Samuel Bowering of Edwinstowe – Prisoner of the French in New York 1792

The Bowring family plot in Edwinstowe churchyard at the top of the “funeral steps” contains the 18^th and 19^th century graves of several family members, but the inscriptions are now badly eroded. Beside the path there’s a broken gravestone which has been sheltered by the stone a few inches in front. It appears to read:

… Bowering who served his King and Country with Honor … for 28 years. Departed this life 7th day of May 1802 in 67^th year of his life.

A search of Edwinstowe 1802 Burial Register reveals Samuel Bowering aged 66 who “dropped down dead”. In Notts Archives there is a letter dated September 11^th 1792 from Samuel Bowering a Marine Sargeant on board HMS Perseverance telling his family in Edwinstowe that he had been held prisoner in New York (although Britain was not officially at war with the French.)

“I have been taken prisoner by the french and lay in french prison allmost eight months. They stiple me of any clothing and every thing that I had and all my shipmates shared the saime faite. Ouer confinement proved verey harde and cruall. Blessed be my God I ham at liberty and restored to my elth and I ham in hopes that it will be in my power to have sume of theise nasti cruel papish French villaines in  my care to rewarde them for their usage to me.”

Samuel asks the addressee, John Cartwright, about his Will which his late mother had lodged with publican William Tudsbury. His three sisters Margaret Cartwright, Easter Tudsbury and Catharinah Bowering are the beneficiaries. He says he’s owed £50 wages from the Romiles, his present wages and prize money. 

Samuel baptised at St. Mary’s Edwinstowe in 1736 was the son of Nicholas and Ann Bowring. Nicholas Bowring was buried in 1752. His widow Ann’s Will dated 6^th May 1778, leaves her house to her sons Issac, John, Samuel, Joseph, William and Benjamin plus 1 shilling each (also to her daughter Margaret wife of John Cartwright).  Her personal Estate was left to her executrix Esther wife of William Tudsbury.

Samuel aged 21 years, must have joined the newly-formed Royal Marines, the infantry force of the Royal Navy around 1755.  Samuel was discharged from Royal Naval service with Bad Sight aged 49 years in August 1783. He applied for an Out Pension from Royal Hospital Greenwich and subsequently received £1 15shillings quarterly. He signed in the Register as Sam’l Bowering which appears to  match how he signed his Will in the letter.  These Out Pensions from the Chatham Chest were paid for by sixpence a month deducted from all members’ pay checks. Recipients were allowed to go on working.  

Note: The PRO at Kew have excellent naval records from 1704 many of which are indexed and available to view on Find My Past. See PRO finding aids and Simon Will’s article “Royal Marine Records. How to find them” (Who Do You Think You Are Magazine – May 2023).

Samuel Bowering’s signature – part of the 1792 letter regarding his Will