Anthony Bower
Anthony Bower (1820-1981) of George Forrester and Co, Vauxhall Foundry, Vauxhall Road, Liverpool.
1820 September 21st. Born the son of Robert Bower, Merchant, and his wife Anne. Of Brownlow Hill (Islington, Liverpool.) Note: Possibly born a year earlier as his baptism appears to be registered in 1819. Possible error from obituary published in 1891.
1891 Obituary [1]
ANTHONY BOWER was born in Liverpool on 21st September 1820, and on leaving school was apprenticed with Messrs. George Forrester and Co., Vauxhall Foundry, Liverpool, where he was early placed in the drawing office, of which after Mr. Forrester's death he had charge, besides making the calculations required for estimates. The work turned out in those days was mostly machinery required for sugar making in the West Indies. Marine engines were soon added, of which were constructed what at that time were some large examples, such as those for the Holyhead steamers.
In 1854 he became a partner in the firm, in the early days of the Crimean war; and the works were kept going night and day to furnish the required supply of shot, shell, and mortars. Some time afterwards he made a journey to Egypt, and obtained there large orders for steamers, sugar machinery, pumping engines &c., far beyond what his firm could cope with in their own works.
In 1872 he entered the Liverpool Town Council, and devoted much of his time and energy to the question of water supply for the future, visiting all the localities far and near that were likely to be available, and notably aiding in getting the water bill passed, and in all matters that pertained to the vast undertaking at Vyrnwy. He lived to see the completion of the great lake at Vyrnwy, of which he had done so much to realise the achievement.
He was an alderman of Liverpool and a justice of the peace, and had on more than one occasion been asked to accept the position of Mayor, but bad been unable to do so on account of the large amount of time that he devoted to the water committee as chairman.
His health began to fail towards the end of 1889, and he was laid up for nearly the whole of the succeeding year; and he died on 31st January 1891 at his residence at Heswall, Cheshire, at the age of seventy.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1870.