The following information might answer some of your questions. I’ve indicated where the references can be found so that you can look and check for yourself - I’m not bound to be right. Apart from downloading original documents, access to searches on all these websites is free.
John Bowker (information from http://www.cheshirebmd.org.uk)
Cheshire Birth indexes for the years: 1861
BOWKER John Field Stayley Tameside STY/10/28
Cheshire Marriage indexes for the years: 1886 to 1890
BOWKER John Field MCLOUGHLIN Esther Ashton under Lyne Civil Marriage
certificate reference: Tameside RM/68/181
A different search at
www.freebmd.org.uk gives the exact year
Marriages Sep 1889
BOWKER John Field Ashton
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McLoughlin Esther Ashton
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Missing 1891 census (information taken from the free search at
www.findmypast.com and then the original census document from http://www.Ancestry.co.uk)
I think your 1891 census problem is likely to be due to a transcriber error. If you’ve been searching on Ancestry, his name is transcribed there as John ‘Kveta’ Bowker whereas
www.findmypast.com has it right. This census return also confirms his marriage to Esther McLoughlin.
In 1891, John Field Bowker is living at 3 Tongue’s Buildings, Cross Leech Street, Dukinfield. The full household is:
Head, John Field Bowker, age 31, born Micklehurst
wife, Esther (nee McLoughlin), age 27, born Stalybridge
daughter Mary, age 6 months, born Stalybridge
Sister-in-law, Sarah Ann McLoughlin, age 29, born Stalybridge, unmarried
Niece, Sarah Ann Mcloughlin, age 10, born Stalybridge
The couple are still in the Ashton under Lyne area in 1911. You have to pay to download the original document, but I can tell you who lived in the household if you want that information.
A search of the deaths index at
www.cheshirebmd.org.uk produces these two probabilities.
Cheshire Death indexes for the years: 1918
BOWKER John Field 56 Stalybridge Tameside STB/9A/37
Cheshire Death indexes for the years: 1929
BOWKER Esther 66 Stalybridge Tameside STB/16A/41
Frederick Bowker
The answer to John Bowker’s middle name is probably as follows (www.cheshirebmd.org.uk)
Cheshire Marriage indexes for the years: 1856 to 1860
BOWKER Frederick FIELDS Sarah Ann Ashton under Lyne, Christ Church
Certificate reference: Tameside CE1/2/51
Again, a comparison with
www.freebmd.or.uk information confirms the exact year as 1857.
As to the question of his burial, I can only guess. One possibility is that if his death was registered in Saddleworth and since his family all originate in that area, his burial might also be there. There might be a family grave.
Deaths Mar 1889
Bowker Frederick 54 Saddleworth 9a 185
You’ll probably find the records you need to consult for Saddleworth at Oldham Local Studies and Archives, 84 Union Street, Oldham, OL1 1DN: Telephone: 0161 770 4654; e-mail: archives@oldham.gov.uk
You can identify Frederick's parents from the 1841 census. If you then search the International Genealogical Index (IGI) at
www.familysearch.org, you’ll find their marriage details and two sibling christenings which confirm his parents’ names.
I have more than this, but thought you might want the pleasure of searching the references I've given and finding the information for yourself. If, however, you get stuck or want to me to send you the rest, it’s no problem so you just need to ask. I kept copies of the original census documents I used so if you can’t access them yourself, there’s no real need to buy any.
Have fun
Woody
thank you
thank you
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