Hi Ash
The following may be of interest, although it does not take you a great deal further forward in your search for members of the Bowden family.
I checked the 1841 and 1851 Navy Lists and could find only one John Bowden, and he passed as a Lieutenant on 16 March 1814. Using this information I checked the Naval Biography produced by O’Bryne in 1849, and found the following entry:
John Bowden entered the navy 26 May 1803 as a 1st Class Volunteer on board La Cheffonne 36, Capt. Chas Adams, under whom, after contributing to the defeat in June 1805 of a division of the French flotilla, which was driven under the batteries at Fecamp, he successively removed as Midshipman to the Resistance 33, and Invincible 74, employed off the coast of France, Spain and Portugal, and in the Mediterranean. Between October 1810 and October 1813 we find him serving at the siege of Cadiz, and on the Home and West India stations, in the Colossus 74, Captain Thomas Alexander, Royal William Capt Robert Hall, Norge 74 Capt. John Spratt Rainer, Vestal 28, Capt. Sam Decker, and as Masters Mate in the Garland 22, and in the Shark Sloop, Capt Thomas Huskisson, Richard Plummer Davies and John Gore. He was confirmed as a Lieutenant in the latter vessel, bearing the flag at the time of Rear-Admiral Wm. Brown. 16 March 1814; and invalided home in April 1815, was afterwards appointed – 5 April 1831, to a three years’ command in the Coast Guard – and 26 June 1837, to Victory 104, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Hon. Duncombe Flaydell Bouverie. He has been on half-pay since Feb 1840.
With the knowledge that he served in the Coast Guard service I checked the ADM 175 files (CG Establishment Books) and put together the following service:
Appointed from Burling Gap to serve at Burling Gap as Chief Officer from 5 April 1831 until 31 August 1831 when he was transferred t Newhaven. His next move was to Prawle on the 15 March 1833, from where he was discharged on 5 April 1834.
A check of the Navy Lists also established that John Day Bowden also entered the navy, initially as a Clerk, subsequently qualifying as a Paymaster. His service record can be downloaded from the National Archives website for a small fee; they are in ADM 196 (Officers Service Records)
Hope this is of some interest.
Regards
Martin
Coastguards of Yesteryear.