Career
He belonged to a prominent landowning family in Devon, who gave their name to the manor of Bowringsleigh. His main estate was at nearby West Alvington, and he also acquired lands in Somerset and Gloucestershire. He served as a commissioner for the peace in his native county between 1481 and 1487.
In 1494 the temporary downfall of Gerald Fitzgerald, 8th Earl of Kildare, who had since the late 1470s been almost all-powerful in Ireland, led to the dismissal en masse of the Irish-born High Court judges, who were regarded by the Crown as being merely Kildare"s creatures.
They were replaced by eminent English lawyers, in whose loyalty the English Crown believed that it could place its trust. Bowring was sent to Ireland as Lord Chief Justice.
Two years later he exchanged this for the normally less onerous office of Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas. Soon afterwards, the Earl of Kildare was restored to favour and was once more allowed to have his "own men" appointed to judicial office.
Bowring resigned from the Irish Bench and returned to Devon, where he continued to serve in various official capacities until his death in 1504.
Robert (died 1514), Member of Parliament for Plymouth;
Ralph, who inherited the family estates after the death of Robert"s only daughter;
Alice, who married William Pyke.
