Thomas William Cowan (1840–1926) was a co-founder and president of the British Beekeepers' Association.[1]

Thomas William Cowan

Biography

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Cowan was born in 1840 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and died in 1926 in Clevedon, United Kingdom. In the UK census he described himself as a civil engineer[2] and a farmer.[3]

Cowan travelled to the US several times[4] and in 1900 settled in Monterey.

Cowan founded the Beekeepers' Association with Charles Nash Abbott (1830-1894) in 1874: "For the Encouragement, Improvement and Advancement of Bee Culture in the United Kingdom, particularly as a means of bettering the Condition of Cottagers and the Agricultural Labouring Classes, as well as the advocacy of humanity to the industrious labourer – the Honey Bee."[5]

Cowan designed the cylindrical honey extractor. He was the editor of the British Bee Journal and the Bee Keepers' Record.[6]

Cowan authored books on beekeeping and related topics and was a collector of beekeeping books. Upon his death, his library numbered more than 1,800 books, which formed the basis of the Cowan Memorial Library.[7]

Selected publications

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References

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  1. ^ "COWAN, Thomas William". Who's Who. Vol. 59. 1907. p. 397.
  2. ^ 1861 UK Census and 1871 UK Census
  3. ^ 1881 UK Census
  4. ^ UK departure records
  5. ^ History of the BBKA
  6. ^ Western Daily Press, Wednesday 1 September 1926
  7. ^ The Times (London, England), Monday 23 December 1929.
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