John Bowne

Citations

1. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Note: John most active member; treasurer for meeting 1691; his banishment brought religious liberty.
2. [S1074] John Bowne, John Bowne (1627–1695) was an English immigrant residing in the Dutch colony of New Netherland, who is honored today as a pioneer in the American struggle for religious liberty.
   Born in Matlock, Derbyshire, on 9 March, 1627, Bowne emigrated with his father and sister to Boston, Mass. in 1648. Bowne became a merchant and married well, his wife Hannah Feake (ca.1637–1678), whom he married in 1656, being a great-niece of Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts. Bowne and his bride, however, soon became adherents of the new doctrine of Quakerism, which was then being actively repressed in most of the English colonies of New England. Accordingly by 1661 they had relocated to Flushing, Long Island, where a small group of English-speaking Quakers were attempting to practice their faith in defiance of the Dutch governor of New Netherland, Peter Stuyvesant.
   In 1662 Bowne was arrested on orders of Governor Stuyvesant for allowing a Quaker meeting in his house. Refusing to pay the assessed fine, or to depart from the province, he was sent to Holland for trial before the Dutch West India Company. There, he successfully exonerated himself by appealing to the guarantees of religious liberty contained in the Flushing patent of 1645 granted by Governor William Kieft. Winning the respect of his judges by his uncompromising stance, he was released, and returned triumphantly home in 1664, Governor Stuyvesant being ordered to extend tolerance to all religious sects.
   Although the New Netherland was soon to become the English colony of New York, the ideal of religious freedom for which John Bowne had stood up was upheld by the province's new rulers, serving as an example for the other English colonies in North America, and ultimately to the framers of the American Constitution as well.
   A 1672 letter from Bowne and other Quakers to the Governor of New York explaining their conscientious refusal to contribute funds for the repair of the fort of New York is one of the earliest examples of American Quaker war tax resistance.
   John Bowne later served in the provincial assembly of New York, dying in Flushing in December 1695.
   John Bowne's first wife Hannah Feake (or Feke) was the daughter of the Elizabeth Fones who served as the title character in Anya Seton's historical novel "The Winthrop Woman". They had 8 children.
   John Bowne's second wife was Hannah Bickerstaff (married 2 Feb 1679/80) and had 6 children (2 died soon after birth).
   John Bowne's third wife was Mary Cock (married 26 June 1693) and had two children.
   A park, high school and an elementary school in Flushing, Queens are named in his honor.
   His house at Bowne Street and 37th Avenue in Flushing still stands, and is open to the public as Registered Historic Place.
3. [S1073] Cornelia Mitchell Parsons, The Quaker Cross: a story of the old Bowne House, Chapter XX! - The Death of Hannah Bowne 1677 - Notes that John's father, Thomas had died while they were away. John had remained in England to help settle his estate. His father had left him his English estate by the name of "Pallet Holme".
4. [S1076] The Bowne Family Biographies: John Bowne: Although the Bownes of England could trace their ancestry back to William the Conqueror's time and were connected to many titled and powerful families, we do not know what caused John Bowne with his father, Thomas, and sister, Dorothy, to leave Lime Tree Farm in Matlock, Derbyshire, England to travel to Boston in 1649. After a few years, John left Boston for New York, and by 1661 had built his home in Flushing on land purchased from the Matincock Indians for eight strings of wampum (about $14). He married Hannah Feake, the niece of Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts and cousin of Governor Robert Winthrop of Connecticut. John and Hannah had 8 children. After Hannah's death in 1677, he married again and had 8 more children.
   John Bowne is best known for his courageous defense of religious freedom. Flushing was then part of the colony of New Netherland, and its town charter, granted by the Dutch West India Comapny in 1645 guaranteed "liberty of conscience." When Governor Peter Stuyvesant prohibited the practice of religions other than the Dutch Refored Church, town leaders delivered the Flushing Remonstrance to Stuyvesant, challenging his edict, which was aimed chiefly at Quakers. In 1662, John Bowne openly defied the ban and allowed Quakers to hold services in his home. Bowne was arrested and imprisoned, and when he refused to pay a fine or plead guilty, Stuyvesant banished him to Holland, where he argued his case successfully before the Dutch West India Company. Stuyvesant was ordered to permit dissenting faiths to worship freely. John Bowne returned home victorious in 1664, and the principle of religious freedom was established in the New York Colony. His actions and those of his fellow residents of Flushing established principles that evolved into the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution - www.bownehouse.org/history_bowne_family.htm.
5. [S1077] BOWNE, John (1627-1695), John Bowne was born at Lime Tree Farm, Matlock and baptized at St. Giles Church. He emigrated to the USA about 1649 with his father Thomas and sister Dorothy. He married Hannah Feake (1637-1677/8), the first of his three wives, on 7 May 1656 in Flushing, Long Island. - http://www.andrewspages.dial.pipex.com/matlock/…
6. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume III: page 116 - Hannah, daughter of Robert Feaks m. 1656 John Bowne.
7. [S1073] Cornelia Mitchell Parsons, The Quaker Cross: a story of the old Bowne House, Chapter VI - The Marriage of Hannah Feake and John Bowne. This chapter is a beautiful and romatic description of the wedding day.
8. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume III: page 4John, son of Thomas, born Matlock, England 3^rd month (May) 1627, died Flushing 10^th month (Dec) 20, 1695; married Hannah Feake, born 6-1637 d London 11^th month (Jan) 31 1677/78 (married 3^rd month ( May) 7, 16V56).
9. [S1075] Francis Bazley Lee, Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey, page 483 - Children of John Bowne & Hannah Feake.
10. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Children of John Bowne & Hannah Feake::
    John, born 1^st month (Mar) 13, 1656/57 died 6^th month 30, 1673
    Elizabeth born 6^th month (Oct) 8, 1658
    Mary born 11^th month (Jan) 6, 1660/61
    Abigail born 12^th month (Feb) 5, 1662/63
    Hannah born 2^nd month (Apr) 10, 1665
    Samuel born 7^th month (Sep) 21, 1667
    Dorothy born 1^st month (Mar) 29, 1669
    Martha Joanna born 6^th month (Aug) 17, 1673.
    
11. [S90] Genealogies of Long Island Families From the New York Genealogical & Biographical Record, Volume I: page 416 - The Feake Family of Norfolk, London, and Colonial America and that Winthrop woman again.
12. [S1073] Cornelia Mitchell Parsons, The Quaker Cross: a story of the old Bowne House, Chapter XX! - The Death of Hannah Bowne 1677 - She died at thehome of John& Mary Elson at the Peele Meeting Place in St. John's Place, London.
13. [S1074] John Bowne.
14. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, John Bowne married 2^nd Hannah Bickerstaff born: England, died: 4^th month[June] 7, 1690 [married: Flushing 12^th month [February]. 2, 1679/80]
15. [S1075] Francis Bazley Lee, Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey, page 483 - Children of John Bowne & Hannah Bickerstaff.
16. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, JVolume III: page 41 - Abigail born: 5^th month [July] 5, 1688 & died: 5^th month 13, 1688
    Volume III: page 41 - John born: 7^th month [September] 9, 1686
    Volume III: page 41 - John married 3^rd 4^th month [June] 26, 1693 Mary Cock
    Volume III: page 41 - Thomas born: 9^th month [November] 26, 1684 & died: 10^th month 17, 1684
    Volume III: page 41 - John born: 7^th month [September] 10, 1683 & died: 8^th month 25, 1683
    Volume III: page 41 - Sarah born: 12^th month [February] 17, 1681/2
    Volume III: page 41 - Sarah born: 10^th month [December] 14, 1680 & died: 3^rd month 18, 1681.
17. [S837] George William & Cox, John Cocks, History and Genealogy of the Cock - Cocks - Cox Family Descended from James and Sarah Cock of Killingworth Upon Matinecock, in the Township of Oysterbay, Long Island, New York, page 14 -.
18. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume III: page 116 - John married 4^th month [June] 26, 1693 Mary Cock.
19. [S1075] Francis Bazley Lee, Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey, page 483 - Children of John Bowne & Mary Cock.
20. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Children of John Bowne & Mary Cock:
    Amy born: 2^nd month [April] 1, 1694
    Ruth born: 11^th month [January] 30, 1695/6 & died young.
21. [S1075] Francis Bazley Lee, Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey, Volume II: page 483 - ...Two weeks later he was tried andcondemnedto pay 25 pounds Flemish and the costs of his trial, and warned that a second offense would mean double this fine, while any further persistence in such conduct would bring banishment from New Netherland, John Bowne refused to pay, was confined in a dungeon on bread and water and still remaining obdurate he was finally sent as a prisoner to Holland. He was finally released and returned to America by way of England and the island of Barbadoes, reaching Flushing March 30, 1663.