James Henry Bowker

Who was James Henry Bowker?

Colonel James Henry Bowker, was a South African naturalist and soldier. He was co-author with Roland Trimen of South African Butterflies.

He was the ninth and youngest son of Miles Bowker, and Anna Maria Mitford, both 1820 Settlers. James Henry Bowker was born on a farm known as Tharfield, on the Klein Monden River, north of Port Kowie.

He was appointed inspector in 1855 of the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police, later succeeding Sir Walter Currie as Commandant. He also acted as High Commissioner of Basutoland. During the Seventh and Eighth Kaffir Wars he was promoted to Colonel. He took part in the suppression of the Kat River Rebellion at the Wayback Machine and the capture of Fort Armstrong in 1846-7, for which he earned a medal and clasp. For a while he was Chief Commissioner on the diamond fields of Griqualand West.

He was a knowledgeable naturalist and collected large numbers of butterflies which he then supplied to museums. His older sister Mary Elizabeth Bowker, who had married Frederick William Barber, was a noted botanist and entomologist as well as being a painter and author. She corresponded regularly with Joseph, William Hooker and Charles Darwin.