RootsChat.Com

Dear All,

I have signed up to RootsChat after finding your exchange on the internet, several years late!

My ancestor was the minister James Fowler who married Margaret Grant. I only have semi-anecdotal knowledge of his predecessors on the Black Isle, so I would be most interested to learn more.

In particular, I believe that this is the first time I have heard that his father and mother were Colin Fowler and Cathrine Gordon.

James Fowler's son, Alpin Grant Fowler, went out to British Guiana, I had assumed because of the Grant connection, but I now see that a number of other Fowlers also settled out there.

Alpin Grant Fowler became a sugar planter and married in British Guiana / Demerera, before moving to Ootacamund, India, where he was a tea and coffee planter. He eventually retired to Marylebone, London.

His son, another Alpin Grant Fowler, was a Civil Engineer, who married in New Zealand, and his son, Tracy, became the manager of the sugar beet factory in Cantley, Norfolk, where my father Jim was brought up.

Lisa's reference to the sons of another related James Fowler, with their sugar refining business at Blackwall, makes me wonder to what extent family history may have influenced Tracy's choice of career.

Tracy had served his apprenticeship at Tate & Lyle, and Tate & Lyle bought (presumably the same) Fowler Ltd sugar refining company of Glasshouse Wharf, Blackwall.

I believe that this was the same Fowler Ltd which produced 'Fowler's West Indian Treacle', which was once a household name, at least in the UK.

If any of you are still in contact on RootsChat.com I would be very interested in learning more about the family, and in particular Colin Fowler's ancestors.

Hi, Mark. James' sister, Janet, is a 5th great grandmother of mine. I haven't gotten further than Colin Fowler (Foular) and Catherine Gordon, though. I'm pretty sure the Colin Simson and Donald Fowler mentioned in this NOAS excavation of a whisky distillery are related to us, though (My Janet Fowler married a Colin Simson, maybe the son or grandson of the one mentioned).

http://www.nosas.co.uk/visitmulchaichdistillery.asp

"At Cromarty 28 March 1733 Alexander Mackenzie in Mulchaich in Ferrintosh, Robert Mackenzie there, Donald Fowler there, and Colin Simson in Cromarty (of whom only Robert could sign) ‘signed’ a bill that they would on 15 May pay Mrs Margaret Mackenzie £128 Scots for “value received in sufficient bear (bere)”. The bill was protested for partial non payment on 8 November”.
And another by the same parties “Cromarty 28 March 1733: to pay £170 Scots “value received by you in sufficient bear”