page_title: Thomas Rowley (runholder)
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Thomas Rowley (runholder) / Early life
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of Thomas Rowley (Dean-designate)
context_page_description: Thomas Rowley was an early settler in Canterbury, New Zealand. His father was a member of the Canterbury Association and Dean-designate for ChristChurch Cathedral, but never came to the colony. Thomas Rowley and one brother emigrated, and he became a significant runholder. He later started acting as an agent for absentee landowners. He briefly served as a Member of Parliament for one of the rural Canterbury electorates. Rowley was active in church matters and married a daughter of Octavius Mathias, the first vicar of the Church of St Michael and All Angels. After 11 years in New Zealand, he returned to live in England.
context_section_description: Rowley was the eldest son of Thomas Rowley (1797–1877), a headmaster of Bridgnorth Grammar School.
  Rowley senior joined the Canterbury Association on 10 April 1851 as a committee member. He purchased land from the association in Canterbury, New Zealand. Rowley junior bought land at Barrys Bay at the head of Akaroa Harbour; rural section (RS) 63 (it is believed, though, that Rowley senior paid for this). Rowley senior bought RS 85 west of Christchurch in the Riccarton area, from which the suburb of Middleton developed. Rowley senior was chosen as the Dean-designate for the yet to be built ChristChurch Cathedral, but he never came out to the colony. His appointment upset Bishop Selwyn, and the proposed cathedral chapter was dropped again until the cathedral was built.
caption: Portrait of Thomas Rowley senior
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