Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: about 1634.
Place of Death: unknown.
John made his will 7 February 1634.
Relationships
Father: John Bower.
Mother: Eleanor.
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Joan.
John named his wife Joan in his will.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
John Bower (baptized 4 August 1575 in Moreton Valence)
William Bower (baptized 4 August 1575 in Moreton Valence)
Samuel Bower (died in 1621)
Margery Bower
Richard Bower
Annes Bower married someone surnamed Vayle.
Joan Bower (baptized 7 March 1584/5 in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire) married someone surnamed Mill.
Jane Bower married Maurice Guy 10 January 1620/1 in Gloucester (St Mary de Crypt).
Elizabeth Bower (baptized 9 October 1597 in Hardwicke, Gloucestershire) married Ambrose Beard 26 April 1624 in Moreton Valence.
Evidence
from the Moreton Valence parish register:
[1575]
The same yere the iiij Daye of Auguste was Christened John & William Bowere the sonne of John Bower
from the Stonehouse parish register:
[1584]
Joan Bower the daughter of John Bower of Horsmarley the /7/ of march./
from the Gloucestershire archives catalogue:
D678/1/4/2/4/23-27
23: Feoffment (28 December 1613) by Gyles Aldridge of Upper Hoxlinges, parish of Runwicke, Gloucestershire, yeoman and William Gardiner of Ruscombe, parish of Bysley, Gloucestershire, yeoman, to Samuell Bower of Horsmarlin, parish of Morton Vallence, Gloucestershire, broadweaver, of 6 ridges and one little butt of arable land (1.5a.) in a field called Wayerdyne, parish of Runwicke or Standishe (between the house of David Stephens, the lands of John Mitchell and Thomas Hall and the road from Standishe to Strowde), being part of Aldridge's messuage called Robbins Place; consideration of £20; appointment of Thomas Gybbs and Gyles Gabbe the younger as attorneys to deliver seisin; livery of seisin endorsed.
24: Feoffment (30 May 1626) by Sir Henry Jernegan [Jerningham] of Painswick/Paynswick, Gloucestershire, Bart, William Osborne of the same, gentleman and Thomas Neast of the same, gentleman, to John Bower the younger of Horsemarley, parish of Moorton Valence, Gloucestershire, yeoman, of a messuage and appurtenances and 1 yardland called Mowsells and Cookes, and a moiety of the pasture called Hornefield, and a parcel of land, 7a. of other land and 2a. of meadow, part of the demesne of the manor of Moorton Valence, all at Horsemarley, and in the tenure of John Bower the elder, reserving Bushie Close, Parkefields Wheate Close and Parkefields Longe Peece (20a. combined); covenants for further assurance; consideration of £240; appointment of Samuell Ball and John Osborne as attorneys to deliver seisin; livery of seisin endorsed, 13 June 1626.
25-26: Feoffment (10 June 1626) by John Bower the elder of Horsmarly, parish of Moreton Valence, husbandman and John Bower the younger (one of his sons), to Richard Bower (another son), of a newly built house, garden and orchard etc., and an adjacent 1.5a. close of land, in Runwicke in the parish of Standishe, Gloucestershire, late in the tenure of Samuell Bower, deceased, and now in that of John the elder (purchased by Samuell from Gyles Alridge and William Gardiner, 28 December 1613), subject as to the close of land to the life interests of John the elder and John the younger; covenant to levy a Fine; consideration of £28; appointment of Samuell Ball and Nicholas Dayngerfield as attorneys to deliver seisin; livery of seisin endorsed. Two parts (attached) of a Final Concord (Michaelmas Term, 2 Charles I) between Richard Bower (Plaintiff) and John Bower the elder and John Bower the younger (Deforciants).
27: Receipt and discharge (6 April 1627) of John Bower the elder and John Bower the younger for the £28 paid by Richard Bower.
John’s will:
In the name of god amen this seauenth day of February Anno dom’i 1634 I John Bower of Horse Marlle in the p[ar]ish of Moreton Vallence in the County of Glouster beinge very aged and weake in body but in as good memory as in my former health thankes be to god for the same do make this my last will and Testament wherin first I give and bequeath my soule in to the hands of almighty god my Creator and redemer trustinge through the merits of Christ that it shall inheritt that euerlasting blessedness prepared for his saints in p[...] euerlasting and my body to be buried in the Churchyard of Morten aforsaid and as Concerning my worldly goods I dispose of them as Followeth wherin first I giue and bequeath unto John Bower my sonn all my plowgeare that is all my instruments for husbbandry Item I giue unto Samuell Bowre my Grandchild a malt mill a Table [...] and the Frame and a Chest & a Seaston that standeth in the hall I meane my old Chest that wanteth a locke
Item I giue unto Morice Guy the younger my Grandchild fiue pounds halfe of it to be paid on the third day of May next and the other halfe when he come to the age of twenty and on yeares
Item I give unto my sonn Richard Bower Forty shillinges to be paid unto him after the disers of my wife
Item I giue unto my daughter Joane Mills ten shillings to be paid after the disseas of my wife Item I giue unto my daughter Jane Guy ten shillings also to be paid after the diseas of my wife Item I giue unto Joane Bowre my son Johns daughter ten shillings to be paid after the diseas of my wife
also I owe unto Giles Gabb of the p[ar]ish and County aforsaid the som of fiue pounds
also I owe unto Fabian Clutterbooke the som of three pounds
Item I giue unto Henry Bowre my Grandchild twenty shillinges to be paid unto him after the diseas of my wife
Item I giue unto my daughter Elizabeth Beard twenty shillinges to be paid after the diseas of my wife Item all the rest of my goodes Chattells and Cattll and househould stuffe moueabll and unmouabll before not giuen & unbequeathed after my debts beinge paid and my funerall discharged I giue unto Joane Bowre my wife whom I make my whole Executrix of this my last will and Testament and I desire my to frinds Ambrose Beard and John Bowre my sonn to be the ouerseers to see this my last will and Testament p[er]formed and I appoynt unto them six shillings and eight pence for their [...] is to say three shillings and foure pence a peece in wittnes wherof I haue [...] hearof in the day and yeare aboue written
John Bowr his [T] mark
[The part of the page with the witnesses is torn off.]
The will of John’s son Samuel Bower:
In the name of god amen I Samuell Bower of Morton Vallance in the Countie of Glouc. weaver being sicke and weake in bodie but of p[erf]fecte and good memorye I praise god for itt doe here make institute and ordaine this my laste will and testament in manner [...] Forme following, Imprimis and firste of all I geve and bequethe and wholely Comitt my soule into the hands of my god and maker by whos death and passion I truste to be made one of his ellected in his heavenly kingdom and my body to be buried in Christian buriall att the devine pleasure of heavenly maiestie It’m I geve and bequethe unto Joane Bower my mother all my righte estate title and Intereste that I now stand possessed of by [...] of one house and ten’nte orchard gardene & backsid togeather with fower acres of arrable land withapp[ur]tances by and vertue of a lease and other [...s] and specialtyes made from Peter[?] Aldridge of [...linge] in the saied County yeoman and Anthony his sonne as by the same deed appereth To have and to holde the saied howse and ten’ts orchard backside out letts that Fower acres of Earable land to [...] with the writtings specifying my right heres unto Joane Bower my saied mother and to hir assignes for and during hir naturall life and after hir decease unto John Bower my father yf he shall survive my mother Joane Bower for and during her naturall lyfe he the said John Bower my father keeping himself sole and unmarried And the remainder of all and singuler the premises before bequested to decend remaine and Come after the decease of the saide Joane and John Bower my father and mother unto John Bower my brother and to his assignes and to the heier males of his body lawfully to bee begotten To haue and to holde unto him the saied John Bower and to hes heire males of his body lawfully to be begotten for all such terme and else that I have acording to the tenure of the same writtinge And for want of such heire males after the decease ofthe saied John Bower my brother unto Richard Bower and his heire males of his body lawfully to bee begotten for all the terme and number of yeres and any other tyme him to Come And For wante of such Issue of his heire males unto the Righte Full heires of the Bowers for ever Itm I geve and bequethe unto Margery Bower my sister a Flocke bedd a bowlster, a paiere of Blainckets and a Coverled to geather with the Bedsteede, Itm I geve and bequethe unto Annes Vaile my sister thirteene shillings fower pence to be payd unto her the said Annes or to her assignes whom three monethes after my decease Itm I geve and bequeathe unto Elizabethe my sister ten shillings of Currente money of England to bee paied to hir the saied Elizabeth within three monethes after my deceases by my executor Itm I geve and bequethe unto Joane Mill my sister twentie shillings of Current mony of England and a platter of pewter to be delivered unto her or hir assignes within three monethes after my decease It’m I geve and bequethe unto Margery my sister a platter of pewter and a brasse Candlesticke to be delivered presently after my decease Itm I geve and bequethe unto Anne my sister my leaste Candlesticke to be delivered to hir presently after my decease Itm I geve and bequethe unto Elizabethe my sister my Caroderne to be delivered to her presently after my decease Itm I geve and bequethe unto William Bower my brother all my apparrell Fully and wholy to be delivered unto him or his assignes presesently [sic] after my decease Itm I geve and bequethe unto Mr Mayly the mynister of Ranweeke five shillings of Current money of England to be payde to him or his assignes presently after my fewnerall Itm all the reste of my goodes and Chattelles moveable and unmoveable I geve and bequethe unto John Bower my father whom I ordaine and make my sole executor of this saide will my debts and funerall dischardged and accomplished Revoking and disanull my all former willes bequetheth and guifts And alsoe I doe requeste my brother John Bower to be the overseer of this my final will to see this my will fullfilled acording to my desire In wittnes whereof I have setto my hand and soule this Firste daye of July and in the yeres of the Raigne of our sou[er]aigne lord James by the grace of god of England Scottland Frannce and Ireland king defendor of the Faiethe &c videlicet of England the nyneteeth and of Scotland the fower and Fiftith 1621/
Samuel Bower
Signed sealed delivered in the presence of us
Richard Cornwall the writter
John t Dangerfeilds marke
John x Winston his marke
[Proved 11 March 1621]
Commentary
John’s parentage:
John lived in Moreton Valence and his eldest children seem to have been born in 1575 or perhaps a little before. In his 1572 will, John Bower of Moreton Valence made his son John his executor. I have not located any other plausible parents for John in the area in the period. However, the Moreton Valence registers have gaps, so there is perhaps room for some doubt.
References
Parish registers of Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire. Digital images on Ancestry.com.
Parish registers of Standish, Gloucestershire. Digital images on Ancestry.com.
Will of Ambrose Beard of Standish. Proved 1646 in the Consistory Court of Gloucester. Digital images on Ancestry.com.
Will of Elizabeth Pryde of Standish. Proved 1683 in the Consistory Court of Gloucester. Digital images on Ancestry.com.
Will of John Bower. Proved 1634 in the Consistory Court of Gloucester. Digital images on Ancestry.com.
Will of Samuel Bower. Proved 1621 in the Consistory Court of Gloucester. Digital images on Ancestry.com.