Ashley Bowen of Marblehead was not famous during his lifetime, but he left a legacy that has proved invaluable. Bowen was an apprentice seaman from the age of 11.
He was married three times and fathered 15 children. After many years at sea, he became a ship’s rigger at the age of 35. His personal diaries and illustrations provide information about life in Marblehead and beyond.
Bowen’s journals record battles in Quebec in the French and Indian War in 1759. For the rest of his life, Bowen regaled anyone who would listen to accounts of his voyage to Quebec with Captain James Cook. Of course, Cook was not yet known as a famous explorer when Bowen sailed with him, but it was still impressive, as was Bowen’s service in the British Navy during the French and Indian War.
Bowen also recorded his life as a ship’s rigger, with many accounts about the construction of vessels, as well as work that he occasionally did on buildings, including the Jeremiah Lee Mansion. He lived to be 85 years old, so his journal includes times before, during and after the American Revolution.
During the Revolution, Bowen was a Tory, and he was quite open about it. As a result, he found little work during the war years and was often refused provisions by local shopkeepers. Bowen was drafted twice into the Marblehead militia, was trained as a soldier, but he was considered a suspicious character, and was not taken up by any of the militia commanders. Finally, he went to sea, but the naval ship he was on was suspected of supplying goods to the British. These accusations were never proven, and after the Revolution Bowen came back to Marblehead, apparently accepted again by his fellow townsmen.
Beautiful, colorful illustrations and firsthand accounts by Bowen in his journals provide information about a wide variety of topics. Included in the journals is the first known image of Marblehead in 1763. His illustration includes the spire of St. Michael’s, which was Bowen’s church and served as an important reference to reproduce the steeple in 2014. Bowen also included many drawings of vessels of the period, accurately recorded due to his knowledge of ships and rigging. He drew merchant and military vessels, at sea and in port, and documented many ships and merchant’s flags.
Bowen’s journals have provided material for many scholarly works, notably Daniel Vickers’ “The Autobiography of Ashley Bowen.” Chad Smith of the Peabody Museum transcribed and reproduced “The Journals of Ashley Bowen,” which are available online at colonialsociety.org. The original volumes are owned by the Marblehead Museum & Historical Society.
Pam Peterson chairs the Marblehead Historical Commission. She is the former Marblehead Museum executive director.
