Thomas Gowland


Thomas Gowland was a British trader, who dedicated himself to the import and export of manufactured products in Buenos Aires. He was the patriarch of the Gowland family in the Rio de la Plata, considered one of the most important British families of Argentina, who were established in the 19th century.

Biography

He was born in London, England, the son of Thomas Gowland and Emma Elizabeth Chamberlayne, a family originally from Durham. His grandparents were Edmund Chamberlayne and
Elizabeth Atkyns, members of the English aristocracy. He was one of the most distinguished merchants of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, having an active part in the main mercantile activities of the British firms of the Río de la Plata.
Thomas Gowland had emigrated to Argentina in 1812, accompanied by his wife Sarah Phillips and sons Daniel, Thomas and John. He died in 1833 and his wife four years later, on 20 December 1837; both were buried in the family pantheon of La Recoleta Cemetery.