Joseph FOWLER

   User ID: P00000812.

  General Notes:

Joseph was an architect living with his daughter and two servants in West Street, Winterton, Lincolnshire, England. The house they lived in, and the Fowlers before them, is called "The Chains", the Old Fowler Homestead is described in the Rusling book as "an excellent stone dwelling-house on the main street of Winterton on a lot extending through to another street. Here in Winterton, Joseph Thomas Fowler lives, when at home, and spends much of his time there." The Old Fowler Homestead had been occupied by the Fowlers for about two centuries at the time James Rusling wrote "The Rusling Family 1907" book.
On the rear of the lot is another modest stone house, now considerably in decay, in which James and Mary Rusling went to live after they got married, and where they continued to reside while at Winterton.
On Dr. Fowler's old house, where James and Mary Rusling once lived, is a small slab erected by Dr. Fowler, with the brief inscription: 'here Mr. Wesley first preached in Winterton.' Apparently he stood in the doorway and preached to a street congregation, the ground rising slightly there." This was the occasion about which Mr. Wesley mentioned himself, "Saturday August 8th, 1761, I preached at Winterton to such a congregation as I supose never met there before. . ."
When the first chapel at the Winterton Church (All Saints Church) was replaced with a new one, Joseph bought it and converted it into a residence named Chapel House, and later Ivy Dene. See reference 4, below.
There are several monuments for the name of Fowler in Winterton church and church yard. One item, a window, was to the memory of several members of the Fowler family including Joseph Fowler's parents, William (the architect and engraver) and Rebecca Fowler. It reads, "This window was designed and given by Joseph Fowler, A.D. 1875, in memory of his great-grandparents Joseph and Mary, his grandparents Joseph and Mary, his parents William and Rebeca, his wife Elizabeth and his son John, all of whom are buried on this churchyard. Domine, refugium factus es nobis, a generatione in generationem." Reference: Picture of the memorial plaque taken May 31, 2000, by Lucille Webster.
"Mr. Fowler was buried in the parish Churchyard, on Wednesday, April 5th, at noon. A new Bier and Pall had just been purchased for the use of the Church, and they were used for the first time on this occasion." Reference: Reminiscences of the Past in Winterton. BY EDWARD CHAPMAN.
CREDLAND'S COMPANION TO THE ALMANACK, 1910.
The Memorial/gravestone for Elizabeth and Joseph reads, "Elizabeth wife of Joseph Fowler, entered into rest November XVIII MDCCCLXXIV, Aged LXXII years. Joseph Fowler on Palm Sunday MDCCCLXXXII, aged XL years." Reference: Inscriptions were recorded in two exercise books, found in Winterton Church, with all the grave headstone shapes and texts that were copied before they were removed to allow easier access for mowing the grass in the Churchyard. This inscription was from, "Inscriptions copied from gravestones, windows and tablets both inside and around the church of Winterton".
Joseph's grandparents were Joseph and Mary Fowler who were the parents of Mary, Mrs. James Rusling who moved to New Jersey, USA.
The Ruslings of Hull, England, actually originate in Lincolnshire, England, as do the Fowlers.
Data provided about Joseph and Elizabeth and their family by: (1) "The Rusling Family" book for more. Author: James F. Rusling, published 1907. Available in 1999 from Higginson Book Co., Salem, Mass. and (2) Lynda Hotchkiss, Genealogist at Lincolnshire Archives, St. Rumbold Street, Lincoln LN2 5AB incorporating Lincoln Diocesan Record Office. (3) a hand written document about Joseph F. and Mary Tomlinson's family genealogy which was given to Lucille by Evelyn Harvey-Dew an historian in Winterton, England, in June, 2000. (4) "Two Centuries of Methodism in Winterton 1761 to 1961" by Edward G. Tate. Lucille copied this data June 2, 2000, at the North Lincolnshire Museum, Scunthorpe, England.

  Medical Notes:

Died On Palm Sunday.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Baptism, 16 Sep 1791.

Joseph married Elizabeth FOWLER on 29 May 1828. (Elizabeth FOWLER was born on 3 Jul 1801, died on 18 Nov 1874 and was buried on 21 Nov 1874 in Winterton, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom.)