Richard Fowler Jr.

Richard Fowler Jr. is the son of Richard Fowler and Jane Bateman. He was born 2 May 1847 in Bothell Park, Northumberland, England. He was married to Ann Elizabeth Shires (or Shyers) around 1871. Together they had 5 children:

Anne Fowler
Born: 14 Apr 1872

William Fowler
Born: 1874

Frederick Richard Fowler
Born: 1 Jan 1875

Lillian Fowler
Born: 24 Jul 1877

Jane Fowler

Richard Fowler was murdered on 30 May 1883 in Salt Lake City Utah. He was buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery in plot E-4-4. His headstone can be viewed here.

My grandfather gave me a biography put together by James Whitney Steed (my grandfather's cousin). It says:


"My name is Richard Fowler; the son of Richard Fowler and Jane Bateman. I was born on the 2nd day of May, 1847 in the town known as Bothwell Park, Northumberland County, England, and here I spent my youth. As a young man I worked as a mason. When I was young, a couple of "Mormon" missionaries came and taught us the gospel of Jesus Christ whereupon I entered the waters of batism on the 20th day of May `866 and wishing to go to "Zion" we ( I came with my brother) decided to leave England (I was 21 years of age). On the 14th day of July 1868 we sailed with 600 other saints from Liverpool on board the ship "Colorado," Robert Charles Cutting, Master, and was under the direction of William B. Preston for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I, at that time, still owed them $10.70 for my passage.
We arrived in New York City after a long and tedious journey of 14 days voyage, arriving the 28th day of July 1868. After some preparation we boarded a Union Pacific train heading west; traveling some 600 miles west of Omaha to Benton City, Wyoming, arriving there some 10 days after our docking in New York. We stayed in Benton City for a few days and then joined a wagon train heading down the Bridger trail to Salt Lake City. After my arrival I decided to go on to Ogden where I went to work as a Blacksmith. There I lived with a friend by the name of Alma Browning. Soon I met a young lady by the name of Ann Elizabeth Shires from Leeds, York County, England. She was born the 3rd of January 1850 and was the daughter of William Shires. She immediately took my eye and we were married in 1871. During this marriage we had five fine children, the first being born the 14th day of April 1872. She was a fine daughter and we named her Anne. We had another child who died in Ogden the 3rd of January 1874 and is buried in the Ogden City Cemetery. On the 1st of January 1875 we had a fine son which we named Fredrick Richard. Then we moved to Salt Lake City to live. After living there for two years we had another girl who we named Lillian; she being born on the 24th of July 1877; then we had our last child, also a little girl, who we named Jane (nicknamed Jessie).
We were cursed with a terrible scourge the Doctor's called Diptheria and it killed little Lillian who was only two years old. She died on the 21st of July 1879 and then one week later on the 28th day of July 1879 it also claimed our oldest Anne, who was almost 8 years of age. My wife became ill with pneumonia and on the 25th of February 1881 she passed away. I buried her in the Shires family plot where my two daughters lay at Mt. Olive Cemetery (now the Salt Lake City Cemetery), plat E, block 4, lot 4. I stayed in Salt Lake City with my two children, working to take care of us and operating my blacksmith business which I co-owned with Alexander Smith. It was called the Deseret Shoeing Shop and was located on 2nd South Street.
I had run up a butcher bill with David Gallifant, kproprietor of a butcher shop on the corner of 2nd South and 1st East. It seemed that I wasn't paying it quick enough for Gallifant called upon me for payment of the bill and some hard words palled between us and Gallifant left. Subsequently I was passing Gallifant's shope, and the altercation was renewed. Then Gallifant passed our shoeing shop on his way for dinner and the quarrel resumed a third time and I slapped his face. My partner was in the shoeing shop in the act of filling a horse shoe when we were quarreling in front of the shot, but he had no idea that the affair would go beyond hard words. He did not see me strike Gallifant but when he looked up from his work, he saw me walking into the shop away from Gallifant, who had drawn his pistol and had it in his hand. Gallifant pulled the trigger twice before the weapon discharged. Four shots were fired and one hit me in the arme and two hit in the lower part of my body from behind. One of the bullets passed through my bladder. Dr. Allen Fowler examined me and stated that they were very serious and I probably would not last through the night. They took me to my home on Franklin Avenue in the Thirteenth Ward. My brother John who lives in Ogden was sent for and came down on the evening train. They took me to the hospital where on the 30th of May 1883 I passed away and left my son Fredrick Ricard and daughter Jane orphans.
On June 6, 1883, Justice Spiers recorded a decision on the result of the investigation of David Gallifant on the charge of wilful murder. The court held that the evidence warrented the belief that the Grand Jury would find and inditment for murder in the second degree, and the prisoner's bonds were placed at $5,000. The security was not given and Gallifant stayed in jail. The following year, the 13th of May 1884, Gallifant was sentenced to five years for my murder.
This story of the life of Richard Fowler was compiled by James Whitney Steed, great-grandson of the former, from vital statistics and information gained through diligent research.
16 December 1971"