Thanks,JM,for the hard work, but, yes, he was the Risdon Cove man, the initial settlement of VDL in 1803. I have checked the Cols Secs Index, negative, Have checked Sydney Gazette 1807-1809 only 4 hits and all William Bowen, and the others were too early- Catherine and John Bowen married in Manchester in 1807, so if the John Bowen who died in Sydney 1809 was the same man they only arrived 1807-1809. Don't spend too much time on this-it is only a wild speculation on my part based on connecting 3 completely separate records, linked only by the double use of the names Catharine and Mcnally and the double use of the name Bowen within the appropriate time frame, stimulated by the fact that the original birth record in 1781 was for "Cathrina" which is a nice portmanteau of Catharine and Christina. But if it grabs you too, any help is gratefully received!
David