Jabez Bowen, Sr. (June 2, 1739May 7, 1815) was an American shipper, slave trader and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

. He was a militia colonel during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, and served as Deputy Governor of Rhode Island and chief justice of the

Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the Supreme court, court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by ...

Early life

Bowen was born in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

, the son of Ephraim Bowen and Mary (Fenner) Bowen. His father was a prominent doctor in Providence in 1739, and his great-uncle Jabez Bowen was also a prominent Providence physician. In 1757, Bowen graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

. He married Sarah Brown on December 19, 1762, a cousin of Moses Brown and John Brown of the prominent Brown family (''see''

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

) of Providence. Bowen was deeply involved with the Browns in the shipping business, involving slaves, molasses, rum, and the China trade.

Political career

He was a member of the Providence town council from 1773 to 1775, and was a representative in the General Assembly in 1777. During the American Revolution, Bowen served in the Rhode Island Militia from 1774 to 1777, serving as the colonel of the First Regiment of Providence County from 1776 to 1777. He served under Brigadier General William West who would later, like Bowen, serve as Deputy Governor of the state. Bowen was Deputy Governor of Rhode Island for a total of seven years from May 1778 to May 1780, and from May 1781 to May 1786. He was a delegate to the Annapolis Convention in 1786 and the Constitutional Convention in 1790. He served as a Superior Court judge from August 1776 to May 1778, and became chief justice in February 1781 following the death of Shearjashub Bourn, holding that office until May 1781. Bowen was an ardent federalist (pro-Constitution) supporter, and was on the city committee which negotiated a peaceful end to William West's antifederalist protest on the Fourth of July in 1788. Bowen served as Chancellor of

from 1785 until his death. He died on May 7, 1815, in Providence, and is interred in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence.

Personal life

Bowen and his first wife, Sarah Brown, married December 19, 1762, had 11 children together. After Sarah's death, he married Peddy Leonard on May 21, 1801; they had no children together. Bowen's son Henry served as Rhode Island Secretary of State from 1819 to 1849. He was a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in St. Johns Lodge #1 Providence, and served as Master of the lodge from 1779 to 1790, and served as Grand Master in Providence from 1794 to 1798. Bowen was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1814. His mahogany tea table is currently at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Winterthur, Delaware. The tea table was made in 1763 by John Goddard at Goddard and Townsend in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

References

External links

Rhode Island Historical Society- Bowen papers

Lt. Gov. Jabez Bowen's Silver Spoon Presented in 1780
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Portrait of Mrs Sarah (Brown) Bowen by John Singleton Copley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Jabez Rhode Island militiamen in the American Revolution Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island People from Providence County, Rhode Island Rhode Island state court judges Yale College alumni People from colonial Rhode Island Members of the Rhode Island General Assembly Jabez Bowen 1739 births 1815 deaths Rhode Island Federalists Lieutenant governors of Rhode Island Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court 18th-century American slave traders Burials at Swan Point Cemetery Chancellors of Brown University

Early life

Political career

Personal life

References

Further reading

External links