Thomas Bowers

Thomas Bowers (1660–1724) was an Anglican bishop of Chichester. The son of Mr. Richard Bowers, a draper of Shrewsbury, he was educated at Shrewsbury School and St. John's College, Cambridge.

Education Thomas Bowers was educated at Shrewsbury School, he matriculated on 13 June 1677, aged 17, and studied at St John's College, Cambridge as a sizar . On 5 September 1693 Bowers was appointed rector of Burwash then between 1705 – 1707 he was chaplain at Morden College, Blackheath, London. The survey was carried out in Sussex, parish by parish during the summer of 1724. Each incumbent was presented with 13 questions. and whether discharged from the first fruits by the late Act of Parliament:King's Books £9.10s.0d Real value about £70 per annum. Frequency of services:''Divine service and sermon every Lord's Day in the morning and catechising in the summer afternoons by the incumbent. The Sacrament is administered 4 times in the year.Number of communicants usually about 20 or 30. The glebe about 35 acres whereof about 6 coppice. But note the neighbours surrounding it will not allow the Rector a way to it as yet. We find also the church marks miserably down, so as to lay the churchyard almost in common. Ordered to be repaired. (Source: Bishop Bowers's Visitation Book Ep/I/26/3, West Sussex Records Office )

The survey indicated that most of the churches in the diocese were in a good state of repair and had adequate plates and vestments.

In 1676 Henry Compton, the Bishop of London had taken a national census, known as the Compton Census, to ascertain the Catholic and Protestant nonconformists in the country.

Patronage

The Whig politician Thomas Pelham was the member of an influential Sussex family. It was through his family contacts that Pelham built a network of patronage and influence amongst the clergymen of Sussex.

Thomas Pelham's grandfather, John Pelham, had appointed Thomas Bowers to the Rectory at Burwash in 1693. The Pelham family seat was at Halland close to Burwash, and it is likely that Bowers would have been a frequent visitor. It is thought that he would have tutored the young Thomas at this time.

The bishop was as keen as Newcastle to appoint clergy who were sympathetic to their cause, and wrote to the duke, in 1723, suggesting that any men so nominated should be "worthy with unblemished characters". Presumably not too many men were advanced as Bowers died in 1724 the year after, however the precedent of patronage was continued by many of his successors.