John Bower Lewis, Captain

Army Service year 1806 Regiment 88th Foot ( The Devils Own ).

The 88th Foot embarked in late 1806 on ships to take part in the secret attack on Buenos Aires. They languished on board for a month in Falmouth Harbour, then sailed as part of the convoy to Cape Town. There the troops were not allowed to go ashore. After some time they sailed, via St. Helena, to the Plate estuary, and in July 1807 attacked Buenos Aires. Given they had been on board ships for more than a half-year, they were likely in less than perfect physical condition - and also were fighting an "urban warfare" battle that favoured their Argentinian patriotic adversaries, they were not successful. One company of the 88th were ordered to remove the flints from their rifles before they went into action, which effectively rendered them defenceless. This action was taken to help reduce civilian casualties. Taking many casualties, the remainder of the 88th surrendered. They and the other troops were repatriated under a signed agreement that saw the British abandon their attempt to gain sovereignty over the Plate colonies. The 88th was among the first regiments to sail back towards Europe as part of the agreement. They left behind Lieut. William Parker-Carroll from Nenagh Co Tipperary (Later Sir William Parker-Carroll) who was apparently the only British Officer present who could speak Spanish. After the surrender, when things were a bit fraught, he appealed to the noble blood of their Castillian ancestors, following which he was carried shoulder high around the square in Buenos Ayres [ see Vol I, Regimental History of The Connaught Rangers, by Jourdain], and given a sword and a horse. Parker-Carroll negotiated the release of many prisoners of war taken earlier in the campaign and was debriefed by Lord Castlereagh on his return to London.

1808 Married Sarah Hazzard at Somerton Bristol.?

The 88th Foot landed in Portugal 13 March 1809. In Wellesley's advance on Soult at Oporto, the 88th was part of Beresford's flanking attack to the east, advancing through the rain and over swollen rivers to reach Chaves and then the Spanish border after a superhuman effort. Then in the attack against Victor, east from Portugal, they saw considerable action, being surprised before Talavera at the Casa de Salinas and routed; then helped save the day in the initial night attack at Talavera when the King's German Legion (KGL) was surprised and ran; and were a steady force on the south side of the Medellin hill in the main Battle of Talavera.

In 1810 the 88th had a major role to play in rebuffing the advancing French under Massena on Bussaco's ridge in September 1810. With a bayonet charge under the leadership of Wallace they and the 45th sent the French reeling back down the slope. After Bussaco, they retreated along with Wellesley's other troops to the Lines of Torres Vedras. There, they were responsible for the lines just to the east of the town of Torres Vedras itself. Every morning, usually in pouring rain, they would assemble for two hours in the dark, just in case the French attacked in the dawn.

In 1811 they led the charge at the battle of Fuentes de Onoro that cleared that town, in the final stages of the repelling of Massena out of Portugal.

In early 1812 volunteers of the 88th played a crucial role in the taking of Ciudad Rodrigo. Then in the battle of Badajoz they achieved an incredible success through scaling the walls of the castle, when the British troops elsewhere were suffering terrible casualties at the breaches.

On 22 July 1812, in the Battle of Salamanca, the 88th was the central regiment that climbed the hill at Miranda de Azon that crushed Macaune's troops and was the first step in the defeat of the French forces - and the turning point of the Peninsular War. As it was said of the Battle of Salamanca - it was when Wellesley beat 40,000 men in 40 minutes

In 1814,  the 88th proceeded to Quebec, and served in the expedition against Plattsburg, on Lake Erie. Returning to Europe, it landed at Ostend a month after the battle of Waterloo. It served in the Mediterranean, West Indies, and North America from 1841 to 1851. 

Peninnsula War between 1810-1814. 1806 Lt 88th Foot, 2nd Jan 1806.Promoted Capt . 25th Oct 1810. Present At 1Ba March 09-Nov 10, 2 Ba Nov 10-June 11 & 1 Ba April 14. battles of Talavera. Busaco , Sabugal. Fuentes d' Onoro and Toulouse ( April 14)

1817 Living at Government House Berwick when son John Bower Baptised at Holy Trinity Church Berwick -upon -Tweed. On 4th August 1817. Father Captain 88th Regiment mother Henrietta Jones ??? 1817 birth date. ?

1819 Robert Reid in his book The Peterloo Massacre, (1989), highlights the fact that prior to the meeting, Manchester and surrounding districts were practically under military occupation. The overall military commander Major-General Sir John Byng listed the full complement of troops under his command at this tim

Military List and Muster Rol

Manchester 6 troops of Cavalry : 15th Hussars

7 companies of Infantry   31st & 88th Regt.

Bolton 2 troops of Cavalry : 6th Dragoon Guards

Oldham 2 troops of Cavalry : 6th Dragoon Guards

Ashton 2 troops of Cavalry : 7th Dragoon Guards

Rochdale 2 companies of Infantry: 88th Regt.

Stockport 1 troop of Yeomanry Cavalry:(CheshireYeomanry) 4 companies of Infantry: 31st & 88th Regt.

Macclesfield 1 squadron of Cavalry: (Cheshire Yeomanry) 3 companies of Infantry : 31st Regt.

Altrincham And Knutsford

5 troops of Cavalry : (Cheshire Yeomanry)

Warrington 3 companies of Infantry : 31st Regt.

Preston 1 troop of Cavalry : 15th Hussars

Finally the Magistrates contingency plan was put into action and the military forces were assembled. As planned Lieutenant Colonel George L’Estrange was the overall military commander on 16th August 1819. Directly under his command were 600 members of the 15th Hussars, several hundred members of the 31st and 88th Infantry Regiments and a detachment of the Royal Horse Artillery. His initial plan was to surround St. Peter’s Field with his troops. The cavalry in the front line was to be used to disperse the crowd if the Magistrates decided this was required, whilst the Royal Horse Artillery were to be used as a last resort. However, the Yeomanry were under the immediate command of the Select Committee of Magistrates. [55] Sir John Byng, the overall commander of the military forces in the north of England was notably absent on the day, having a pressing engagement at a horse-race meeting.[56]

1820 family came to Canada in 1820 settling at the Richmond Military Settlement Goulbourn Towhship outside present-day Ottawa .

The Deal of 1818 Richmond Settlement. To encourage participation the government offered what was described as very favourable conditions. Each private was to receive 100 acres, a sergeant 200 acres, a Lieutenant 400, a captain 800 and a colonel 1000 acres. This was to be distributed through a "Land Petition" initiated by an ex-soldier, which would be converted to a "Land Warrant" after a certain amount of time. They would also receive their army pension (officers were placed on half-pay) as well as rations for the first 12 months. Each family was to receive a shovel, ax, hoe, scythe, knife, hammer, kettle, bed tick ( down filled matress) and blanket, hand saw, 12 panes of glass, one pound of putty for glazing and twelve pounds of nails (in three sizes). The community itself would receive two sets of carpenters tools. For the sake of protection and militia duties, muskets and ammunition were retained by the ex-soldiers. In addition clergyman and schoolteacher were to be dispatched Richmond Military Settlement With the disbandment of the 99th Regiment (ex-100th) in 1818, the army tried to move quickly to get soldiers into the assigned area. A surveyor, Joseph Fortune, was dispatched into the wilderness beyond the Chaudiere Falls on the Ottawa River, and a militarily acceptable location was conceived astride the small Goodwood River, roughly 20 miles inland. The intended settlers first moved from their Quebec City base to Montreal. Lt-Col. Francis Cockburn (Deputy Quartermaster in Canada) who was responsible for establishing the settlements, hurriedly moved the preparations forward to locate and provision the 400 in the party. However by July the group was stalled in Montreal, and time was running out on the endeavour. On July 17th , with a growing typhus epidemic spreading in the city, he ordered the settlement group to immediately move out of their encampment in Lachine and strike out for Richmond. As a result the settlers arrived in late August at Bellow's Landing (later Richmond Landing and currently Lebreton Flats) and set up a tent encampment before beginning the arduous task of carving a 20 mile road to the surveyed area before the harsh Canadian winter set in..However, it was December before a road was completed and a rough site at Richmond was ready. By then two members of the group had already succumbed to the Canadian winter.

1826 Represented the County of Carleton in Canadian Parliament

1842 Living at Goulburn, Bathurst ,Carleton, ( Merchant)