George Bowen

Sir George Ferguson Bowen (; 2 November 1821 – 21 February 1899), was an Irish author and colonial administrator whose appointments included postings to the Ionian Islands, Queensland, New Zealand, Victoria, Mauritius and Hong Kong. Early life Bowen was born the eldest son of the Rev. Edward Bowen (1779–1867), Church of Ireland Rector of Taughboyne, a parish in the Laggan district in the east of County Donegal in the north-west of Ulster. It is likely that Bowen was born and raised at Bogay House, just outside the village of Newtown Cunningham, at what was then the northern end of the Church of Ireland Parish of Taughboyne. Bogay (pronounced 'Bo-gay') House had been built c. 1730, possibly for The 6th Earl of Abercorn, and was later used as the Church of Ireland rectory for Taughboyne in the late eighteenth century and for most of the nineteenth century. One of Bowen's brothers was The V. Rev. Edward Bowen, Church of Ireland Dean of Raphoe from 1882 onwards. Bowen was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Oxford. He matriculated at Oxford in 1840, and graduated with a first-class B.A. in classics in 1844 (promoted to M.A. in 1847). Bowen was twice President of the Oxford Union. He was elected a fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford, and entered Lincoln's Inn as a student, both in 1844. In 1846 Bowen had some naval training, serving for sixteen days on . Service in the Ionian Islands In 1847 Bowen was appointed president of the Ionian Academy located in Corfu, a post he held until 1851.