BOWRA John William Atlee

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NAME John William Atlee BOWRAName variations: Boure. Allee (baptism), Altee (burial)
Birth Date and Place1823 Marylebone, Westminster, London, England [LMA].
Baptism Date and Place19 Oct 1823 St Marylebone Parish Church, Westminster [LMA].
Marriage Date and PlaceApril 1849 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.262].
SpouseAnn Eliza REWELL [WABDM Reg.262]
ChildrenJohn Sydabad (sic) b. 1850 Cawnpore, India [British India Office N-1-77-21].
Lucy Emma Jane b. 1852 Hobart, Tasmania [TASBDM Reg.1396].
George Thomas b. 1854 (d.1860 6 yrs) Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.2361].
William Charles b. 1856 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.3428].
Elizabeth Frances Caroline b. 1858 (d.1860 1 yr} Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.4347].
Anne Augusta b. 1860 (d.1860 7 wks) Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.5275A].
Frederick James b. 1862 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.6469].
Emma Louisa b.1864 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.7916].
Jane Parnham b. 1866 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.9590].
Edwin Henry b. 1868 Perth, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.11034].
OccupationsWatchmaker and Jeweller – premises in Murray, Howick Streets and elsewhere in Perth [TROVE].
Government Clockmaker (Horologist) – not verified [various obituaries TROVE].
Land Acquisition in WA
Death Date and Place30 Apr 1898 Shearer Street, Highgate Hill, Western Australia [WABDM Reg.1965].
Cause of Death: Dysentry [EPCEM].
Burial Date and Place1 May 1898 East Perth Cemetery, Western Australia.
Section: Church of England. Grave No. 461 [EPCEM].
Death, Funeral, Obituary NoticesWest Australian 2 May 1898.
Western Mail 6 May 1898.
Sunday Times, Pages from the Past 29 Apr 1934.
Will and ProbateWill: 29 Apr 1898. Probate: 9 May 1898. Supreme Court of Western Australia.
[WASRO Cons 3403-1898-053].
BRITISH ARMY
Regiment96th Regiment of Foot.
Soldier No. and Rank#1738 Private.
Enlistment Date21 Nov 1842 [WO12-9614-354].
Arrival Australia: Ship and DateHydrabad.  Embarked 29 Jun 1843, Gravesend, Kent. [WO12-9615-192 to 199].
Dep. 4 Jul 1843, Deal, Kent. Arr. 17 Oct 1843, Sydney, NSW.
Arr. 4 Nov 1843, Launceston, VDL [TROVE].
Arrival Western Australia: Ship and DateJava 14 Feb 1847 from Hobart, embarked 27 Jan 1847 [WO12-9620-334].
Military Postings within Western AustraliaKojonup 14 Feb 1847 to 31 Oct 1847 [WO12-9620-334].
Albany 1 Nov 1847 to 15 Feb 1849 [WO12-9622-199].
Perth HQ 16 Feb 1849 to 31 Mar 1849.
Perth HQ 1 Apr 1849 to 18 May 1849 [deduced as WO12-9624 Musters are not extant in WA].
Left with Regiment on Radcliffe for Calcutta, India on 18 May 1849 [deduced – see Additional Details].
Medals, Clasps and BadgesGood Conduct Badge 1d. per day and arrears from 25 Nov 1847 [WO12-9622-82].
Courts Martial in Western AustraliaNone.
Discharge Date and PlaceSee Additional Details below.
Age at Discharge
Length of Service
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Quarterly Pay Lists WO12-9624 for the period Quarter 1st April to 30th June 1849 are not available in Western Australia, thus it is not posssible to identify exactly which men received approval in Perth for their discharge. Most are recorded in the Commandant’s General Orders in WO28-266 in April or May with a conditional discharge, and ten received a pension. But three men who did eventually settle in the Colony: John Bowra, Thomas Briggs and William King are not mentioned.

In the case of Bowra, it appears that he sailed on Radcliffe with his regiment to India in May 1849; the proof of this was the birth of his eldest son in Cawnpore in January 1850 [click to enlarge image on left].  The regiment remained in India until it returned to England in 1855. It did not return to Tasmania as mentioned in at least one newspaper account of Bowra’s Army career.  He was not in Lahore with the regiment in the first quarter of 1851 and by 1852 the family was in Hobart where their second child, a daughter, was born.  Bowra returned to Perth by 1854 where he was conducting business as a repairer of watches and their third child was born.

Radcliffe’s departure
Perth Gazette 18 May 1849

It is possible, but at this stage not proven, that Bowra received a conditional discharge in April or May 1849 and chose to continue with his regiment until approval from London was available; for most of the 96th settlers this was in July or August 1851.  He then decided to return to Hobart and within a few years, to Perth. Whether he purchased his discharge, received it free or was paid a gratuity is unknown [Diane Oldman Jun 2020].