Queensland Architects Database

Bowcher, Henry Edward

BOWCHER, Henry Edward(1837–1925) was born at Prosser’s Plains, Tasmania, second of four sons of Henry Boucher, an inn keeper, and Susan Giles Crocker. After his father’s death, his mother married the goaler, policeman and author, Alexander Laing (1789/92–1868) who in 1864 was involved with the building of Henry HUNTER’s St Thomas’s Church, Sorell. Henry jnr probably trained in Tasmania as a builder before working in 1871 as a manager of the Tasmanian Quartz Mining Co. at Waterhouse, and by 1873, the Tumbling Waters Gold Mining Co., Pine Creek, now the Northern Territory. Later working in Sydney, he represented his cousin, George Bowcher, an Australian merchant in London and partner in the firm Moore Henderson & Bowcher. As warehousemen of London and Macquarie St, Sydney, they supplied among much else, uniforms and calico tents to the NSW Government. Soon bored, Bowcher in December 1875, departed from Sydney for Cooktown joining the rush to the Hodgkinson goldfield where he was a builder and contractor at Thornborough, offering to prepare plans and specifications and to provide estimates in addition to stocking timber, brick and iron. As contractor for the courthouse he advertised for brickmakers in February 1878. Unusually, like the powder magazine and school which he also built later in the year, the courthouse was a substantial brick building, its practical completion delayed by the lack of a government inspector. Later that year, he returned to Tasmania where he worked as a builder at Launceston, including speculative buildings for himself and in 1887 a new chancel, to St Paul’s Church, Launceston for Alexander North (1858–1945) of North & CORRIE. After working on Tasmania’s west coast in the 1890s and marrying his third wife, Emma Hesketh, at Launceston, Bowcher joined the Klondike Gold Rush, arriving in Canada in October 1897. He was living at Dawson City in 1901 and in 1911 when he back-dated his age by 15 years. He moved to San Francisco where Emma joined him and where in 1920, aged 85 he listed his occupation as carpenter. He died at San Francisco, California.

Employment

1867
Wheelwright, Tasmania
1871-
Manager, Tasmanian Quartz Mining Co., Waterhouse, Tas.
-1873-
Tumbling Waters Gold Mining Co., Pine Creek, now the Northern Territory
-1875
Representative, Sydney, for Moore Henderson & Bowcher, London and Sydney
Self-employment:
1876-
Builder, contractor and draftsman, Thornborough, Hodgkinson goldfield, Qld.
1878-
Building contractor, Launceston, Tas.
1890s
Building contractor, West Coast, Tas.
1897-
Contractor, Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
-1920-
Carpenter, San Francisco, USA.

Education

-1871
as builder, Tasmania

Migration and Travel

Dep. Tasmania for Northern Territory
c1874
To Sydney
1875
Dec 1875: dep Sydney for Cooktown enroute to Hodgkinson goldfield, Qld.
1878-
Tasmania
1897
Oct 1897, arr. Canada enroute to Klondike Gold Rush
-1901
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
1911-
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
-1919
San Francisco, USA

Genealogy

[GF] Richard Boucher (1760–?) b. c1760, Exminster, Devon, Eng; d. ?

[F] Henry Boucher (1797–1843) b. 1797, Kenton, Devon, England; d. 23 Oct 1843, Spring Bay, Tas.

[S1, 1833, Port Sorrel, Tas/M] Susan Giles Crocker (1817–1912) b. 12 Aug 1817, Stroude (near Ermington), Devonshire, Eng; d. 7 Mar 1912, Bishopsbourne, Tas

  • [5C/G] Elenora “Ellen Caroline” Boucher (1834–1914) b. 1 July 1834, Port Sorell, Tas; d. 3 May 1914, La Trobe, Tas.
  • [5C/1-4B] Arthur Robert Crocker Bowcher (1836–1904) b. 14 Jan 1836, Port Sorell, Tas; d. 2 Aug 1904, Queenborough, Sandy Bay, Hobart, Tas.
  • [5C/2-4B] Henry Edward BOWCHER Snr. (1837–1925) b. June 1837, Swanport, Tas; d.1925, San Francisco County, California, USA
  • [S1, 1865, Tas] Mary Ann Spotswood (1843–1868) b. 3 May 1843, Hobart, Tas; d. 19 Mar 1868, Upper Queen St, Hobart, Tasmania
  • [1C/G] Emily Laura Boucher (1867–1868) b. 18 Aug 8 1867, Hobart, Tas; d. 31 Jan 1868, Hobart, Tasmania
  • [S2, 1871, Launceston, Tas] Sarah Anne Crocker (1842–1893) b. 24 July 1842, Launceston, Tas; d. 26 Aug 1893, Launceston Tas.
  • [5C/B1-2] Henry Edward Bowcher (1872–1873) b. 10 Feb 1872, Launceston, Tas; d. 23 Mar 1873, Launceston, Tas.
  • [5C/G1-3] Emily Laura Bowcher (1873–1952) b. 2 Oct 1873, Emerald Hill (Sth Melb), Vic; d. 25 Aug 1952, Launceston, Tasmania
  • [5C/G2-3] Jessie Mahala Bowcher (1879–1880) b. 14 Dec 1879, Sandy Bay, Tas; d. 26 Jan 1880, Hobart, Tas.
  • [5C/G3-3] Lily Mary (or May) Bowcher (1881–1904) b. 17 Feb 1881, Hobart, Tas; d. 2 Aug 1904, Hobart, Tas.
  • 5C/B2-2] John Crocker Boucher (1882–1899) b. 1882, Hobart, Tas; d. 7 May 1899, Rokeby, Clarence Plains, Tas
  • [S3, 1896, Launceston, Tas] Emma Hesketh (1856–1919) b. 20 Apr 1856, New Norfolk, Tas; d. 10 May 1919, San Francisco County, California, USA
  • [5C/3-4B] John Crocker Bowcher (1841–1864) b. c1841, Tas; d. 16 June 1864, Huonville, Tas.
  • [5C/4-4B] Charles Bates Bowcher (1844–1913) b. c1844, Tas; d. 28 Oct 1913, Timaru, Canterbury, NZ.
  • [SF1, 1848, Port Arthur, Tas] Alexander Laing (1789/92–1868) b. 1789, Tannadice, Angus, Scotland; d. 2 Sep 1868, Port Sorell, Tas.
  • 3C/2G]
  • 3C/B]
  • [SF2, 1891, Launceston, Tas] Henry Blackwell (1824–1905) b. 1824, Cornwall, Eng; d. 24 May 1905, Bishopsbourne, Tas.

References

Launceston Examiner, 19 Dec 1871, 3; Evening Journal (SA) 8 July 1873, 3; Hodgkinson Mining News, 26

Jan 1878, 1; Gundagai Times, 10 Sep 1880, 3; Tasmanian News, 23 Nov 1887, 3 and 2 Sep 1893, 5; Canada Census: 1900 and 1910; Examiner (Launceston): 29 Mar 1911, 3 and 14 Dec 1925, 1.