Sir Thomas Sowler (7 July 1818 – 4 April 1891) was an English newspaper proprietor in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Early life

Thomas Sowler was born in Manchester to Thomas and Helen Sowler, one of three sons and three daughters. He bore the same name as his father, who in common with his grandfather, had been a printer. The family claimed descent from a Baron Sowler of

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

and carried on their business initially at Hunt's Bank and later in St Ann's Square, both in Manchester. Thomas Sowler senior established the ''

Manchester Courier The ''Manchester Courier'' was a daily newspaper founded in Manchester, England, by Thomas Sowler; the first edition was published on 1 January 1825. Alaric Alexander Watts was the paper's first editor, but remained in the position for only a yea ...

'' newspaper in 1825 and upon his death the business was passed to Thomas junior, who had been educated at

Manchester Grammar School The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) in Manchester, England, is the largest independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1515 as a Grammar school#free tuition, free grammar school next to Manchester C ...

, and another son, John.

Career

The brothers sold the book-selling part of their father's business and in 1864 converted the newspaper from a weekly to a daily publication, eventually expanding it from the then common four-page format to one that had twelve or more pages. John died in 1871, leaving Thomas as the sole proprietor of the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

-supporting organ. In 1874, Sowler established the ''

Manchester Evening Mail Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...

'' and in 1889 he was appointed as the first president of the restructured National Association of Journalists. Sowler was a director of the

Manchester Royal Exchange The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...

and on the board of several other businesses, as well as being involved with other institutions such as the

Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, popularly known as the Lit. & Phil., is one of the oldest learned societies in the United Kingdom and second oldest provincial learned society (after the Spalding Gentlemen's Society). Promine ...

and the

Manchester Natural History Society Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The two ...

. He was also a co-founder of the

Manchester Free Library The Manchester Free Library opened on 5 September 1852 in Manchester, England. It was the first public library in England to be set up under the provisions of the Public Libraries Act 1850, which allowed local authorities to impose a local tax of ...

and the first secretary of the Manchester branch of the Church Defence Association. Away from business, Sowler was involved with the military from the time of the "Defence not Defiance" movement in the 1860s. He joined the 19th Lancashire Volunteer Artillery as a gunner and rose through the ranks to become Lieutenant-Colonel in command of the regiment. In 1874, he resigned from that position and soon after was appointed as successor to the recently dead

John Isaac Mawson John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, who had been Honorary Colonel of the regiment.

Politics

In the 1886 general election, Sowler stood as a Conservative Party candidate in the Manchester South constituency, where he lost by around 350 votes to Sir Henry Roscoe. He was a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and chairman of both the Manchester Conservative Association and the Conservative Club around the time of his being appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in the 1890 New Year Honours.

Death and family

Sowler lived at Oak Bank,

Victoria Park, Manchester Victoria Park is a suburban area of Manchester, England. Victoria Park lies approximately two miles south of Manchester city centre, between Rusholme and Longsight. History and description In 1836, a unique enterprise was undertaken by Richa ...

from 1877. He died there on 4 April 1891 and was buried at the

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon The Church of St Mary the Virgin is in the village of Bowdon near Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican paris ...

. He had married on 25 July 1866 and had several children. His wife, Emily, was the daughter of James Yates, a bleacher. Sowler's sons, notably Thomas and Harry, continued to run his newspapers as a limited company and expanded the stable to include titles such as the ''

Manchester Examiner The ''Manchester Examiner'' was a newspaper based in Manchester, England, that was founded around 1845–1846. Initially intended as an organ to promote the idea of Manchester Liberalism, a decline in its later years led to a takeover by a group w ...

''.

References

Notes Citations {{DEFAULTSORT:Sowler, Thomas 1818 births 1891 deaths People educated at Manchester Grammar School English newspaper founders Businesspeople from Manchester Knights Bachelor Businesspeople awarded knighthoods Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates English justices of the peace 19th-century English businesspeople