James Bowyer. Died 8 November 1917.
James Bowyer was born in 1893 in Wokingham the son of Rosa Ellen and William Bowyer. He had an older sister (Gertrude) and 2 younger sisters (Lily and Ada), but by 1911 James was not at home with his family who lived in Rose Cottages, Waterloo Road.
James joined the Devonshire Regiment in Caversham and served as a Private (number 291642) in the 1st Battalion. He died of wounds of the 8th November 1917 and is buried in Lijssenthoek, the site of several military hospitals.
Name: BOWYER, JAMES WILLIAM
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Devonshire Regiment
Unit Text: 1st Battalion.
Age: 25
Date of Death: 08/11/1917
Service No: 291642
Additional information: Son of William and Rosa Ellen Bowyer, of Rose Cottages, Waterloo Rd., Wokingham, Berks.
Grave/Memorial Reference: XXII. G. 13. Cemetery: LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY
During the First World War, the village of Lijssenthoek was situated on the main
Lijssenthoek Memorial
communication line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. Close to the Front, but out of the extreme range of most German field artillery, it became a natural place to establish casualty clearing stations. The cemetery was first used by the French 15th Hopital D’Evacuation and in June 1915, it began to be used by casualty clearing stations of the Commonwealth forces. From April to August 1918, the casualty clearing stations fell back before the German advance and field ambulances (including a French ambulance) took their places. The cemetery contains 9,901 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 24 being unidentified.
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Rose Cottages, Waterloo Rd., Wokingham, Berks. (parents)
Hi
My name is Jeannette Cecelia Luchterhand (nee Isaacs), my Mother Dorothea Cecelia Crisilda Isaacs was a Bowyer. Her Father was Charles William Bowyer, Father Charles Bowyer and Mother Criselda (nee Hunt). Have a birth certificate of Charles William Bowyer, born Brisbane Queensland showing that his Father Charles Bowyer was from Cookingham, Berkshire, England and Mother Criselda (Hunt) from Woodford,Essex,England. Charles Bowyer would have been born in 1861. Just wondered if there is a connection, would love to hear from you.
Hi Jeanette,
Many thanks for saying hello. Hope the following is of interest.
I think James Bowyer is a Great Grand Uncle of yours. The ‘Cookingham’ town as far as I know doesn’t exist. I believe it’s Wokingham; there is a Cookham, but can’t imagine an ‘ing’ coming from nowhere!
James (who was killed in 1917) was the son of William and his big brother was Charles. This I believe to be your Charles of 1860.
Have a look at James’s page: http://www.wokinghamremembers.com/?page_id=1087
A few interesting points for you perhaps:
Their mother was Emma Brant (1836). The Brants were a big family in Wokingham and I found a number of the Brant girls marrying into Wokingham families whose children were also killed in the war. If you look at the site you will find another four Brants killed and remembered. We’re still working on this family as it’s a bit complicated! We’ve learnt since starting this project that a hundred years ago family names dominated a town and it is hard to find out if there is a direct connection or one that goes back into the mists of time as they say.
James lived in Waterloo Road, Wokingham. It’s a short road, but we have found six or seven men who came from there and were killed in the war. If you go to the bottom of James’s page there is a map which shows where the men lived before going to war. (not completed yet though!)
I think that James may have joined around 1916ish. I only say this because in the early days of the war, most were joining the Royal Berkshire Regiment, being the local regiment. However, other regiments by 1916 were losing so many men, their numbers had to be replenished with new recruits such as James. Trouble is, we don’t really know as most of the records were burnt during the Blitz in the second war.
I’ve sent over an invitation for you to have a look at our tree and have connected your Charles to show the link. However, I’ve found our assumptions to be wrong a few times and I’m open to making the changes ! I hope there is a connection as part of our reasoning to work on our local memorial is that few of them had children as they were too young – therefore it is left to only the nephews and nieces who are left to remember them.
Yes you are correct, on further inspection of my Grand-father’s birth certificate (Charles William) born 8thDecember 1888, is so badly written looks like Cookingham, but is Wokingham. His Father was Charles Bowyer and his Mother was Criselda formerly Hunt. Criselda according to the birth certificate was born in Woodford, Essex England, she was 30 when Charles William was born. Having trouble finding Criselda’s parents, so if you have any info at all would be of great interest to me.
Charles William married Dorothea Christina Becker (Grand-ma was German) in 1911. Grand-ma’s parents were both born in Germany, but apparently emigrated to Australia, still have to do this side of the family. They had 4 children. Carl Henry, Magnus William, Dorothea Christina (Grand-ma) and Margaretta Cecilia, my Auntie Rita. Their parents were Carl Johannes Becker and Cecilia Petersen.
If you are interested I will keep you informed when find out further info, have couple of birth certificates to go by. Know is another line, but is linked to the Bowyers through marriage only.
Charles William Bowyer was born as we know in 1888, Lillian Nellie was born in 1884, died 15 March 1885, Mildred Emma was born in 1887 and died 4th February 1887 and Ada was born in 1886 and died 19 April 1886. All born in Queensland.
From what I have found Charles William died in 1967 in Sydney, I know that Mum and I visited him once but always kept in touch with him over the years. He and Grand-ma were divorced for many years and he moved to Sydney New South Wales. Not sure if any other children, but was living with a lady for longtime.
Charles and Dorothea had 2 children, William Carl Henry born 28 June 1912 and Dorothea Cecilia Criselda born 28 July 1916 (my Mum). Mum died 20 Feb 1996, not sure on Uncle Bill, but that will come further down the track. Uncle Bill had 3 chrildren and I was the only child of Mum and Jacob Nathan Isaacs (good Jewish name). Researching this side of the family as well as the Bowyer,Becker.
Hope that this info can help you a little more with your family tree.
I you have any info at all or if you can find out any info on Criselda Hunt I would be eternally gratefull as having lots of trouble finding out anything.
A post from Jenny Luchterhand:
I have now been able to get back to the Bowyer/Hunt side of the family.
I notice that under William Bowyer it says that he died in Canada in 1876, but then next shows census record still living in England in 1881, not sure how to delete this death record as I don’t think that it relates to my William Bowyer.
Have had another look at Charles William Bowyer’s Birth Certificate again, shows his Father Charles Bowyer as 27 years of age as you know from Wokingham Berkshire England, married 14th January 1884 in Brisbane Queensland Australia, 3 females dead, assume that would be his sisters and again shows Criselda formerly Hunt 30 years when married and from Woodford Essex England, I wonder if it could perhaps be Griselda.
My Mum’s name was Dorothea Christina Criselda, but how noticed on an electoral roll that it is spelt Griselda, so I wonder if this is why can’t find anything.
Did find couple of records but not sure if they are correct either. Criselda Bowyer death record 7 August 1935 in Queensland, Fathers name Thomas Robert Crozier and Mother Mary Ann Bishop, not sure if this is my Criselda Bowyer, but maybe something to go on. Also a Criselda Hunt aged 28, born about 1856 sailed from Plymouth England on the Ship Waroonga and arrived in Cooktown Queensland on the 8th January 1884, so there again not sure if this is my Criselda Bowyer that I am looking for, unless Charles and Criselda came out together and then married shortly arriving in Australia.
I hope that maybe this might help you to see if you can locate any records at all.
Kind regards
Jenny Luchterhand
I wonder if anyone here can help. I work at The Crown Estate and I am checking the names on our War Memorial/Plaque for one of our directors. One person on the Memorial is a Henry Bowyer who apparantly worked for The Crown Estate (then the Office of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues) prior to The Great War. The only other information that I can find is that he joined the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner (Service Number 3520), but I don’t know when. Also that he “Died in Hospital” (probably of wounds). I’m interested in finding out where (in which battle) he was injured and if he is commemorated on a memorial somewhere (maybe on a battlefield). You can contact me at andrew.thomas@thecrownestate.co.uk Many thanks
Hi Andrew, there are many Bowyer’s around this part of Berkshire, but I haven’t come across your man as yet. I will let you know if anything comes up. Regards from, Mike Churcher
Many thanks for looking. The Crown Estate is planning to commemmorate all those brave men who died with a memorial service on 11th November. Kind Regards. Andrew