William Earle & Co

William Read Bowers (1800-1841) was a sea captain and ship owner of Providence. He was the son of Asa Bowers and Candace Hoppin; his mother was a member of one of the leading merchant families of the city. By 1832, William was the owner of at least three ships: the Abeona (Samuel Read, master), Almira (Ephraim Eldredge, master) and the Phebe (William Davis, master). He was also principal partner in a ships' chandlery business at 114 South Water Street in Providence from the early 1830s onward. The firm failed in 1837, and Bowers apparently remained with the business for several years under the new partnership of his brother-in-law Lloyd Bowers and his former assistant William Earle. A hint of unpleasantness between the old owner and his new boss can be found in two letters from regular customer William T. Tilley. On July 11 1840, Tilley addressed a letter to William Earle, including a bill for money due from Earle, but began his letter "friend Bowers", and inquires "have you buried Earle - if so I hope you have done it handsomely". A similar August 10 1840 letter begins "Old Bust", and asks, "have you buried Earle - if not, he must smell strong." Bowers married, had several children, and died in Brooklyn in 1841.

William Earle (1808-1879) was the son of Oliver and Sally Earle of Providence. He was employed at William R. Bowers and Co. beginning in the early 1830s, and purchased the firm upon its bankruptcy in 1837, with partner Lloyd Bowers. He continued operating the chandlery as William Earle & Co. through about 1877, and died two years later. His wife was Mary A. Chandler.

Lloyd Bowers (1786-1864) became a partner in the chandlery and in ship ownership with William Earle in 1837, and remained active in the firm through his death. He also seems to have conducted a substantial amount of business on his own account. He was not a close blood relative of William R. Bowers, but his wife Ann H. (Bowers) Bowers was William's sister. Their son William Lloyd Bowers (1826-1897) served in the Civil War.

From the guide to the William Earle & Co. Records, 1815-1878, (Rhode Island Historical Society)