Charles Bowen

Sir Charles Christopher Bowen (29 August 1830 – 12 December 1917) was a New Zealand politician.

Life

Bowen was born in County Mayo, Ireland and studied law for two years at Cambridge University. At the age of 20 he emigrated with his parents on one of the First Four Ships, the Charlotte Jane, to the Canterbury settlement.

His law training led to a position as private secretary to John Robert Godley, founder of the Canterbury colony. He was in charge of the police force, and, together with Crosbie Ward, became a part-owner of the Lyttelton Times newspaper.

In 1859, Bowen traversed the Andes on with Clements Markham, and 16 July 1861, he married his sister Georgina Elizabeth Markham. The high quality of the edition is proof that "good craftsmen migrated along with the gentlemen-colonists".

Following their return to Christchurch, Bowen was appointed resident magistrate in 1864, succeeding Joseph Brittan, who had resigned on health grounds. Bowen held the position until 1874.

Political career

Bowen was directly appointed to cabinet (by way of the Legislative Council) on 16 December 1874, but wary of criticism that a public servant had been awarded political office, he resigned from the Legislative Council and stood for election to the House of Representatives in the 22 January 1875 Kaiapoi by-election, following the resignation of John Studholme on 8 December 1874. and is buried at the cemetery of St Peter's Church in Upper Riccarton.