Mr. W. Bower was the resident minister at St Paul’s from Easter 1875 to September 1877.
Mr Bower previously served as the Assistant Minister of St. Luke’s Protestant Episcopal Church (P. E. C.) in Philadelphia before going to St Paul’s on South Bass. In the “Memoirs of the Reformed Episcopal Church, and of the Protestant Episcopal Church” by (Col) Benjamin Aycrigg, it says Mr Bower withdrew from the ministry of the P. E. C., on February 17th 1875 and joined the ministry of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC).
Mr Bower came to relieve Mr Weldon who was in a period of failing health again. Mr. Bower, who had just joined the R. E. C., was invited, to become the island’s resident minister. He began his service on Easter 1875. ” At the Parish meeting the next day… .it was resolved unanimously that the Parish….be known as the Reformed Episcopal Church of Put-in-Bay.”
Mr Bower left Put-In-Bay and returned to London, Ohio according to the September 29th 1877 edition of “The Churchman” (Episcopal News Magazine)
The Episcopal Church records list Rev. Bower as the Rector of an Episcopal church in Pomeroy, Ohio from 1881-1883 indicating he, like many other who left for the REC had returned to the PEC.