Joseph Bowker (December 28, 1725 – July 2, 1784) was an early political and governmental leader of Vermont and was the first Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives.
Biography Joseph Bowker was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, on December 28, 1725. After being orphaned he was raised by a guardian, whose daughter he later married.Vital Records of Hopkinton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, by New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1911, page 34Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts, by Ellery Bicknell Crane, 1907, Volume 4, page 201
Bowker was a farmer and served with the British during the French and Indian War. Most of his service was spent on garrison duty at Fort Ticonderoga, and as a result of it Bowker was usually referred to as "Captain Bowker" for the rest of his life.The Birthplace of Vermont: A History of Windsor to 1781, by Henry Steele Wardner, 1927, page 432Biographical Sketch of Joseph Bowker, by Henry Hall, The Historical Magazine, Volume 2, Number 7 (December 1867), page 351
In 1773 Bowker relocated to Rutland, Vermont. In addition to farming he was involved in several business enterprises, including establishing the town's first sawmill.History of Rutland County, Vermont, by H. P. Smith, 1886, page 316
After settling in Rutland Bowker served in several local offices, including Town Clerk and Treasurer and Selectman. He was also the first Judge of the Rutland County Court and Rutland County's first Probate Judge.The Vermont Historical Gazetteer, edited by Abby Maria Hemenway, Volume 3, 1877, page 1080Men of Vermont Illustrated, by Jacob G. Ullery, 1894, page 61
Bowker served as chairman or president of several conventions of delegates called to organize Vermont and plan its activities during the American Revolution During the War Bowker also served on Vermont's Board of War, as a Sequestration Commissioner, and a Commissary in charge of acquiring supplies and equipment for Vermont's military.Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, published by E. P. Walton (Montpelier), Volume 1, 1773, page 26, pages 190 to 191The Vermont Encyclopedia, by John J. Duffy, Samuel B. Hand and Ralph H. Orth, page 60
In 1778 was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives and served as the body's first ever Speaker of the House. He resigned as Speaker in order to accept a position on the Governor's Council.Early History of Vermont, by LaFayette Wilbur, Volume 3, 1902, page 382
Bowker died in Rutland on July 11, 1784.Vermont: Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, published by E. P. Walton (Montpelier), Volume 3, 1875, page 54 He was buried at Center Rutland Cemetery in Rutland Town, just across the road from Evergreen Cemetery.
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