# Foote Gower

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{{Short description|English cleric, academic and antiquarian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2016}}
[[File:Foote Gower. Line engraving by W. Skelton, 1790, after J. Ta Wellcome V0002342.jpg|thumb|Foote Gower, engraving after [John Taylor (1739–1838)](/source/John_Taylor_(1739%E2%80%931838))]]
'''Foote Gower''' (1725/6–1780) was an English cleric, academic and antiquarian.<ref name="ODNB">{{cite ODNB|id=11172|title=Gower, Foote|first=D. Ben|last=Rees}}</ref>

==Life==
The son of the Rev. Foote Gower, M.A. and M.D., a physician in [Chester](/source/Chester), he was born there about 1726. He matriculated at [Brasenose College, Oxford](/source/Brasenose_College%2C_Oxford), 15 March 1744, aged 18, and took his degrees of B.A. in 1747, M.A. in 1750, M.B. in 1755, and M.D. in 1757.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Gower, Foote|volume=22}}</ref> He was elected a Fellow of his college in 1750.<ref name="ODNB"/>

It is unclear whether Gower practised as a physician.<ref name="ODNB"/> He was rector of [Chignal St James](/source/Chignal_St_James) and [Mashbury](/source/Mashbury), near [Chelmsford](/source/Chelmsford) in [Essex](/source/Essex), from June 1761 until about 1777.<ref name="DNB"/> He also held the living of [Woodham Walter](/source/Woodham_Walter), where the patron was Thomas Fytche.<ref name="ODNB"/>

Gower employed [Joseph Strutt](/source/Joseph_Strutt_(engraver_and_antiquary)) to make engravings of Roman antiquities.<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=26684|title=Strutt, Joseph|first=Jennifer|last=Harris}}</ref> He was elected a Fellow of the [Society of Antiquaries of London](/source/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_London) in 1768, and had [Richard Gough](/source/Richard_Gough_(antiquarian)) as a close friend.<ref name="ODNB"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Rosemary Sweet|title=Antiquaries: The Discovery of the Past in Eighteenth-Century Britain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SAKvf9eagicC&pg=PA94|date=28 May 2004|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-1-85285-309-9|page=94}}</ref> He died at [Bath, Somerset](/source/Bath%2C_Somerset) on 27 May 1780.<ref name="DNB"/>

==Works==
Gower made collections for a history of [Cheshire](/source/Cheshire), and in 1771 printed an anonymous ''Sketch of the Materials for a new History of Cheshire'', taking the form of a letter to [Thomas Falconer](/source/Thomas_Falconer_(classical_scholar%2C_born_1738)).<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=9114|title=Falconer, Thomas|first=J. A.|last=Marchand}}</ref> It was signed "a Fellow of the Antiquary Society", and reissued in 1772. He made collections also for a history of [Essex](/source/Essex), and a new edition of [John Horsley](/source/John_Horsley_(antiquarian))'s ''Britannia Romana''.<ref name="DNB"/>

==Legacy==
Gower's many papers passed into the hands of Dr. Markham of Whitechapel, and subsequently the project was taken up by Dr. J. Wilkinson and William Latham, who, in 1800, republished the ''Sketch'' with additions. In the end the manuscripts were disposed of by auction, some going to the [British Museum](/source/British_Museum) and others to the [Bodleian Library](/source/Bodleian_Library).<ref name="DNB"/>

In the longer term, Gower's work served to document the sources for Cheshire local history. [George Ormerod](/source/George_Ormerod) exploited it thoroughly, having made contact with William Latham through his father-in-law [John Latham (1761–1843)](/source/John_Latham_(1761%E2%80%931843)) (not a close relation).<ref>{{cite book|author1=Christopher Richard John Currie|author2=Christopher Piers Lewis|title=English County Histories: A Guide, a Tribute to C. R. Elrington|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RNHnOwAACAAJ|year=1994|pages=76–7|publisher=Alan Sutton}}</ref>

==Family==
Gower married Elizabeth, a sister of [John Strutt](/source/John_Strutt_(1727%E2%80%931816)), Member of Parliament for [Maldon](/source/Maldon_(UK_Parliament_constituency)). They had four children:
* [Thomas Foote Gower](/source/Thomas_Foote_Gower) (1763-1849), who became a vicar at [Great Totham](/source/Great_Totham)
*  Elizabeth, who lived for many year with her brother Thomas.<ref name="Bettley">{{cite web |last1=Bettley |first1=James |title=THE REVD THOMAS FOOTE GOWER (1763-1849) |url=https://totham1821.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/the-revd-thomas-foote-gower-1763-1849/ |website=totham1821 |publisher=James Bettley |accessdate=7 September 2019 |language=en |date=26 June 2014}}</ref>
* Charles Gower M.D. (died 1822) was author of ''Hints and Auxiliaries to Medicine'',
* [Richard Hall Gower](/source/Richard_Hall_Gower) (1768–1833), the naval architect.<ref name="DNB"/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
 
'''Attribution'''<!--Please do not reformat, for the sake of those using screen-readers-->
{{DNB|wstitle=Gower, Foote|volume=22}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gower, Foote}}
Category:1720s births
Category:1780 deaths
Category:18th-century English Anglican priests
Category:18th-century English medical doctors
Category:18th-century English antiquarians
Category:Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford
Category:Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Foote Gower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foote_Gower) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foote_Gower?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.