Henry E.A. Dowling 1883-1968

I read with interest the news story submitted on the life of Henry E. A. Dowling, born in St. George’s in 1883 to James Anthony Dowling and Sarah Catherine Dowling(Smith ).

Sarah was described as a sharp-tongued dark skinned woman who was always well dressed in long flowing dresses and driven around St. George’s in a horse drawn carriage.

Henry was the father of six children. His desire was to own his own business. He travelled through many other areas of work before that came about.

In 1896 when Henry reached the age of 13 years he went to work on the Sylvester Farm located in the Cut road area of St. George’s where Onions and Potatoes were grown and crated for export. He put in many hours from sun -up to sun down earning ten shillings a week. He was well trained by his parents when it came to saving so he retained one shilling for himself and gave nine to his mother to put into the Custom’s Bank, later known as the Post Office Savings. When he reached the required amount of 50 pounds he purchased his first piece of property overlooking Tobacco Bay, and built his home.

He worked similar hours as the older men on the job but on Saturdays and Sundays they became fishermen. In his early twenties he married Inez Mae Butterfield, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Peter Butterfield. Her family lived in Buckingham King Street in St. George’s. Her family ran a tailoring business on the lower floor.

Henry’s dream of owning his own business came to a reality when he became a cobbler and opened a store on York Street across from the Police Station. He not only made and repaired shoes but imported a simple canvas- top rubber-sole shoe with a reinforced toe called a plimsoll. When the St. George’s hotel opened in 1906, he added a shoe shine section to take advantage off a thriving tourist business.

Henry continued to remained very alert and very astute as a business man and when he saw a neighbouring store run by Mr. Jones and Richardson renting Raleigh pedal cycles to tourist and did not have sufficient to meet the demand, seeing this he purchased two dozen pedal cycles in 1914 and the rental business flourished and thus Dowling’s Cycles was born. He purchased different brands of cycles eventually by 1953,he began to rent and sell Velosolex Automation bikes, and brought his sons Howard and Randolph into the business. Howard took on the task of travelling to order the cycles while Randolph managed the business. In more recent times, Randolph secured the dealer-ship for Kawasaki motorcycles and jet skis.

By the mid 1920’s Henry was a prominent St. George’s business man. He sold his house overlooking Tobacco Bay, and moved to Seven Gables, which was located adjacent to his cycle business on York Street. He later purchased Croton Villa on Queen Street and renovated it to accommodate his aging mother, and there he also resided. He invested his profits in modernizing his cycles and into real estate. By late 1930-40’s he was renting the majority of his holdings to service personnel from the Kindley Air Force Base and it turned out to be a very lucrative investment.

Henry wore more than one hat. He was a person who was always aware of the value of a good education for black children in a segregated Bermuda. He saw the inadequacies and toward this end he met William Cooper a member of Parliament. W. R. Perinchief and other St. George’s Businessmen to pressure the Board of Education to employ a trained Principle to improve the standard of education for children in the parish. Their request was approved and by 1929, Charles C Snaith arrived from Jamaica to assume the Principal ship of the East End School.

In 1930 ‘s when the famous boxer Joe Louise arrived in Bermuda because of the colour barrier he was denied accommodations at the Hamilton Hotel, Mr. Dowling immediately offered him transportation and accommodations at his family home in St. Georges.

Henry went on to become a successful black business man and in the eyes of the beholder a black Millionaire. He passed his Cycle business to his sons, Howard J. Dowling and Henry R (Buster) Dowling They eventually sold the business in 2002 to Oleander Cycles.

OTHER INTEREST:

Mr. Dowling was the Treasurer for St. George Cricket Club for serval years and in 1933 was elected as its President. He was a member of the Alexandrina Lodge 1026 The Grand United Order of Oddfellows. He was a member of the Corporation of St. George and served on the Vestry of St. Peters Church and was the pioneer of the Quality Bakery. Henry Dowling feared very little and was determined to do what was right by his fellowmen.

Surely on his entry into the Grand lodge above he was greeted into the welcoming arms of the master and told take your rest my son your job has been done and your task now finished.

C. Cecille S. S. RG. 2023

Scribed Joy Wilson-Tucker