Erasmus Gower

Sir Erasmus Gower (December 3, 1742 – June 21, 1814) naval officer and colonial governor born Cilgerran, Wales and died Hambledon, Hampshire, England.

Gower joined the Royal Navy in 1755 and served under Byron's command on HMS|Dolphin|1751|6 from 1764 to 1766. He was promoted to lieutenant and later served in the Falkland Islands, Newfoundland, the East and West Indies. Gower was knighted in 1792.

Commander

In 1793, Gower was named Commander of the British expedition to the Chinese Imperial court. This diplomatic and trade mission would be headed by Lord George Macartney. Although the Macartney Embassy returned to London without obtaining any concession from China, the mission could have been termed a success because it brought back detailed observations.

George Staunton, Secretary to the Embassy, was charged with producing the official account of the expedition after their return. This multi-volume work was taken chiefly from the papers of Lord Maccauley and from the papers of Commander Gower. Sir Joseph Banks, the President of the Royal Society, was responsible for selecting and arranging engraving of the illustrations in this official record. [Banks, Joseph. Papers of Sir Joseph Banks; Section 12: Lord Macartney’s embassy to China; [http://www2.sl.nsw.gov.au/banks/series_62/62_view.cfm Series 62: Papers concerning publication of the account of Lord Macartney's Embassy to China, ca 1797.] [State Library of New South Wales.] ]

Admiral and commodore-governor

Gower was promoted rear-admiral of the white in February 1799.

In 1804 he was promoted to vice-admiral of the white and appointed governor of Newfoundland. Gower Street in St. John's is named in his honour.

Notes

References

* Barrow, John. (1807). [http://books.google.com/books?id=hc00JEmKC10C&dq=An+account+of+Macartney's+embassy+to+China&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Some Account of the Public Life, and a Selection from the Unpublished Writings, of the Earl of Macartney,"] 2 vols. London: T. Cadell and W. Davies.
* Cranmer-Byng, J. L. "Lord Macartney’s Embassy to Peking in 1793." "Journal of Oriental Studies." Vol. 4, Nos. 1,2 (1957-58): 117-187.
* Esherick, Joseph W. "Cherishing Sources from Afar." "Modern China" Vol. 24, No. 2 (1998): 135-61.
* Hevia, James Louis. (1995). [http://books.google.com/books?id=Uj6d9_4F0EIC&dq=An+account+of+Macartney's+embassy+to+China&lr=&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Cherishing Men from Afar: Qing Guest Ritual and the Macartney Embassy of 1793."] Durham: Duke University Press. 10-ISBN 0-822-31637-4; 13-ISBN 978-0-822-31637-4
* Peyrefitte, Alain. (1992). [http://books.google.com/books?id=xTF2AAAACAAJ&dq=The+Immobile+Empire&lr=&client=firefox-a "The Immobile Empire"] (Jon Rotschild, translator). New York: Alfred A. Knopf/Random House. 10-ISBN 0-394-58654-9; 13-ISBN 978-0-394-58654-0
** Peyrefitte, Allain. (1990). "Images de l'Empire immobile ou le choc des mondes. Récit historique." Paris: Fayard. 10-ISBN 0-221-302383-2; 13-ISBN 978-221-302383-0 (paper)
* Robbins, Helen Henrietta Macartney (1908). [http://ebook.lib.hku.hk/CTWE/B36599578/ "Our First Ambassador to China: An Account of the Life of George, Earl of Macartney with Extracts from His Letters, and the Narrative of His Experiences in China, as Told by Himself, 1737-1806, from Hitherto Unpublished Correspondence and Documents."] London : John Murray. [digitized by University of Hong Kong Libraries, [http://lib.hku.hk/database/ Digital Initiatives,] [http://xml.lib.hku.hk/gsdl/db/ctwe/search.shtml "China Through Western Eyes."] ]
* Rockhill, William Woodville. [http://www.jstor.org/pss/1833980 "Diplomatic Missions to the Court of China: The Kotow Question I,"] "The American Historical Review," Vol. 2, No. 3 (Apr., 1897), pp. 427-442.
* Rockhill, William Woodville. [http://www.jstor.org/pss/1833980 "Diplomatic Missions to the Court of China: The Kotow Question II,"] "The American Historical Review," Vol. 2, No. 4 (Jul., 1897), pp. 627-643.
* Staunton, George Leonard. (1797). [http://books.google.com/books?id=8qdIAAAAMAAJ&dq=An+account+of+Macartney's+embassy+to+China&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "An Authentic Account of and Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China,"] 3 vols. London: G. Nichol.

See also

* Governors of Newfoundland
* List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador

External links

* [http://www.heritage.nf.ca/govhouse/governors/g36.html Biography at Government House "The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador"]
* [http://www.sageold.com.au/gower.shtml See researcher web page] A comprehensive biography is nearing completion.