John Bowdler
John Bowdler (1746โ1823) was a campaigner for moral reform in Britain and a founder of the Church Building Society. His brother and sister were the editors of the expurgated Family Shakspeare.
Early life
He was born at
In November 1765 Bowdler was placed in the office of Mr. Barsham, a special pleader; and he practised as a chamber conveyancer between 1770 and 1780.
In January 1778 he married Harrietta, eldest daughter of John Hanbury, vice-consul at Hamburg.
In November 1779 he attended Robert Gordon, the last of the nonjuring bishops, through a fatal illness. Bowdler had attended Gordon's nonjuring services in London.
His father's death in 1785 put Bowdler in possession of a small fortune; he then retired from his profession.
Pamphleteer for reform
In 1795 Bowdler wrote a long letter to
He disapproved of
In 1815 he formed a committee to memorialise the government to erect additional churches in the populous parts of England out of public funds. In 1816 he petitioned
Death and legacy
He died at Eltham on 29 June 1823. Bowdler was one of the founders of the Church Building Society. In 1825 his son Thomas published a Memoir of the Late John Bowdler (which includes an account of Thomas Bowdler the elder).
Family
He had ten children, six of whom survived infancy. John Bowdler the Younger and Thomas Bowdler the Younger were his sons. His daughter Elizabeth died on 4 December 1810.
References
- . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885โ1900.
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Bowdler, John (1746-1823)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885โ1900.
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