COWLEY, ABRAHAM, seventh and posthumous child of Thomas Cowley, St. Michael Le Querne, London, citizen and stationer; b. 1618; adm.; Min. Can. 1630; KS; author, Poetical Blossoms, dedicated to his schoolmaster Lambert Osbaldeston (qv) and published 1633; while in College he also wrote Love’s Riddle, a pastoral comedy, not published until 1638; failed to obtain election to either university 1636; Trinity Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 21 Apr 1636, scholar (by dispensatory letter from King) 14 Jun 1637; his Latin play, Naufragium Joculare, was played before the University by members of Trinity Coll. 2 Feb 1638; BA 1639/40; MA 1643; Minor Fellow, Trinity Coll., from 30 Oct 1640; ejected by Parliamentary Visitors 1644 and went to Oxford, taking up residence in St. John’s Coll.; went abroad 1646; employed in diplomatic services by exiled Royalist court; returned to England as Royalist spy 1656; author, Miscellanies, 1656; MD Oxford 2 Dec 1657 (incorp. Cambridge 11 Jul 1664); withdrew to France, but returned at Restoration; applied for Mastership of Savoy 1661, unsuccessfully; one of original fellows of Royal Society; his works were first published in a collected form in 1668, when Several Discourses by way of Essays in Prose and Verse appeared for the first time; some hitherto unpublished Verses on the Happy Birth of the Duke of York are printed in the Elizabethan, v, 54-5, viii, 281; d. 28 Jul 1667, and buried in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey. DNB.
COWLEY, WILLIAM; b.; adm. (aged 12) Sep 1750 (Hart's); in school list 1754.
Cownie, Ivor Thomas William, son of W. B. Cownie, of Muswell Hill, Middlesex; b. July 29, 1895; adm. Sept. 23, 1909 (H); left Dec. 1912; served in the 28th Batt. of the London Regt.; obtained a commission in the R.G.A. July 7, 1916; Lieut. Jan. 7, 1918; 17 May 1980.
COWPER, EDWARD, second son of James Cowper, Lincoln’s Inn and Essex; b.; adm.; KS 1676; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 19 Jun 1680, aged 17, scholar 22 Apr 1681, matr. 1681; adm. Middle Temple 23 Jan 1682/3; buried 14 Jul 1688.
Cowper, James Denis, son of William Cowper, med. practitioner, of Harrow; b. 25 July 1922; adm. Apr. 1936 (A); left July 1938; d. Dec 1974.
COWPER, JOHN, son of Spencer Cowper (b. 1669, qv) and his first wife; bapt. St. Olave’s, Southwark 8 Aug 1694 (IGI); at school under Freind (J. Peile, Biog. Reg. of Christ’s Coll. , ii, 178); Christ’s Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 25 Jun 1711, scholar 26 Mar 1713, matr. 1711/2, resided to Mich. 1713; DD 1728; migr. to Merton Coll. Oxford, matr. 14 Oct 1714; BA 1715/6; MA 1718; Fellow of Merton Coll. 1715-22; ordained 1718; Rector of Great Berkhamstead, Herts. , from 1722; Chaplain to King George II (occurs 1748, 1751); patentee for making out Commissions, Commissioners of Bankruptcy (Chamberlayne 1748); m. 1st, Anne, dau. of Roger Donne, Ludham Hall, Norfolk; m. 2nd, 8 Jan 1740/1 Rebecca, widow of Obadiah Marryat, St. Clement Danes, London, and dau. of --- Moxon; d. 10 Jul 1756.
COWPER, SPENCER, younger son of Sir William Cowper, Bart. , MP, and Sarah, dau. of Sir Samuel Holled, Kt. , a London merchant, and brother of William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, Lord Chancellor; b. 1669; at school under Busby (Howell, State Trials, xiii, 1180); Christ’s Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 13 Feb 1685/6, matr. 1686, resided to Mich. 1687; adm. Middle Temple 7 May 1687, called to bar 26 May 1693; Home Circuit; tried with three others at Hertfordshire Assizes Jul 1699 for murder of Sarah Stout, a quakeress, but acquitted; there was practically no evidence of the crime against the accused, and the trial is a curious illustration of the crass stupidity of mens’ minds when blinded by religious and political fanaticism (Howell, State Trials, xiii, 1105-1250); adm. Lincoln’s Inn 21 Oct 1713, Bencher 12 Feb 1715, Treasurer 28 Nov 1715; Bencher, Middle Temple 23 Oct 1718; MP Bere Alston 1 Dec 1705-10, Truro 1715-27; one of the managers of Sacheverell’s impeachment, 1709-10; Attorney-General to Prince of Wales 12 Oct 1714-27, to Duchy of Lancaster from 1727; KC 5 Jan 1715; Chief Justice of Chester 17 Jul 1717-27; a Judge of the Common Pleas (and Serjeant-at-Law) from 24 Oct 1727; m. 1st, 7 Feb 1687/8 Pennington, dau. of John Goodere; m. 2nd, 25 Jul 1728 Theodora, widow of John Stepney; d. 10 Dec 1728. DNB.
COWPER, HON. SPENCER, second son of William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper PC, Lord Chancellor, and his second wife Mary, dau. of John Clavering, Chopwell, co. Durham; nephew of Spencer Cowper (qv); b.; in school list 1727/8; Exeter Coll. Oxford, matr. 16 May 1729, aged 16; BA 14 Mar 1731/2; MA 1734; BD and DD 1746; ordained; Rector of Fordwich, Kent, from 15 Apr 1742; Prebendary of Canterbury 21 May 1742 - Jun 1746; Dean of Durham from 14 Jul 1746; m. 19 May 1743 Hon. Dorothy Townshend, dau. of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend KG PC, Secretary of State and Lord President of the Council; d. 25 Mar. 1774. DNB.
COWPER, SPENCER, brother of William Cowper (adm. 1730, qv); b.; adm. (aged 7) Jun 1733; left 1742; Worcester Coll. Oxford, matr. 1 Dec 1742; adm. Middle Temple 11 Jun 1741; Ensign, 1st Foot Guards, 17 Jan 1747; Lieut. and Capt., 2 Feb 1753; Capt. -Lieut., 23 Jul 1760; Capt. and Lieut. -Col., 22 Dec 1761; Brevet Col., 25 May 1772; retd. 24 Nov 1773; Lieut. -Gov. Tynemouth (occurs -1774-90-); Major-Gen., 19 Feb 1779; Lieut. -Gen., 28 Sep 1787; commanded a brigade in American War; m. 12 May 1748 (IGI) Charlotte, dau. of John Baber; d. 13 Mar 1797.
COWPER, THOMAS; b.; in school list 1727/8.