A biography in progress, by Ian Bates
I have, for upwards of twenty years, been gathering material for use in a comprehensive biography of
Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower, RN.
My manuscript now runs to more than 400,000 words, is nearing completion
and I am publicising this fact on the Internet in the hope that anyone who has primary source material,
or who knows of the whereabouts of such material, will contact me as a matter of some urgency so that all the
records available can be given proper exposure in my book.
I am anxious to receive contact from anyone who believes they have access to, or knowledge of, possible sources of
manuscript material, letters, images etc., relating to Sir Erasmus or his extended family. I would be especially
pleased to hear from members of the Gower family who descend from the Glandovan or Sandown branches, whether
they believe they can assist me or not. Sir Erasmus was a prominent member of their heritage and I believe there
should be widespread interest, within the family, of an attempt to chronicle his life and achievements.
All assistance, no matter how small or how significant, will be acknowledged in my book. I have trawled the world's archives
for snippets of the life of Sir Erasmus and I want to ensure that nothing of significance is missed, if at all possible.
Or write to me:
Ian Bates
PO Box 51
Pomona
Qld 4568
Australia
