1795 Kenton, Devon, England abt Mar 1863 St Thomas, Exeter, Devon, England 68
Grandson Henry Chown(e) BOUCHER BOWCHER 1797 Kenton, Devon, England 23 Oct 1843 Buckland, Spring Bay, Tasmania, Australia 46
Grandson Richard BOWCHER 1800 Kenton, Devon, England
Granddaughter Jehoshabeth Alice Townsend BOWCHER 1804 Kenton, Devon, England
Granddaughter Caroline Elizabeth Cann BOWCHER 1806 Kenton, Devon, England
Granddaughter Mary BOWCHER 1788 Exeter, Devon, England 24 Jun 1827 39
Granddaughter Sarah BOWCHER 13 Feb 1792 Exeter, Devon, England abt 1814 22
Grandson John BOWCHER 28 Feb 1794 Exeter, Devon, England 1862 Exeter, Devon, England 68
Grandson William BOWCHER 1800 1804 4
Granddaughter Ann BOWCHER 1801 Exeter, Devon, England 1898 Exeter, Devon, England 97
Grandson Frederick James BOWCHER 12 Feb 1806 Exeter, Devon, England 1877 Marylebone, London, England 71
Grandson Edward BOWCHER 17 Jun 1807 Exeter, Devon, England abt Jun 1877 Exeter, Devon, England 70
Grandson Charles Henry BOWCHER bef 04 Dec 1808 Exeter, Devon, England 19 Jul 1826 17
Granddaughter Eliza Ann Jane BOWCHER bef 04 Dec 1808 Exeter, Devon, England abt Dec 1892 Exeter, Devon, England 84
Granddaughter Emma BOWCHER 18 Aug 1810 St Petrock, Exeter, Devon, England 08 Jul 1854 St Thomas, Exeter, Devon, England 43
Grandson William Townsend BOWCHER 01 Apr 1813 Exeter, Devon, England abt Dec 1877 Exeter, Devon, England 64
Grandson Henry James Cann BOWCHER 29 Jun 1815 St Petrock, Exeter, Devon, England abt Dec 1864 Chelsea, London, England 49
Granddaughter Loveday BOWCHER abt Nov 1793

Nephew Matthais CHOWNE 10 May 1770 Exminster, Devon, England 1834 64
Nephew William CHOWNE 1764 1834 70
Niece Susannah CHOWNE 1767 abt 1793 26
Niece Grace CHOWNE 1771

Sister in Law Anne CHOWNE 17 Dec 1729 Rockbeare, Devon, England
Brother in Law Henry CHOWNE 06 Jan 1731 Rockbeare, Devon, England Nov 1800 Devon, England 69
Brother in Law Joseph CHOWNE 1733 Exminster, Devon, England 1811 Exminster, Devon, England 78
Sister in Law Elizabeth CHOWNE 18 Jan 1735 Exeter, Devon, England
Sister in Law Joan CHOWNE 29 May 1738 Exeter, Devon, England
Brother in Law Charles CHOWNE 01 May 1740 Exeter, Devon, England 09 Mar 1804 Exminster, Devon, England 63
Brother in Law William CHOWNE 21 Dec 1741 Exminster, Devon, England 09 Mar 1804 Exminster, Devon, England 62
Sister in Law Edmund CHOWNE 05 Sep 1744 Exeter, Devon, England Nov 1744 Exeter, Devon, England 0
Events in John BOWCHER (1730 - )'s life
Date Age Event Place Notes Src
abt 21 Aug 1730 John BOWCHER was born Crediton, Devon, England 12
21 Aug 1730 Baptism Crediton, Devon, England 2
11 Aug 1756 25 Married Deborah CHOWNE (aged 29) Exminster, Devon, England
Jul 1757 26 Birth of daughter Ann BOWCHER Exminster, Devon, England
bef 10 Jan 1759 28 Birth of daughter Elizabeth BOWCHER Exminster, Devon, England
bef 12 Jul 1760 29 Birth of son Richard BOWCHER Devon, England
Mar 1762 31 Birth of son John BOWCHER Kenton, Devon, England Ancestry
Aug 1765 35 Birth of daughter Deborah BOWCHER
Apr 1768 37 Birth of son Samuel BOWCHER
15 Jul 1772 41 Birth of son Henry BOWCHER
07 Feb 1788 57 Death of wife Deborah CHOWNE (aged 60) Exminster, Devon, England
abt Sep 1788 58 Married Ann SELLACK Devon, England 2
28 Feb 1828 97 Death of son John BOWCHER (aged 65) Exeter, Devon, England
Personal Notes:
Now back to the Bowchers! To try to lessen confusion about the three generations
of John Bowcher about whom quite a good deal is known, they will have to
be called John the First, John Second and John Third. It was rather puzzling sorting
out the generations of Johns, particularly as John First wed his second wife just
nine months after his son John Second married for the first time.
John First, the son of another John and Mary maiden-name-unknown, was born
at Crediton and baptised at the Church of the Holy Cross on 21 Aug 1730. On 11
Aug 1756 at Exminster he wed Deborah HILL by licence.
Source References:
2. Type: Book, Abbr: Devon to Down Under, Title: Devon to Down Under, Auth: Bettie Elworthy, Publ: Bookbound, Date: 1997
- Reference = 12, 13 (Marriage)
- Notes: John First, the son of another John and Mary maiden-name-unknown, was born
at Crediton and baptised at the Church of the Holy Cross on 21 Aug 1730. On 11
Aug 1756 at Exminster he wed Deborah HILL by licence.

During my early research into the Bowchers I felt there must be earlier, strong
connections to the Chowne family other than those I'd discovered in the 1780s, as
some of the Bowcher children had Chown/e as a second Christian name, implying
a close link. It really made my day when I found Deborah Hill was a widow, the
daughter of Ann and John CHOWNE, yeoman farmer of Spurway Farm at Exminster.

After Deborah's death on 07 Feb 1788, and although there were no small
children involved to warrant such a rush (they ranged in age from 16 to 31) John
wasted no time in remarrying. Seven months later, he wed Ann SELLACK but no
issue from this marriage was found. He either did not make a will or it has not
survived.

John and Deborah had seven children. The first three were baptised at
Exminster, literally "the church beside the River Exe", which in earlier times was a
secluded little hamlet about four miles south of Exeter.
Exminster was built on the western bank of an estuary and when the canal from
Exeter was extended by about five miles and a tidal lock put in place, the village
became quite famous. As there was no access by road, its Turf Hotel became the
only pub in England where beer was delivered by boat!

John and Deborah's youngest four were baptised at Kenton, just a few miles
further south. Kenton and Kenn, a neighbouring village were the areas to which the
famous female impersonator Danny La Rue was evacuated during World War II.
Kenton was an important centre in Tudor times, sending two ships to fight
against the Spanish Armada. It also supplied vessels for the fishing trade off
Newfoundland. Maybe its great claim to fame in later years was during World War II when one of the Kenton Home Guard captured a luckless German pilot whose
parachute deposited him in the village main street!

There were a few more children of Deborah nee Chowne and John Bowcher First
who should be mentioned. Deborah, 1764 at Kenton only lived two years; Samuel
was baptised in 1768; Henry 15 Jul1772 at Kenton wed Ann COFFIN just a week
after he turned 21. Four months later Ann produced a daughter named 'Loveday'.
- Reference = 10, 13 (Name, Notes)
- Notes: The Kenton 1781 Land Tax Assessments show John Bowcher I as a land owner
and extensive leaseholder. He appears to have owned properties known as
Holmeads and Aliens and leased other lands - several parts of Chiverstone
Estate, Jopes and Prings. The rates for land he held in the Parish of Kenton alone
came to almost 18 pounds sterling per annum!
- Reference = 10 (Baptism)
- Notes: Three John Bowchers, sons of John and Mary, were baptised at Crediton in a six
year period from 1724. When a baby died, it was quite common practice to give the
same name to the next child of the same sex.

Because of this practice, the two Johns baptised 1724 and 1727 are presumed to
have died, whilst the surviving John bp 21 Aug 1730 is the first for whom there is
documented evidence. He had a brother Samuel 1734 but I did not find any
mention of him again in any records.
12. Type: Web Page, Abbr: Genes reunited, Title: Genes
- Reference = Dianne Pidgeon tree (Birth)

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