Correspondence of John Bowring

Administrative / Biographical History

Sir John Bowring was a British politician and writer. As a political economist he championed free trade, parliamentary reform, catholic emanciaption and popular education. He acted as Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock, Clyde Bouroughs (1835-1837), and Bolton (1841-1849). He published numerous works on European literature. In 1849 he was appointed British Consul at Canton and Superintendent of Trade in China; between 1854 and 1859 he served as Governor of Hong Kong. Bowring died in November 1872, aged 80.