Sir John William Bowen CBE (8 May 1876 – 1 April 1965), known as William Bowen, was a British trade unionist and politician. Born and educated in Gowerton in Glamorgan, Bowen left school aged eleven to work at the Post Office. He soon became an active trade unionist, joining the Postmen's Federation, of which he became chair in 1916.[1] He was also active in the Labour Party and stood unsuccessfully for it in Newport, Monmouthshire at the 1918 general election and in several elections subsequently.[2] In 1919, Bowen moved to London to take up the role of treasurer of the Postmen's Federation. In this post, he was involved in negotiating the merger of various unions to form the Union of Post Office Workers, and was elected as its first general secretary. He also served on the General Council of the Trades Union Congress and was on the council of Ruskin College for many years, becoming its chairman in 1948.[1] Bowen stood for election repeatedly in Newport, at a 1922 by-election and the 1922, 1923 and 1924 general elections, but was never elected. At the 1929 general election, he instead stood in Crewe and immediately won the seat, but he lost it in 1931 and failed to win it back in 1935.[2] Bowen stood down as secretary of the Post Office Workers in 1936, and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire three years later.[2] In 1940, he was elected to London County Council for Wandsworth Central. He lost the seat in 1949, but despite no longer being a member of the council, the Labour group ensured his election as the council's Chair. He served in the position for three years, winning an aldermanic seat in 1951 to remain on the council after his time as chair finished.[1] He was knighted in the 1953 Coronation Honours List, and remained on the council until 1961.
We feel that you, as residents of William Bowen Close, might be interested to know what lies behind our decision to give it this name.
Gowerton has the distinction of having five of its residents being knighted by the Sovereign of the day for their services to the community, industry and the State.
The late Sir John William Bowen was one of these, and although actually born at Blackpill, Swansea, in 1876, was reared from an early age in Gowerton, and was educated at the Primary and Secondary Schools in the village.
The family lived in Brynymor Road in their earlier years, and a brother, the late Richard Bowen, became general manager of the local Elba Steelworks.
William Bowen, from very humble circumstances, rose to become Chairman of the former London County Council from 1949 to 1952 and was a Council Member from 1940 to 1961.
During his varied career, he was active in the Labour, Co-op and Trades Union movements and in Friendly and National Health Insurance work and was a one-time General Secretary of the Union of Post Office Workers, also M.P. for Crewe, losing the seat during the Baldwin National Coalition.
He was also a former Chairman of the North Eastern Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Insurers and Chairman of Ruskin College, Oxford.
He was made a Commander of the French Legion of Honour in 1950. As in the case of Roper Wright Close and Clos Morgan Owen and other areas of the village, we have sought in this way to perpetuate the memories of those personalities who served Gowerton well and have brought it honour in their various capacities.