Hi Everyone   I am new to this list and was wondering if the aboved named is in anyone's tree.  Squire Bowker was born on 13 June 1826 to John Bowker and his wife Elizabeth (maiden name unknown)  Squire founded a cotten factory in Radcliffe.  His wife was Elizabeth Woolstenholme and he had (as far as I can find out) only one child hamed John James Bowker who was born in 1850.  In the 1861 census Squire is listed as a widower, so Elizabeth must have died between 1850 and 1861.  I am wondering if there was another son born to this marriage named William.  I have found evidence of a "William Bowker, the son of Squire Bowker" in America, and was wondering if this could be anything to do with "my" Squire.    I live in Essex so getting to the Manchester Archives is a real problem for me, but if anyone has got transcripts of the Radcliffe registers or is researching this name, I would be very pleased to hear from you.  I was also wondering if anyone knows anything about the factory - whereabouts in Radcliffe it was, if any photos exist etc.  According to the 1881 census there were  20 men, 145 women and 15 girls employed there, so I am guessing it would be a fairly sizable mill.   Thanks to everyone in anticipation   Joyce Shaw

Hi Joyce, First off, no relations or family knowledge... Elizabeth BOWKER died at age 40 in 1860 (lancashirebmd.org) I suspect that Squire had a (perhaps, older) brother named John, who married Hannah WOLSTENHOLME in Radcliffe in 1846. Again using lancashirebmd, with the surnames BOWKER and WOLSTENHOLME, district, Bury between 1840 and 1860, there are a total of 6 children, one of whom is your John James born in 1850. The others are Elizabeth (1848), Matthew (1850), Thomas (1851), James (1853), and Mary (1856). The first two are John and Hannah's children (from familysearch using the batch number search) and I suspect the rest are as well (nothing shows after 1850). I had a quick look through Radcliffe in 1861 but, not having an index, I didn't find much... hth a little... David