I think you'd get more help if you included some dates.......
Derek.
Thanks, Derek. It would help!!
The Bowdens (inc. solicitors, Joseph Rose Bowden, 1869-1930 & John Hadfield Bowden, 1899-1988) were involved with the Shaws/Eckersleys since at least 1918.
The brewery was known as the Bedford Brewing & Malting Co. from around 1860 with a name change to G. Shaw & Co., Ltd., in 1902. The key Shaws were William from Ashton-u-Lyne (1822-1889) who was head hunted to turn round the misfortunes of the BBMC, his son, George (1860-1918) who built on his father's sterling work, and George's two sons, William (1889-1937) and Frank (1891-1949) who took the company through to the end of 1930 when it was sold to the Walker Cain brewing group.
The main Eckersley was Walter Herbert Eckersley (1875-1919), who was a director of the brewery from George Shaw's death in 1918 and until his own demise about one year later.
There may be a link between the Bowden's and the Shaws/Eckersleys through James Edwin Anderton (1853-1934, another director of the Leigh based brewery), who lived, as with the Bowdens, in the New Mills/Hayfield area of Derbyshire.
I'm beginning to think that John Arthur Bowden and John Michael Joseph Bowden, mentioned in my opening post, were not connected with the Bowdens listed above.
Hope that helps.