Bertram Egerton Bowker

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

"195 Pte Bertram Egerton Bowker Somerset East Town Guard and 6th Dismounted Rifles

B.E. Bowker was the Great Grandson of Miles Bowker an original 1820 settler to the Eastern Cape. The copy of ths Somerset East TG QSA Roll page confirms the no clasp QSA and his service card from Pretoria confirms his WW1 Trio as 64 Pte 6th Dismounted Rifles (Middelandse Skutters) for service in GSWA.

The Bowker family is a very prominent family in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.They were and still are involved mainly with farming and in the Albany Museum there is a 43 page diary with photo's all pertaining to the family.

Bertram Egerton Bowker was born at Craigie Burn in August 1886 and was one of 9 children.He was the son of Emily Atherstone Bowker(1855-1937) and Robert Hart Bowker(1853-1936). He joined the Somerset East TG at the age of 16 yrs in 1901 and must be one of the youngest recipients of the QSA

The following is an extract from the book" THE BOWKERS OF THARFIELD"

"All the sons are living at Craigie Burn. Bertram spent many years on the diamond diggings on the Vaal River with varying luck, but eventually gave up and returned home.In his youth he took up Sandow's sysytem of physical development and was for many years the strongest man in South Africa".

Bertram died on the 1st July 1961 at the age of 74 Years and 11 months.He was unmarried at the time of his death and a retired farmer. His estate was valued at 2564.94 Pounds and bequeathed in equal shares to his surviving Brothers and Sisters.

He became a bee keeper and had the biggest beehive in the world at one time. Transcribed from his notes by Meryl Angela Duncan:
"Largest Man Made Bee Hive in the World.
This hive is 6 feet long, 4 ½ feet high and 4 ½ feet deep. Six people sit inside when the lid is closed.
I gathered 4 swarms of wild bees on the slopes of the Bush Berg until I had more than a sack full to start it. I mixed the bees with flour turning the bees into one swarm.
I had a peep in the other day to see what was happening. I was surprised to see the combs are huge like a half door and at the base measure 4 1/2 feet long. The hive contains a huge amount of honey 250lb weight perhaps or more. No honey will be taken this year as I intend taking it out in March next year if all goes well
I want to break the world record of honey from one hive.
When these bees are working it sounds like a huge swarm hovering overhead. There must be four million bees in this hive. Enough to polish everything off in the town of Somerset East.
(The following year – March) The swarm is huge and I have just taken out 152 lbs of honey and left a lot in the hive for the bees so that they can survive through the winter."


There were two other Bertram Egerton Bowkers in the family. The first was the son of The original settler "Miles Bowker" and was born in 1810 and died in 1907. He raised the volunteer regiment "Bowkers Rovers" for service during the Frontier War of 1877-1878(Galaka War) and was the Commandant. The other died in childhood
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from http://angloboerwar.com/forum/2-introductions/4124-pte-bowker-somerset-east-town-guard-g-grandson-of-the-original-settler