{"id":7574,"date":"2021-06-08T18:27:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T08:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.michelledennis.com.au\/?page_id=7574"},"modified":"2021-06-08T18:57:19","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T08:57:19","slug":"james-bowman-and-wife-ann","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.michelledennis.com.au\/?page_id=7574","title":{"rendered":"James Bowman and wife Ann"},"content":{"rendered":"

James Bowman<\/strong> was born in September 1714 in Norwich, Norfolk, England to single mother Susan Bowman.<\/p>\n

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St John Timberhill, Norwich<\/p><\/div>\n

His mother Susan died either in childbirth or shortly after and was buried on 25 September 1714 at St John Timberhill, Norwich, and James was baptised there on 8 November. Susan was named as the daughter of Honor Bowman.<\/p>\n

James was a baker by trade and around 1730 he married Ann. James and Ann had seven children together, all baptised and buried at their parish church of St Michael Coslany, Norwich, Norfolk. Sadly only one child survived – my ancestor Mary.<\/p>\n

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  1. James b 1732 \u2013d 1732<\/li>\n
  2. Joseph b 1735 \u2013 d 1735<\/li>\n
  3. Ann b 1736 \u2013 d 1736<\/li>\n
  4. William b 1737 \u2013 d 1737<\/li>\n
  5. Mary<\/a> b <\/strong>1738 \u2013 d 1812,\u00a0 married Peter Toft<\/li>\n
  6. Ann b 1740 \u2013 d 1741<\/li>\n
  7. James b 1741 \u2013 d 1742<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"On 24 Feb 1732 James Bowman, a baker, was admitted to the Freedom of Norwich by means of purchase. By being a Freeman, it gave him the right to practise his trade, that of a baker, within the city of Norwich. But there were strict rules he had to follow –<\/p>\n

    \u2018No one may merchandize in the city unless he be at lot and scot of the city [pays borough dues] and contributes to the common aids [Crown dues] of the same.\u00a0 And that all who shall be received as a peer of the city [into the freedom] may be free and not serfs to anyone, let enquiry be well made before they are received\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n

    In other words, everyone in Norwich who paid rates and taxes was eligible for freeman status, and all those who wished to trade freely in the city had to acquire that status.\u00a0 Aspirants could qualify for the freedom in three main ways:<\/p>\n