Bowen Marsh

Bowen Marsh is the Lord Steward of the Night's Watch and a character from a A Song of Ice and Fire and its TV series adaptation Game of Thrones. During most of the series he's a supporting character, loyal and friendly, until the end of the fifth book.

In the TV series he's portrayed by Michael Condron.

Background
Bowen Marsh serves as the First Steward of the Night's Watch at Castle Black. He is a crannogman from the Neck and a member of House Marsh. As First Steward he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the Night's Watch, dealing with issues of supplies, funding, logistics and communications. He has a mind for counts and measures. Eddison Tollett calls him "the Old Pomegranate".

A Game of Thrones
Bowen is one of the guests at the dinner organized by the Lord Commander Jeor Mormont on the eve of Tyrion Lannister's departure. He's friendly to Tyrion like every other officer at the table of the Great Hall and enjoys his jokes, and watches Ser Alliser Thorne arguing with Tyrion.

When the new recruits join the Night's Watch, Maester Aemon orders Pyp to report to Bowen Marsh in the kitchens.

Bowen and other black brothers accompany the new stewards, Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly, beyond the Wall where they pronounce their vows in the weirwood circle in the haunted forest.

A Clash of Kings
When Lord Commander Mormont goes beyond the Wall for the great ranging, the biggest ranging in living memory consisting of near a third of the Night's Watch's strength. While Ser Alliser Thorne goes to King's Landing with Othor's hand, Bowen Marsh is named castellan of Castle Black and Ser Endrew Tarth comes from the Shadow Tower to train the new recruits.

A Storm of Swords
Not knowing that Renly Baratheon is already dead, Bowen sends an appeal to the five kings, in which he asks Joffrey Baratheon, Robb Stark, Stannis Baratheon, and Balon Greyjoy to send men to defend the Wall and the realm against an expected attack by Mance Rayder's wildlings. He also tells them about the possible death of Lord Commander Mormont during the Great Ranging. When Grand Maester Pycelle informs Lord Tywin Lannister about the letter, the Hand of the King is annoyed about the neutrality the Night's Watch keeps in the War of the Five Kings and suggests that no help will be sent until a Lannister ally has been installed as new Lord Commander and brings discipline back to the Wall. Pycelle suggests Janos Slynt for the position, angering Tyrion Lannister, who reminds his father that he was against a butcher's son holding Harrenhal, but Tywin instead thinks Slynt would be a good tool for them to have an ally at the Wall. Ignoring Tyrion's protests that the black brothers chose their own commander and direct support for Slynt would thus be unwise, Tywin orders Pycelle to write a letter to Marsh in the name of King Joffrey, in which the demand for men is rejected for the time being but the "fondest regards to his faithful friend and servant Lord Janos Slynt" are also expressed.

After Jeor Mormont's death at Craster's Keep, only a small group of survivors return from great ranging. Bowen acts in command of the Night's Watch until the election of the new Lord Commander. The Wall is invaded by the wildlings and warbands are spotted at every abandoned castle at the Wall. Jarman Buckwell and his squad return from the great ranging and report that they saw Jon Snow mooving freely in one of the wildling parties.

The wildlings are attacking the Gift and thanks to Jon Snow, who left Styr's wildling party, the population of Mole's Town evacuate, with many of them running to Castle Black. Mance plans to draw away most of the warriors garrisoned at Castle Black as a bait and Bowen takes the bait when the wildling known as The Weeper is spotted near the Shadow Tower with 300 wildlings. Bowen names the extremely old Ser Wynton Stout castellan of Castle Black, and takes with him the nest warriors in the garrison and some other men, including Dolorous Edd, to help the garrison of the Shadow Tower. Wynton is old and senile, so the de facto leader of Castle Black is Donal Noye.

During the Battle of Castle Black, Mance's diversion lead Bowen to the Bridge of Skulls, where he faces the Weeper in a bloody battle during the Fight at the Bridge of Skulls. Black Brothers from Castle Black and the Shadow Tower take part in the battle, among them Bowen Marsh, Ser Denys Mallister, Ser Endrew Tarth, Jarman Buckwell, Ser Aladale Wynch, Maester Mullin, Wallace Massey, Eddison Tollett, Dywen, Bedwyck, Watt of Long Lake, and many others in a force of about 400 men.

The battle is bloody and 100 brothers are slain, including Endrew, Aladale, Jarman, and Watt. The wildling casualties are significant, but the Weeper survives and flees with the rest of his warrior band.

After the Fight at the Bridge of Skulls, Bowen Marsh is seriously wounded in the battle and has to be carried to the Shadow Tower in a litter. This delays the return of the garrison to Castle Black, which is under assault from the main wildling force commanded by Mance.