Richard Hall Gower (bef. 1767 - abt. 1833)

Born before 26 Nov 1767 in Chelmsford, Essex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Emptage) Grower — married 1802 in St Andrew's Church, Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Died about Jul 1833 after about age 65 in Stoke by Ipswich, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Richard Gower is Notable.

Captain Richard Hall Gower was an English mariner, empirical philosopher, nautical inventor, entrepreneur, and humanitarian

He was born in 1767 and baptized 26 November 1767 in Chelmsford, Essex, England. He was the youngest son of Rev. Foote Gower, physician and antiquarian and Elizabeth Strutt,, a sister of John Strutt, Member of Parliament. ^[1] He attended Winchester College, but he left school to join the British East India Company as a midshipman mariner. Upon his return to England, he studied navigation at Edmonton and, on rejoining the ship, was dubbed "The Young Philosopher". He returned to shore in 1783 to teach at Edmonton and to publish his Practical Guide which was printed in at least three editions.

The Age of Reason and the Industrial Revolution had brought experimental inquiry, scientific reasoning, and, thus, engineering to bear on the legends, traditions, and practices of all the crafts. He brought empirical philosophy. to naval architects and shipwrights were no exceptions. He was among the first to bring empirical science to bear on naval architecture with the intention of improving ship design that, in whatever wind and weather, vessels would sail safely, speedily, and economically with a crew properly accommodated and put to no unnecessary risk. About the turn of the century, there developed a need in England for fast vessels for scouting and for carrying messages and mail to and from the United Kingdom and her dominions and colonies overseas. He saw a vessel as a single entity in which all the parts, hull, rigging, sails, and, in his view, the crew, should relate to each other in ways appropriate to the task to be performed. He adopted a holistic approach to designing the vessel as a whole.

His book "A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Seamanship" was published in 1793. The first edition of a standard work of naval theory, is indeed a treatise, with section headings such as "Upon the Centre of Motion" and "A Mechanical Increase of Power is Loss of Time". But it is also a practical manual for the handling of a ship under various conditions to the best advantage. ^[2]

Based on this philosophy, he worked on the inventing, patenting, designing, and building of a series of novel vessels including three vessels. His work resulted in shipbuilding advances. He was also regular contributor, mainly on nautical subjects, to the Suffolk Chronicle under the initials R. G. or "John Splice". He expressed much concern about the cramped and squalid conditions under which sailors had to work and he deplored the cruel and heartless behavior of many captains.

He married Elizabeth Emptage in 1802^[3]

He died in about July 1833 in Stoke Ipswich, Suffolk, England. His will passed probate on 19 August 1833.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ "England, Essex Parish Registers, 1538-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJD7-1FHD : 6 November 2017), Richard Hall Gower, 26 Nov 1767, Christening; citing , Chelmsford, Essex, England, Essex Record Office, England; FHL microfilm 1,472,064.
2. ↑ https://collections.libraries.indiana.edu/lilly/exhibitions_legacy/written/Practical.html
3. ↑ England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973
4. ↑ Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
   The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 1820
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5111 #325156 (accessed 20 April 2023)
   Will of Richard Hall Gower Esq, granted probate on 19 Aug 1833. Died about 1833 in Stoke Ipswich, Suffolk, England.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Richard Hall Gower
• Wikidata: Item Q7326220, en:Wikipedia
• England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973

Name Elizabeth Emptage Gender Female Marriage Date 1802 Marriage Place Hertford, St.Andrews, Hertford, Eng Spouse Richard Hall Gower FHL Film Number 1042053 Reference ID 2:3F96GKN