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Ancestry Solutions'
Ancestral Collectives
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 - 1568
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| Name |
Robert BOWYER |
| Gender |
Male |
| _UID |
4C6893400C521F4C86E1245300E738469353 |
| Died |
1567/1568 |
| Person ID |
I19667 |
YoungFamily |
| Last Modified |
19 Oct 2021 |
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| Notes |
- CHICHESTER 1555,15591
2nd s. of Robert Bowyer (q. v. ) of Chichester, by Margaret* educ.
Middle Temple 1550. m. between 1536 and 1551, Anne, da. of Miles Grover
of Gray's Inn and Kingston-upon-Thames, Surr., 5s. 5da.
Mayor of Chichester 71551.2
While several of his brothers found fortune in the city of London,
Robert Bowyer continued his family's tradition at Chichester. Little is
known about his career there; he probably helped his father, a local
merchant, but there is no evidence that he continued the business after his
father's death. It may have been he rather than his father who was elected
mayor of Chichester in 1551: Robert, the elder, had already served at
least three terms as mayor and was to die in 1552.3
Robert, the younger, owned houses, land and a stable in Chichester,
and property outside the city at Appledram, West Wittering and East Havant.
In March 1567 he bought 24 acres in Southmundam from Richard Ernley, son of
- 70 -
William Ernley (q. v. ), for £60, and these he bequeathed to his third
daughter, Elizabeth. He was at one time steward of the manor of Aldingbourne,
owned by the bishop of Chichester, but had relinquished this position by
September 1567, perhaps because of ill health. He was 'somewhat diseased'
when he made his will in November of that year. The deputy steward of
Aldingbourne in 1545 was William Stapleton, one of his father's friends.
Bowyer's marriage was clearly arranged through his father's merchant
relations and friends in London, for the Grovers had strong connexions in
the city. Through his wife Ann he inherited property in Moseley, Kingston
and Southwark in Surrey, with a new mill at Tring.
4
Bowyer's return to Parliament for Chichester in 1555 was clearly
the result of his family's and his own interests in the city. It had an
interesting outcome. His brother Francis, his cousin Thomas, and his uncle
Thomas of London, grocer, were all convinced Protestants. His uncle married,
as his second wife, Joan Mery, who was brought up in the house of William
Mery, grocer of London, where 'the true religion of the gospel of our
Saviour Jesus Christ was zealously professed'. She owned a beautiful
Wycliff bible 'carefully preserved in the dangerous time of Queen Mary',
and Robert Bowyer's cousin rejoiced at Elizabeth's accession; 'this most
happy time of the light of God's truth', Robert's brother, Francis, another
merchant in the city, was friendly with Alexander Nowell, prebendary of
Westminster and later dean of St. Paul's, and arranged Nowell's passage into
exile in 1554. Both Nowell and Robert's cousin, Thomas, remained in exile
- 71 -
at Frankfurt until 1558 or 1559. This was no passing acquaintance with the
Bowyer family, because Nowell married Joan Eery after Thomas Bowyer's death
in 1558. Robert of Chichester was on excellent terms with his relations
in London, and wrote in his will of his 'dear and loving brother Francis',
whom Ann appointed her overseer. Bowyer was undoubtedly a convinced
Protestant,
5
Both religious zeal, and family loyalty, would therefore have
prompted him to oppose the bill penalizing exiles, and his name appears on
the list of Members who did so, as does that of Richard Knight (q. v. ), his
fellow Member for Chichester. Whether Bowyer suffered in any way for his
views it is impossible to say, but there may have been opposition to them
at Chichester: at least one of the Members for the next Parliament,
Lawrence Ardern (q. v. ) was a convinced Catholic. Bowyer was much more at
home in the parliament of 1559, although his own part in the religious
changes effected there remains unknown.
6
Bowyer's will, written in November 1567, has a long religious preamble.
First I bequeath my whole body and soul into the hands of the
holy and blessed Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Ghost, three persons and one God, beseeching the
same my God the Father of His great mercy for Christ's only
sake to forgive me all my offences whatsoever. And thereof
assuring my conscience by His Holy Spirit to increase alway
my faith that I may wholely refer my evil will to His good
will and to live and die His faithful and good servant.
He directed that his lands were to be distributed amongst his four daughters,
after his wife's death: his eldest, Margaret, was to have his property in
Chichester, Anne, whom he had appointed executrix, was to pay whatever was
- 72 -
necessary to keep his cousin John Bowyer 'at school until he is twenty,
if'he is not found some prebend or living before reaching this age'; his
brother Francis was to be-given a bay gelding; his brothers William and
Henry a grey gelding each. The will was proved on 29 Nov. 1568.7
Notes to Robert Bowyer (2) (1555).
1. E371/402 (i) ex. inf. C. E. Challis.
2. Vis. Suss. (Hari. Soc, liii), p. 62; PCC 8 Dyngeley, 18 Powell,
24 Babington, 51 Noodes; Hay, Hist. of Chichester, p. 569;
Chichester R. 0. Wills vol. 3 f. 102, will of John Amery of Broyle
Farm, Chichester appointing Bowyer "of the temple of London" his
overseer, Nov. 1550.
3. See Robert Bowyer (q. v. ).
4. PCC 24 Babington, 8 Dyngeley; Chichester R. O., Add. mss 249,250,272.
5. S. A. C. xlii. pp. 19-36; lxiv. pp. 105-7; D. N. B. sub. Nowell; Fuller,
Worthie ii. p. 204.
6. Guildford Museum, Loseley 1331/2 transcript in H. of P. files; Camd.
Misc. ix. Poll*
7. PCC 24 Babington.
[Source:https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/29029355.pdf]
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