Thomas Gibson Bowles
Encyclopedia
Thomas Gibson Bowles generally known as Tommy Bowles, was the founder of the magazines The Lady
and the English Vanity Fair, a sailor and the maternal grandfather of the Mitford sisters.
and a servant girl named Susannah Bowles. He attended school in France and then studied for a year at King's College London
. His father gave him a yearly stipend of £90 and helped him find a job at Somerset House
.
in 1866. His coverage of the Siege of Paris
sent by balloon and pigeon post ensured his fame.
He then borrowed £200 to found Vanity Fair in 1868. Shattered by the death of his wife Jessica (née Evans-Gordon) in childbirth, he sold his stake in Vanity Fair to Arthur H. Evans in 1887 for £20,000. He founded The Lady magazine in 1885, supposedly spurred by advice Jessica had once given to him. He became a competent sailor and wrote for decades in support of the Royal Navy
. Bowles (nicknamed Jehu
Junior after a biblical prophet who effected the downfall of his enemies) compiled the biographical notes that went with the caricatures. He was editor for twenty years and shaped magazine policy so that no-one was exempt from his enquiring eye. This approach made for an entertaining and popular magazine.
The targets of Jehu Junior's satire usually considered themselves honoured to have been chosen, and although the scrutiny was acute, it was humorous rather than malicious. Bowles managed to achieve this extraordinarily difficult balancing act throughout his association with the magazine.
, he was elected as Conservative Party
Member of Parliament
for King's Lynn
and served in the House of Commons
until losing his seat at the 1906 election
. He was re-elected at the January 1910 as a Liberal
, but lost his seat again at the December 1910 election.
He died while on a holiday at Algeciras
, Spain
, and is buried in Gibraltar
.
According to his granddaughter Julia Budworth, Bowles also fathered the last three of the four children with assistant Rita Shell (his children's governess, after the death of his wife Jesssica Evans-Gordon), who changed her surname to Stewart. She later became editor of The Lady. They were Humphrey (b.1891), Oliver (b. 1895) and Peter (b. 1900). (See "Never Forget" pp.616-618"). Peter Stewart later assisted at Marlborough House
when it was used by Queen Mary
.
The Lady (magazine)
The Lady is Britain's oldest weekly women's magazine. It has been in continuous publication since 1885 and is based in London. It is particularly notable for its classified advertisements for domestic service and child care; it also has extensive listings of holiday properties.The magazine was...
and the English Vanity Fair, a sailor and the maternal grandfather of the Mitford sisters.
Parents
He was the illegitimate offspring of Thomas Milner GibsonThomas Milner Gibson
Thomas Milner Gibson PC was a British politician.-Background and education:Thomas Milner Gibson came of a Suffolk family, but was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, where his father was serving as an officer in the army...
and a servant girl named Susannah Bowles. He attended school in France and then studied for a year at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. His father gave him a yearly stipend of £90 and helped him find a job at Somerset House
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
.
Journalism
He began his journalism and publishing career by writing a column for the Morning PostMorning Post
The Morning Post, as the paper was named on its masthead, was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by The Daily Telegraph.- History :...
in 1866. His coverage of the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
sent by balloon and pigeon post ensured his fame.
He then borrowed £200 to found Vanity Fair in 1868. Shattered by the death of his wife Jessica (née Evans-Gordon) in childbirth, he sold his stake in Vanity Fair to Arthur H. Evans in 1887 for £20,000. He founded The Lady magazine in 1885, supposedly spurred by advice Jessica had once given to him. He became a competent sailor and wrote for decades in support of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Bowles (nicknamed Jehu
Jehu (prophet)
Jehu , ) son of Hanani was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible, who was active in the 9th century BC.According to the Bible, Jehu condemned the house of Baasha, king of Israel, accusing him of leading the people into sin like his predecessor Jeroboam...
Junior after a biblical prophet who effected the downfall of his enemies) compiled the biographical notes that went with the caricatures. He was editor for twenty years and shaped magazine policy so that no-one was exempt from his enquiring eye. This approach made for an entertaining and popular magazine.
The targets of Jehu Junior's satire usually considered themselves honoured to have been chosen, and although the scrutiny was acute, it was humorous rather than malicious. Bowles managed to achieve this extraordinarily difficult balancing act throughout his association with the magazine.
Politics
At the 1892 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
, he was elected as Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for King's Lynn
King's Lynn (UK Parliament constituency)
King's Lynn was a constituency in Norfolk, known as Lynn or Bishop's Lynn prior to 1537, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, and one member thereafter. Until 1918 it was a parliamentary borough, after which the name...
and served in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
until losing his seat at the 1906 election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. He was re-elected at the January 1910 as a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, but lost his seat again at the December 1910 election.
He died while on a holiday at Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and is buried in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
.
Family
In 1875 he married Jessica (1852-87), daughter of General Charles Evans-Gordon (1813-1901), a descendant of "Gordon of Lochinvar", and his wife Catherine, née Rose. Their children were:- GeorgeGeorge Frederic Stewart BowlesGeorge Frederic Stewart Bowles was a British Conservative Party politician and barrister.Bowles was born 17 November 1877, the son of Thomas Gibson Bowles of London. He was educated at Farnborough School, Hants...
(1877-1955) RN, MP & barrister who married Madeline Tobin - Geoffrey (1879-1968) Royal Navy Commander;
- Sydney (1880-1963) married the then Hon. David MitfordDavid Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron RedesdaleDavid Bertram Ogilvy Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, , was an English landowner and was the father of the Mitford sisters, in whose various novels and memoirs he is depicted.-Ancestry:...
in 1902, and was the mother of the Mitford sisters;http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/aug/14/britishidentity.biography - Dorothy (1885-1971) who married Col. Percy Bailey.
According to his granddaughter Julia Budworth, Bowles also fathered the last three of the four children with assistant Rita Shell (his children's governess, after the death of his wife Jesssica Evans-Gordon), who changed her surname to Stewart. She later became editor of The Lady. They were Humphrey (b.1891), Oliver (b. 1895) and Peter (b. 1900). (See "Never Forget" pp.616-618"). Peter Stewart later assisted at Marlborough House
Marlborough House
Marlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London, in Pall Mall just east of St James's Palace. It was built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite and confidante of Queen Anne. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient and good"...
when it was used by Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
.