BOWER, John ^{3 4}

   Another name for John was Bodsy.⁹

  General Notes:

Excerpt from:
Family record of the name of Dingwall Fordyce in Aberdeenshire. With Appendix By Alexander Dingwall Fordyce (of Fergus, Ontario.)

Bower (John), teacher of English in Aberdeen, was born in 1750, and died 8th November, 1820. His name is associated with that of the talented but wayward Lord Byron, who says of him: "I was sent at five years old or earlier to a school kept by Mr. Bowers. It was a school for both sexes. I learned little there, except to repeat by rote the first lesson of monosyllables, ' God made Man,' ' Let us love Him,' which I could repeat with the most rapid fluency without acquiring a letter." We have not the opportunity of comparing this with testimony from any other source as to Mr. Bower's teaching ability or success in his work. Lord Byron's recollection is simply given because it is his, and the sole authority we have. The name of Mr. Bower's wife was Ann Touch. Of their two sons, Robert was a medical man; John was the much respected minister of Maryculter. ^{7 10}

  Facts and details for John Bower:

• He worked as an English teacher at the English School on Drum's Lane from 1773 to 1820 in Aberdeen, , Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ¹¹

• He worked as a teacher and school master from 1773 to 1774 in Elgin, , Moray, Scotland. ¹² In the book "The records of Elgin, 1234-1800" there are several references to a John Bower being involved in the school system in Elgin. In 1773 he is listed as having a room in the English School. On 8 April 1774, he is listed as being appointed usher and assistant to Mr. Farquar's Grammar School class with a salary of £6 per year. In 1769, he is listed as the assistant Music School Master. Finally in 1774, he is listed as the assistant Grammar School Master.

• He graduated from King's College with a Master of Arts on 28 Mar 1776 in Aberdeen, , Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ¹³

• He worked as a teacher in a school that he owned on Longacre Street from 1792 to 1812 in Aberdeen, , Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ^{3 14 15} One of his students was Lord Byron.

The following is an extract from page 430 of "Prose and Verse: Humorous, Satirical and Sentimental by Thomas Moore", Published 1878, Original from Harvard University:

(Lord Byron) name of Gordon was that of his mother (Miss Gordon), and assumed in compliance with a condition imposed by will on whoever should marry her.

He appears to have been sent when four years old to a school at Aberdeen kept by Mr. Bower, from whose day-book the following extract has been sent to me by Mr. Grant, of Aberdeen, successor to the said schoolmaster, Mr. Bower: George Byron Gordon, 19th November, 1792. 1793, paid one guinea.

Mr. Bower's terms for reading (says my correspondent, Mr. Grant) were five shillings per quarter, so that young Byron must have been under his care about a twelvemonth. On entering her son at this school Mrs. Byron said to Mr. Bower, 'I have sent him to you that he may be kept in about,' from which Mr. Grant infers that she already found it difficult to manage him. From 1793 to 1795 Mr. Grant cannot trace him, but supposes he may have been during that interval at Banff Academy, or in the Highlands. In 1795 he entered the Grammar School of Aberdeen, where he remained till the summer of 1798. Mr. Grant had examined the public catalogue of the school, and says that his name does not appear after that period.

Extract from "My Dictionary" by Lord Byron, May 1821
For several years of my earliest childhood I was in that City (Aberdeen), but have never revisited it since I was ten years old. I was sent at five years old, or earlier' to a school kept by a Mr. Bowers, who was called "Bodsy Bowers" by reason of his dapperness. It was a School for both sexes. I learned little there, except to repeat by rote the first lesson of Monosyllables -- "God made man, let us love him" -- by hearing it often repeated, without acquiring a letter. Whenever proof was made of my progress at home, I repeated these words with the most rapid fluency; but on turning a new leaf, I continued to repeat them, so that the narrow boundaries of my first year's accomplishments were detected, my ears boxed (which they did not deserve, seeing that it was by ear only that i had acquired my letters), and my intellects consigned to a new preceptor.


Extract (page 161) from the book "An historical account and delineation of Aberdeen" By Robert Wilson

Messrs. D. & A. Grant's Academy, Long Acre. This school was occupied, for many years, by the late Mr. John Bower, who taught English reading with great success.
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• His original Will was drawn up and signed on December 29th, 1795. The executors were identified as: his son, Rev. John Bower; Hugh Fullerton, advocate in Aberdeen; and his wife Ann Tough. In that Will, Rev. John Bower and Ann Tough were to get the house on Longacre Street, Ann would get all the possessions in the house, and his sons Robert and William would get £50 each. Ann was allowed to give £500 to whomever she wanted. However upon her death, all moveable possessions and £500 would go to Robert; and the house would go to John. In addition, a yearly annuity of £20 was to go to William and £5 to his sister Margaret and sister-in-law Jean Tough. If Ann decided to give to William more than £100 or the £500 that she could freely disburse, then it affected his annuity. If she decided to give him the whole £500, then his annuity would cease.

It would appear from the above original Will that Ann may have had a tendency to favour William, and that John wanted to put limits on what he would inherit from his estate, if she did so.

However, since Ann predeceased John, he wrote a Codicil dated January 8th, 1818 to modify the terms of his Will. In the Codicil, he nominates Lewis Nicoll, advocate, as an executor to replace Ann. He states that Robert had received advances on his inheritance, and therefore will receive a total of £300. He increases the annuities to William and Jean to £25 and £10, respectively.

The inventory of the goods and effects associated with John's estate are listed in the Will documents. In addition to the various sums of money totaling £1,035 13 shillings and 9 pence, was a 25% share in a Heart of Oak verge cutter, valued at £20. This was likely a cutter owned and shared by the businesses and residents of the buildings on Longacre Street.

• His obituary was published in the Aberdeen on 8 Nov 1820 in Aberdeen, , Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It read as follows:

Bower, John Mr. 8.11.1820. Late teacher in Aberdeen, in his 70th year.

• He was buried at the Saint Nicholas Churchyard in Aberdeen, , Aberdeenshire, Scotland on 14 Nov 1820. ⁴

John married Anne TOUCH, daughter of Rev. John TOUCH and Elizabeth SCROGIE, on 7 Sep 1784 in Keith, , Banff, Scotland.^{1 2} (Anne TOUCH was born on 3 Apr 1750 in Aberlour, , Moray, Scotland ^{16 17 18}, baptized on 5 Apr 1750 in Aberlour, , Moray, Scotland,¹⁷ died in May 1817 in Aberdeen, , Aberdeenshire, Scotland ^{18 19 20} and was buried on 30 May 1817 in Aberdeen, , Aberdeenshire, Scotland ^{18 20}.)

  Facts and details related to their marriage were:

• Gift:,. These spoons have been passed down from generation to generation and are currently in the possession of Bruce Huntington Warren. They have been identified by an appraiser as 18th century spoons from Scotland and are engraved with the letters J A B. The J A B likely stands for John and Anne Bower. They were married in 1784, so this would agree with the information from the appraiser. A silver spoon was a Scottish Celtic traditional wedding gift symbolizing wishes that the couple never go hungry. The spoons were often engraved with the couples initials and date of marriage.
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• John Bower and Anne Touch were married on 7 Sep 1784 in Keith, , Banff, Scotland.