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 BOWERS. BOWKKK. 69 Dr. Bowditch was married at New York, on the 17th of July, 1838, to Olivia, daughter of John and Elizabeth Yardley, of London, England. Of this union are four children : Nathaniel, Olivia, Edward and Vincent Yardley Bowditch. Nathaniel fell in the war while leading a cavalry charge at Kelly's Ford, Virginia. BOWERS, Walter Prentice, son of Charles Manning and Ellen Augusta ( I Union) Bowers, was born in Clinton, Worcester county, May 19, 1S55. He was graduated from the high school in Clinton in March, 1872 ; entered Har- vard medical school, Boston, 1876, and was graduated in the class of 1879. Previous to his medical course in Har- vard University he had served as an apothe- cary's clerk in Clinton, and from July, 1S74, until the store changed proprietors, was in charge of a branch store of the same house, established in Leominster. He then took charge of a drug store owned by Andrew Geyer in Wenham, which he car- ried on until he entered the medical school. Dr. Bowers was married in Clinton, Jan- uary 28, 1880, to Helen Matilda, daughter of Alfred A. and Matilda A. (Boynton) Burditt. They have no children. Dr. Bowers, in 1880, was appointed first assistant physician in the Worcester Lunatic Hospital, but after one year was obliged to resign on account of ill health. He holds appointments as local medical exam- iner for several life insurance and benefit companies, viz.: Northwestern Mutual, .(Etna, Connecticut Mutual, Equitable, Hartford Life and Annuity, Royal Arcan- um, A. O. U. W., the United Order of the Pilgrim Fathers, and the Royal Society of Good Fellows. In March, 1889, he was elected selectman of Clinton, and he has been for several years secretary and direc- tor of the Twenty-five Associates of Clinton. BOWKER, ALBERT, son of John Pear- son and Mary (Baker) Bowker, was born in Walpole, Norfolk county, December n, 1815. He was bereft of his mother at the age of four years, and he spent the days of his childhood and youth in the home of his maternal grandparents. He was educated in the common district schools of his native place, in select schools, Medway, Holliston, Andover, and under private tutors. Not the least of his advantages was the inspiration he received from his member- ship of a small club of young men, meeting for mutual improvement, each one of whom was obliged to prepare and read a written dissertation to be criticised by the others. Some men since widely known were mem- bers of this club, of which Bishop Field was president. Mr. Bowker taught school in Needham ; studied to fit himself for the work in the Teachers' Seminary, a branch of Phillips Academy, Andover ; was next engaged as principal of the village school in Dorches- ter Lower Mills (now part of Boston), to which place he was invited by the Rev. John Codman, D. D. As a teacher he was successful. In six months he was elected usher of the Eliot ALBERT BOWKER school, Boston, and, in 1837, at his major- ity, he was made principal of the Lyman school, East Boston. In 1845, after eight years of service, Mr. Bowker resigned his position, purposing to retire from active public pursuits. Soon after Mr. Bowker had attained his majority, he invested largely in the stock of the East Boston Company, and received the primary dividend of lands. He also became the proprietor of one-fourth of the capital stock of the Boston " Evening and American Traveller." He was also active as one of the founders of Hyde Park, one- fifth of the stock of which he owned. In 1846 and '47 he represented his dis- trict in the House of Representatives. In