Perhaps :-

JAMES BOWER
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Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 21 OCT 1821 Mitcheldean, Gloucester, England
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Parents:
Father: WILLIAM BOWER
Mother: MARY
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Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record.
The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.
--------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
C030281 1782 - 1853 0091534 Film 6911768 Film

which might lead to his father being :-

WILLIAM BOWER
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Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 10 DEC 1797 Mitcheldean, Gloucester, England
--------------------------------------------------------
Parents:
Father: GEORGE BOWER
Mother: ANN
---------------------------------------------------------
Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record.
The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.
--------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
C030281 1782 - 1853 0091534 Film 6911768 Film
Sheet: 00

Sheet: 00

My great great grandfather, Aaron Meek, 1824 - 1897, was an older brother of Ann. I have info on Aaron and Ann's parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, plus most of Aaron's descendants. Let me know if you want any of this Meek family history.

I have James Bower (1823 - 1882) marrying Ann Meek (1825 - ?) on April 6, 1844, in Newland. The marriage record names her father as William Bower, occupation of sawyer. I have not tried to trace the Bower family myself but would be interested in anything that you learn about his ancestors.

Re Aaron Meek, my GGGF, he married Jane Tucker of Dixton, Monmouthshire, in Newland on the same day that Ann married James Bower, April 6, 1844 (a double wedding). Aaron and Jane Meek had four children, including twin girls born on September 24, 1851. My great grandmother, Elizabeth Meek, was the oldest of the twins, being born at 9AM that morning. Her sister, Hannah, was born at 9:30AM. The twins married brothers -- Hannah married Joseph Hopkins on September 6, 1869, and Elizabeth married Thomas Hopkins on October 12, 1879. Both families emigrated to the USA in 1887 and 1888.

Jim Moore
Cupertino, CA

The 1871 Census for James and Ann Bower suggests that there are four more children of James and Ann Bower: Emily (1863), Emelia (1864), Sarah (1866), and Charles (1871). Charles was 2 months old at the date of the 1871 Census (April 2-3, 1871).

1871 Census
Alfred Bower abt 1869 Harry Hill East Dean Son East Dean
Ann Bower abt 1824 Harry Hill East Dean Wife East Dean
Charles Bower abt 1871 Harry Hill East Dean Son East Dean
Elizabeth Bower abt 1857 Harry Hill East Dean Daughter East Dean
Emelia Bower abt 1864 Harry Hill East Dean Daughter East Dean
Emily Bower abt 1863 Harry Hill East Dean Daughter East Dean
George Bower abt 1869 Harry Hill East Dean Son East Dean
Hannah Bower abt 1867 Harry Hill East Dean Daughter East Dean
James Bower abt 1823 Mitcheldean, Glou. Head East Dean
James Bower abt 1850 Harry Hill East Dean Son East Dean
Joseph Bower abt 1861 Harry Hill East Dean Son East Dean
Mary Bower abt 1859 Harry Hill East Dean Daughter East Dean
Sarah Bower abt 1866 Harry Hill East Dean Daughter East Dean

1851 Census entry:

East Dean Township Part of In Herberts Walk and Ecclesiastical District of Holy Trinity All that Part of the Township of East Dean which comprises Plump hill, Westbury Brook Hazel Hill, Quarry hill Nail Bridge and Loquiers Farm
1959 0186 122 Quarry Hill BOWER James HD M 28 Collier GLS Mitcheldean
1959 0186 122 Quarry Hill BOWER Ann WI M 26 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 122 Quarry Hill BOWER Louisa DA - 4 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 122 Quarry Hill BOWER Leah DA - 3 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 122 Quarry Hill BOWER James SO - 1 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 122 Quarry Hill PARKER Jonah VR U 20 Collier GLS East Dean

Also at Quarry Hill:

1959 0186 126 Quarry Hill BOWER Enock HD M 32 Collier GLS Mitcheldean
1959 0186 126 Quarry Hill BOWER Amey WI M 31 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 126 Quarry Hill BOWER Ann DA - 9 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 126 Quarry Hill BOWER John SO - 5 Scholar GLS East Dean
1959 0186 126 Quarry Hill BOWER Mary Ann DA - 2 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 126 Quarry Hill BOWER Enock SO - 9M - GLS East Dean

1959 0185 113 Quarry Hill MEEK Richard HD M 27 Collier GLS East Dean
1959 0185 113 Quarry Hill MEEK Hannah WI M 22 - GLS East Dean
1959 0185 113 Quarry Hill MEEK John SO - 2 - GLS East Dean
1959 0185 113 Quarry Hill MEEK Richard SO - 2M - GLS East Dean

1959 0186 119 Quarry Hill MEEK Edmund HD M 32 Collier GLS East Dean
1959 0186 119 Quarry Hill MEEK Matilda WI M 29 - GLS Witty[?]
1959 0186 119 Quarry Hill LEACH Charles BR - 14 Collier GLS Elton

1959 0186 120 Quarry Hill MEEK Enoch HD M 36 Collier GLS East Dean
1959 0186 120 Quarry Hill MEEK Ann WI M 34 - GLS Tainton [Taynton]
1959 0186 120 Quarry Hill MEEK Enoch SO - 13 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 120 Quarry Hill MEEK Harriet DA - 11 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 120 Quarry Hill MEEK Fanny DA - 9 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 120 Quarry Hill MEEK Eliza DA - 6 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 120 Quarry Hill MEEK Tom SO - 4 - GLS East Dean
1959 0186 120 Quarry Hill MEEK Simon SO - 1 - GLS East Dean

Mike

Hi Annette,

I have only just noticed your message as I have had server problems but I was inteested because Mary Bower was my great- grandmother. Two children you do not seem to have details of are Tabitha and Jane Hannah. I think Tabitha was William's twin and that they were the first two children. There is a Burial record (at Holy Trinity) for Tabitha on the 15th April 1845 aged 11 weeks. Jane Hannah was Baptised 5th March 1854 and although I think she had worked in service whe was back living with her mother in the 1891 Census still unmarried. My mother says as far as she can remember Jane never married and lived for a while with Joseph's son's family then moved to Steam Mills. Unfortunately I have no idea which William Bower was James's father although I had found the marriage record and noted that he was a sawyer and also that Ann and James had had a double wedding with Aaron and Jane.

1841 Harry Hill ( MEEK transcribed as Meck)

Joseph Meck abt 1783 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Hannah Meck abt 1793 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Aaron Meck abt 1823 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Ann Meck abt 1825 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Meck abt 1818 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Joseph Meck abt 1816 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Soloman Meck abt 1830 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire