Deborah Bowring

Lady Deborah Bowring born (née Castle; 30 July 1816 – 28 July 1902) was a British suffragist and philanthropist.

Life She was born in 1816. Her parents were Mary and Thomas Castle and they lived in Clifton near Bristol. Her parents were Unitarian.

When she was 42 she married Sir John Bowring on 8 November 1860, who at that time was the Governor of Hong Kong. She was his second wife. Deborah went to live in a new house in Exeter called "Claremont Villa".

In 1879 she was one of the people whose views were quoted in a book regarding women's opinions about women's suffrage. Bowring made the important point that although she paid taxes, she was denied political representation. She also confirmed her strong opinion regarding giving the vote to women.

Death and legacies Bowring died in Heavitree near Exeter in 1902 still a vice-president of the Bristol and West of England Society for Women's Suffrage. She left a painting and a bust of her husband to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. Her husband had been one of the museum's founders and they had both supported it.