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Frank Bowater

1866 – 1947

British politician

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About Frank Bowater

Lived 1866 – 1947 (aged 81). Frank Bowater was a military personnel.

Major Frank Bowater, 1st Baronet (3 April 1866 – 10 November 1947) was Lord Mayor of London from 1938 to 1939.

Early life He was the son of William Vansittart Bowater and his wife Eliza Jane née Davey.

Career In 1905, Bowater was commissioned into the 4th London Howitzer Brigade Royal Field Artillery (Royal Artillery, Territorial Army), rose to the rank of major in 1908, and fought in World War I. He also held the office of Lord Lieutenant of the City of London in 1914 and was awarded the Territorial Decoration (TD). From 1929 to 1930 he held the office of Sheriff of London and was decorated with the awards of the Order of the Crown (Romania), Grand Officier of the Legion of Honour and Companion of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (CStJ) and was invested as a Knight Bachelor. He then held the office of Lord Mayor of London from 1938 to 1939 and was created 1st Baronet Bowater, of Friston, Suffolk (UK) upon his retirement on 11 October 1939.

Marriage and issue On 8 October 1891, he married Ethel Anita Fryar, who died on 19 December 1943, following an accident, who was invested as a Companion of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (CStJ), daughter of Mark Lindsay Fryar, of Rangoon, Burma, who was in the Indian Civil Service, and they had four children: Sir Noël Vansittart Bowater, 2nd Baronet (25 December 1892 – 22 January 1984). Ethel May Bowater (13 May 1896 - 1990), who usually went by her middle name of May, married on 5 February 1916 Captain Olaus Charles William Johnsen (25 October 1889 – 20 April 1960), son of W. M. Johnsen, and had issue. Beryl Stuart Bowater (11 December 1902 – 8 October 1972), married on 9 April 1931 Colonel Arthur Howard Eckford Howell, who lived at 5 Headford Place, London, gained the rank of Colonel in the service of the Royal Artillery and was decorated with the awards of the Territorial Decoration (TD) and Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), son of Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Alfred Russell Howell), and had issue Sir Ian Frank Bowater (16 December 1904 – 1 October 1982).

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Positions held
Sheriff of the City of London, Member of London County Council, Lord Mayor of London
Awards
Knight Bachelor
Also known as
Sir Frank Henry Bowater, 1st Bt., Major Sir Frank Henry Bowater, Frank Henry Bowater

People in Frank Bowater's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Frank Bowater's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Frank Bowater?

British politician

When was Frank Bowater born?

Frank Bowater was born on 3 April 1866.

When did Frank Bowater die?

Frank Bowater died on 10 November 1947.

What was Frank Bowater's occupation?

Frank Bowater was a military personnel.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Frank Bowater

· Wikidata: Q5485417

· DBpedia: Frank Bowater

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Frank Bowater. https://biography.guide/frank-bowater/

MLA: "Frank Bowater." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/frank-bowater/.

Chicago: "Frank Bowater." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/frank-bowater/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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