Alexander Rowland (1783 - 1861)

Born 1783 in London, England

Descendants

Died 13 Jul 1861 at about age 78 in England, United Kingdom

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Biography

This profile is part of the Rowland Name Study.

Alexander was born in 1783 was christened on 18th June 1783 at St Andrew’s Holborn, London. He was the son of Alexander Rowland. He is a son of Alexander and Mary Rowland. ^[1]

He married Elizabeth Morris in 1807. Children:

1. Alexander William 1808
2. John Henry 1810
3. Mary Sophia 1812
4. Elizabeth 1814 (died young)
5. Sarah 1815
6. Elizabeth Ann 1817
7. Sophia 1819
8. Rebecca 1825

Alexander Rowland passed away on 13 Jul 1861. His probate record names his son, Alexander William Rowland, beneficiary. ^[2]

Census Records

1841 England and Wales Census, Lewisham, Kent, England, United Kingdom ^{[3] [4]}

Rosenthal

Alexander Rowland Male 55 Merchant

Elizabeth Rowland Female 55

Sarah Rowland Female 60

Elizabeth Rowland Female 20

Sophia Rowland Female 20

Rebecca Rowland Female 15 Kent

Rebecca Sage Female 40 Kent

Emma Lutton Female 25 Kent

William Batchelor Male 15 Kent

1851 England and Wales Census, Lewisham, Kent, England ^[5]

Alexander Rowland Head Male 66 London, Middlesex, Perfumer Employing 5 Men & 2 Boys

Sarah Rowland Sister Female 72 Banstead, Surrey

Elizabeth Rowland Daughter Female 30 London, Middlesex

Sophia Rowland Daughter Female 28 London, Middlesex

Rebecca Rowland Daughter Female 26 Lewisham, Kent

Ann Sharman Servant Female 27 Northampton, Northamptonshire

Elizabeth Nicholson Servant Female 38 Hoxton, Middlesex

Ann Balls Servant Female 24 Lewisham, Kent

William Elkins Servant Male 22 Lee, Kent

1861 England and Wales Census, Hove, Sussex, England, United Kingdom ^{[6] [7]}

Brunswick Terrace

Alexr Rowland Male 78 , London, wd, Gentleman

Sophia Rowland Daughter Female 31 Lewisham, Kent

Thos Wm Wm Rowland Son Male 50 Lewisham, Kent, wd, Perfumer

Theresa Rowland Granddaughter Female 15 Lewisham, Kent

Mary Rowland Granddaughter Female 14 Lewisham, Kent

Alice Rowland Granddaughter Female 13 Lewisham, Kent

Henrietta Rowland Granddaughter Female 11 Lewisham, Kent

Louisa Oakley Visitor Female 23 , London

Sarah Strayer Female 25 , London, Governess

George Warner Male 39 , London, Coachman

Fifteen Generations of the Rowland Family

The book "Fifteen Generations of the Rowland Family" by Richard Rowland contains an extensive biography of Alexander Rowland, along with many others of this Rowland line. The following excerpt is taken from Chapter 1: 1590-1869. ^[8]

Alexander II was baptised on 18th June 1783 at St Andrew’s Holborn, and joined the family firm at a young age. He married Elizabeth (1778-1850) in 1807 and had five children.

On 1st March 1808 the Barber’s Company Court Minute states “Alexander Rowland of Kirby Street, Hatton Garden, London, Barber, was admitted to the Freedom of this Company by virtue of his Father’s Copy and on the testimony of Jacob Bonwick, Citizen and Barber and was sworn”.

Thus unlike Alexander I who served seven year’s apprenticeship, albeit without payment, he joined through patrimony, namely being introduced by his father.

The Dictionary of National Biography states “In 1809 Alexander II published an Essay on the Cultivation and Improvement of the Hair, its puffing intention being made clear from the sub-title about the virtues of the Macassar Oil. He followed this with a number of works on similar themes.”

His essay contains the quotation “Faith, his hair is of a good colour-an excellent colour”, from As You Like It, Act III. It describes the Island of Macassar and the luxuriant hair of the natives who extract the oil from the local vegetable trees “ and continue the use of this oil from infancy to mature old age…….The proprietors ( A. Rowland and Son ) with the assistance of a relation in the island and by permission of the Governor got possession of a great quantity of these ingredients, prepared the oil and found it to have such extraordinary virtues, that it excited general astonishment. Nothing but a full conviction of its incomparable excellence, would have induced them to have submitted the Macassar Oil to the public…..”

“By the 1840s he was widely claiming that the oil was being used by the Royal Family and nobility of England, as well as by several sovereigns and courts in Europe. The Queen’s patronage was boldly proclaimed on the double-fronted Macassar Oil and Kalydor Warehouse at 20 Hatton Garden. In contrast with his father, Alexander II actively participated in the affairs of the Barber’s Company, joining the Court of Assessors in 1845 and becoming Master in 1851”.

I have two letters written by Alexander II to his wife Betsey from June and July 1824, when he was travelling to Maidstone, possibly to visit his brother. One letter is addressed to “ Mrs Rowland, Lee” and states “Accept my love and that of my brother to you, and Sophia (his daughter) and Alex & John (his sons).” In September the following year John, then aged about 15 wrote to his parents from Brighton where he was staying with Alex and “Aunt” (maybe his father’s sister Sarah, or a sister of his mother) Anyway she had a short illness. The letter finished in typical florid style “I remain, my dear and honoured parents, your dutiful and affectionate son, John Henry Rowland”.

In August 1826 Alex writes to his mother from Margate stating “ Tell John to keep my pistols loaded”.

In September 1828 Alexander II took an autumnal tour with his two sons to Cheltenham. They passed through Witney visiting Uncle Collier (possibly Betsey’s brother) They decided Blenheim was not so beautiful a place as Stow Park.

In the 1851 Census he is described as a 66 year old perfumier, employer of 7, living at Rosenthal, Bushey Green, Lewisham, with Sarah Weston, his widowed sister, his three unmarried daughters and four servants.

Alison Creedon’s biography of Dame Henrietta Barnett, Alexander II’s granddaughter describes the development of Lewisham in the 19th century as follows-

“By the end of the 18th century, Lewisham had become a desirable retreat for affluent urban dwellers, As Lewisham’s agricultural industry declined, farm houses were eagerly snapped up and modernised by entrepreneurs weary of the clamour of central London. Meanwhile, villas appeared on formed arable land alongside the shops and small businesses starting to flourish on Lewisham’s High Street. So, by the mid-19th century, Lewisham had made the transition from village to town, but it retained much of its pastoral charm. The work of Henry Wood, the earliest known photographer of Lewisham, reveals an idyllic landscape; sun-speckled woodland, sparkling rivers, creeper-covered houses and ancient thatched cottages. And the names of the two Taverns – The Two Brewers and the Plough and Harrow bear witness to Lewisham’s former industries, even if they did refresh the spirits of careworn business-men, rather than those of agricultural workers. Meanwhile the feudal grandeur of Lewisham was preserved by the renovation of its 18th century mansions. As an 1838 writer enthused: “A little to the south of the church…. a fine panoramic view presents itself. On the north, the church tower, through a break in the luxuriant wood, forms the chief feature of the beautiful landscape. To the westward is seen the Priory, the elegant castellated seat of John Thackeray Esq., with its gothic windows of stained glass, and rich surrounding scenery…Further southward is the mansion of Henry Stainton Esq., and beyond it is Rosenthal, the residence of Alexander Rowland Esq.”

Rosenthal House was set back from the main road and surrounded by acres of woodland and landscaped gardens overlooking open fields and farmland. As well as the main house, there were numerous outbuildings, including stables, coach houses and greenhouses. On one of the lawns was a magnificent fountain, around which peacocks would strut”. It was demolished in the 1890s.

Alexander II was a keen gardener, winning prizes for his roses. He also delighted in showing his grandchildren how to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables. In the autumn of his life, his son Alexander William lived nearby and his grandchildren would come to visit him; his grand-daughter Henrietta’s diary records how she and her brother Fritz would torment him, by tickling his nose with a straw whilst he slept; he jumped up with a start whilst the children hid, convulsed with laughter behind his big leather chair.

In his Will dated 9th May1860 he directed that his funeral be very plain and gave his sons Alexander William and John Henry, £50 and £40 respectively for “mourning”. He left £100 to his nurse Sarah Micheson and a life interest in £400 Consols to his widowed sister, Sarah Weston. His daughter Sophia received four leasehold houses in Exchequer Place, Lewisham, and one other cottage and two acres of rose garden nearby. His other daughters were not mentioned- Rebecca died in 1855; I have not traced Elizabeth’s death records.

The Will records that Alexander II, his sons Alexander William and John Henry had been co-partners in the family business, and that under the terms of the partnership, Alexander II’s interest would pass to them, including “goodwill…stock in trade…steam engine, plant, implements, utensils….some of which are at Hatton garden…and others…at Rosenthal”

The residue of the estate went as to Alexander William, subject to a life interest in half to Sophia. In fact she outlived Alexander William by a number of years.

Alexander II died on 13th July1861 at Rosenthal; his estate was valued at £8,000. But a settlement document dated 1st November 1862 records payments of £11,250 to Alexander William, £10,000 to John Henry and £5,000 to Sophia; maybe these payments represented interests in the business.

It is noticeable that other than sharing in the business, John Henry, as a second son did not share in the residue. He was living nearby in Croydon with his family of five children and four servants at the time.

Strangely my great grand-father, the Rev William John, never mentioned John Henry’s side of the family; his son-in-law Sir Philip Gibbs, who married his daughter Agnes, and who went on continental tours with him, did not hear of them until Dudley Layton, husband of Stella Rowland wrote to him, having read about Sir Philip’s link to the Rowland Macassar Oil business in one of his autobiographies. Dudley claimed that Stella’s side of the family had the business. Originally Sir Philip thought he was an imposter, but of course all was revealed, and my parents became good friends with Dudley and Stella, and I with my fourth cousins. Perhaps it all stemmed from the Rev. William John having nothing to do with his relations!

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3ML-QG4 : 19 March 2020), Alexander Rowland, 1783.
2. ↑ "England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPJS-73RJ : 30 August 2018), Alexander Rowland, 7 Oct 1861; citing Probate, England, United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Great Britain.; FHL microfilm .
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQK2-S4G : 21 May 2019), Alexander Rowland, Lewisham, Kent, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8978/images/KENHO107_484_485-0148
5. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGRZ-NVZ : 12 September 2019), Alexander Rowland, Lewisham, Kent, England; citing Lewisham, Kent, England, p. 33, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
6. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7BJ-H6Z : 25 September 2020), Alexr Rowland, Hove, Sussex, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
7. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8767/images/SSXRG9_604_605-0478
8. ↑ "Fifteen Generations of the Rowland Family" by Richard Rowland, published March 2013, second edition 2017 by Vaila Fine Art, with extensive additions on the Rowland Generations website.