Author Topic: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter  (Read 5104 times)

Offline Brett

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Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« on: Thursday 05 May 05 11:03 BST (UK) »
Devonshire Photographers - Part 5

Henry Mower was born at Calne, Wiltshire in about 1831, son of a confectioner Thomas Mower and his wife Mary.  He appears to have had at least nine children between 1859 and 1876, from separate liaisons with two sisters, Sarah Jane Eden (1839-1901) and Elizabeth Eden (1841-1895), from Devizes, Wiltshire.  Henry seems to have eventually married Sarah Jane at Bristol in 1875.  I have compiled the following provisional family outline using census records (1851, 1871-1901) and the FreeBMD database.

Henry MOWER (b. c.1831 Calne WIL son of Thomas & Mary) ?m1: Elizabeth EDEN (b. c.1841 Devizes WIL d. 1895 Bristol GLS) m2: 1875 Bristol Sarah Jane EDEN (b. c.1841 Devizes WIL d. 1900 Bristol GLS)(both were daughters of Thomas & Mary EDEN of Devizes)
|- Jane Mower EDEN (b. c.1859 Bristol GLS) m: 1877 Bristol GLS William George POOLE (b. c.1857 Bristol GLS)
...|- Ernest William G. POOLE (b. 1879 Bristol GLS)
...|- Frank Henry POOLE (b. c.Mar 1881 Bristol GLS)
...|- Beatrice Mary POOLE (b. c.1882 Bristol GLS)
...|- Frederick N. POOLE (b. c.1884 Sheffield YKS)
...|- Harold Bertie POOLE (b. 1886 Sheffield YKS)
...|- Kate Lilian POOLE (b. 1887 Sheffield YKS)
...|- Alfred Edward POOLE (b. 1893 Sheffield YKS)
...|- Ida POOLE (b. c.1897 Sheffield YKS)
|- Thomas Henry Eden MOWER (b. c.1861 Trowbridge WIL) m: Emily Mary (b. c.1866 Exeter DEV)
...|- Percival Henry S. MOWER (b. 1885 Bristol GLS)
...|- Ivy Emily M. MOWER (b. 1888 Bristol GLS) m: 1910 Bristol GLS ??
...|- Cecil Sidney MOWER (b. 1890 Bristol GLS)
...|- Ruby MOWER (b. c.1892 Bristol GLS)
|- Beatrice Emma Eden MOWER (b. c.1864 Middle Chinnock SOM)
|- Marston Eden MOWER (b. c.1865 Marston SOM d. 1896 Christchurch HAM)
|- Florence Eden MOWER (b. c.1866 Creech SOM) m: 1889 Barton Regis WIL Harry Ralph MARSHALL
...|- Norman H.R. MARSHALL (b. c.1891 Bristol GLS)
|- Kate Eden MOWER (b. c.1866 Creech/West Chinnock SOM) m: 1892 Calne WIL Edwin Henry BELL (b. c.1867 d. 1897 Barton Regis)
...|- Kathleen Ada BELL (b. 1893 Bristol GLS)
...|- Edwin Seymour BELL (b. c.1895 Bristol GLS)
|- Bertram Eden MOWER (b. c.1868 Exeter DEV)
|- Ada Eden MOWER (b. c.1870 Exeter DEV) m: 1892 Bristol GLS William GRANT (b. c.1856 SCT)
...|- William Gordon GRANT (b. c.1892 Bristol GLS)
...|- Alexander GRANT (b. c.1895 Bristol GLS)
...|- Morrison GRANT (b. c.1899 Bristol GLS)
|- Percival "Percy" MOWER (b. c.1876 Bath SOM m: 1899 Bath GLS Florence Mary HILL (b. c.1880 d. 1900 Bristol GLS) m2: 1902 Bath GLS ??
...|- Percival Marston MOWER (b. & d. 1900 Bristol GLS)

Can anyone add to the material shown here, please?  In particular, I'm looking for:-
- A record of Henry MOWER's birth or baptism
- 1851 and/or 1861 Census entries for Henry MOWER, probably in Exeter

I am not related to the above family, but would be interested to hear from any researchers who do have a connection, please, particularly if they are able to shed any light on Henry Mower's life and career as a photographer.

... (contd.)

Regards and best wishes,

Brett Payne
Tauranga, New Zealand

Offline Brett

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Re: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 05 May 05 11:04 BST (UK) »
... (contd.)
Henry Mower appears to have first worked as a photographer in the mid-1860s, when he opened a studio at London House, Belgrave Road, Torquay in Devon.  He opened another studio at 27 South Street, Exeter in the late 1860s, and by April 1871 he was living there with Joseph Eden (1852-1883), who was working as an assistant in the shop.  Jane Eden was still living at 6 Hall's Buildings, Belgrave Road, Tormoham, in Torquay with three children, and working as a housekeeper, while a John Waite (1831-1889) was shown as a photographer in the same lodgings.  It is possible that Waite was running the Torquay studio for Henry at this time, although ten years later in 1881, he was still at this address, married and described as a "photographer & stationer".  Elizabeth Eden, on the other hand, was living with another three children at 6 Clifton Road, Exeter in April 1871, and working as a general servant.

Henry Mower and Sarah Jane Eden were married at Bristol in 1875, and he appears to have opened studios in both Bath and Bristol shortly afterwards.  However, he maintained the studio in Exeter until at least 1878, and possibly as late as April 1881, when Frederick Tom Parsons (1858-) is shown as a photographer at 29 South Street in the census.

The Bath studio premises appear to have been open from at least 1876 until 1884, when Henry was shown at 3 Argyle place, Grove street. However, both Henry Mower and Elizabeth Eden (1841-1895) also had several studios in Bristol from 1876 onwards.  Vaughan shows Henry with premises at 8 Ruysdael Place in 1876, although Elizabeth was operating at that address under her own name in 1879.  In 1880, Henry had a shop at 31 Park Street (another entrance on 3 Park Row), while Elizabeth was at 8 Triangle South, Queen's Road.  The Park street premises remained open through the 1880s, and by April 1891 two of Henry's sons, Marston Mower (1865-1896) and Thomas Henry Mower (1861-) were also working as photographers, Marston probably with his father and Thomas Henry with Elizabeth Eden in premises at 9 Clare Street.

In the late 1890s, Henry's youngest son Percival "Percy" M. Mower (1876-) also became a photographer, probably taking over the busines of his elder brother Marston at 23 Clarence Road, Bristol, on the latter's death in 1896.  He was shown at that address until at least 1931.  In 1914 Thomas Henry's wife, Emily Mary Mower (1866-) was listed in premises at 14 Hanbury road, Clifton, Bristol, while the old family business, which had been referred to as Mower & Co. since at least 1899, and continued at these premises until 1928.  It was possibly a successor to Mower, Eden & Co.  which operated c. 1892 at 39 Park Street, the name Eden being dropped after the death of Elizabeth in 1895.

I have found no positive sightings of Henry Mower senior in either census records or trade directories after 1888, when he briefly had another studio at 124 Digbeth, Birmingham.  However, his wife Sarah Jane was not shown as a widow in the 1891 Census, so presumably he was still alive at that time.

I am looking for any trade directory entries for Henry Mower in the period 1858 to 1878, please, to help narrow down the dates which he spent at various addresses and was working as a photographer in Exeter.  Also if anyone has old family photos taken by any of the the Mower and Eden studios, I would be very grateful for scanned images, to help with dating purposes.  I am compiling profiles along the same lines as the ones I have created for Derbyshire Photographers, and any contributions will be of great help.  Thank you very much.

Regards and best wishes,

Brett Payne
Tauranga, New Zealand

Offline Brett

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Re: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« Reply #2 on: Friday 03 June 05 10:53 BST (UK) »
For those interested, I now have a profile of and portfolio for Henry Mower (1831-) of Torquay, Exeter, Bath, Bristol & Birmingham, here.

Regards and best wishes,

Brett Payne

Offline debsmarie

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Re: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 09 September 17 22:34 BST (UK) »
Hi Brett

This is fantastic stuff - Sarah Jane Eden was a cousin of ours, so came across your research whilst adding her details to our tree.  I wouldn't normally be so interested in such a distant ancestor, but as I live in Bristol, I was intrigued about the local connection.  I believe that I have found a Baptism record for Henry and a census record for 1851, when he was living with an aunt and uncle on the Isle of Wight. I have also found an intriguing census record for 1861, which may or may not be related to Henry Mower.  The record lists a Henry Eden as lodging with Andrew & Harriett Isaac in Hawkesbury, near Chipping Sodbury, which is just outside of Bristol.  Henry, a photographic artist, is recorded as living with his wife, Elizabeth Eden and their daughter, Jane, aged one.  If as you say, Henry did have liaisons with both sisters, Jane & Elizabeth, then maybe they were using Elizabeth's surname to avoid detection?  I can find no other likely record for Henry Mower in 1861 or any census records after 1881.   

I have attached the 3 records that may be of interest to you and will let you know if I find any other interesting documents.

Regards

Debs     

copyright image removed


Offline debsmarie

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Re: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 09 September 17 22:47 BST (UK) »
PS - just realised that you don't appear to have a record of Henry's death. I found a probate record that lists his death as 4th September 1896 in County Durham, copy attached.  He was buried in Durham, at Pelton cemetery: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=122803170

Regards

Debs

Offline terryleaman

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Re: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 10 September 17 09:24 BST (UK) »
Back of Mower CDV
Hooper- Torquay & Exbourne
Stevenson- Plymouth & Lincolnshire
Vivian- Cornwood & London

General Torquay local history- OPC for Torquay

Offline Brett

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Re: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 21 September 17 03:55 BST (UK) »
Thank you Debs and Terry. Much appreciated.  Rregards, Brett

Offline sephardictyke

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Re: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« Reply #7 on: Friday 03 July 20 00:53 BST (UK) »
Hi all

Does anyone know of the existence of any sitters (customer) lists for Henrys Exeter business, 1869 - 1881 apparently, please?
I and several others are trying to identify an individual. He might be Samuel or William Trevor with connections to Weston Super Mare or Dulverton, with Bridgewater as an outsider.

I cannot post the photo or the photoback as the site tells me both files are too large. (It is carte de visite size!!), but they can be sent by email if there is interest

Any suggestions, please post,

thanks, Tim

Offline Brett

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Re: Henry MOWER (1831-) of Torquay & Exeter
« Reply #8 on: Friday 03 July 20 01:20 BST (UK) »
Hi Tim,

Sorry, no. I think the chances that you'll find any sitters' lists are pretty remote.

Regards, Brett