James Henry Bowker

Bowker, James Henry (1822-1900)

Farmer, soldier, public servant and naturalist. Collected butterflies.

Date	Age	Event
Aug 1822		Born in Cape Town to Miles Bowker and Anna Maria Mitford.
1834-1835	12-13	Sixth Frontier War. Was living on a farm in the Eastern Cape; took refuge in Bathurst.
1846-1847	24-25	Seventh Frontier War. Involved in protecting Tharfield and Thornkloof Estates; later joined the colonial forces fighting the Xhosa.
1850-1853	28-31	Eighth Frontier War. Involved in supressing the Kat River Rebellion. Was at battle of Balfour and Capture of Fort Armstrong.
1855	33	Appointed inspector of the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police (FAMP), later called the Cape Mounted Rifles.
1858	36	Promoted to commandant.
1868	46	Involved in settling disputes in Basutoland and after annexation was appointed High Commissioner's agent in Basutoland.
1870	48	Appointed commander of FAMP.
1871	49	Led the expedition that resulted in the annexation of the diamond fields of Griqualand West by the Cape Colony. Appointed a commissioner there.
1872	50	Led the suppression of the Langalibalele Rebellion.
1877	55	Stopped Moorosi's Rebellion.
22 Oct 1900		Died in Malvern, Durban.

Helped Roland Trimen with his treatise on South African Butterflies. Never married. A "convinced expansionist".

Specimens collected

Collected mainly butterflies. Many of these are in the S.A. Museum; eg. in 1893 donated insects from Malvern; D'Urban [= Durban]; Natal.

References