The Descendants of Pat Cowan, 1995 Reunion at Geneva,Al
"COWAN", as a surname, first appears in written documents around the middle 1600s in England and Scotland. This is the most common of several variations in spelling the name. Others are Cowen, Cowin, Koen, Kowen and Cown. Other closely related names are McCowan, McGowan, and Calhoun. Even Kirkpatrick and Ingram are closely related.
All these names were associated with the Scottish Clan COLQUHON. Some have suggested that "Cowan" is a derivation of Colquhon. The Clan Colquhon was primarily located in the southwestern Highlands; however, the Cowans seem to have been associated with the Lowlands.
It is most likely from this area that the Cowans left when they participated in the establishment of Ulster Plantation in Ireland. The Scottish settlers, along with lesser numbers of English and Welsh, turned the area into an agricultural wonder, which thrived for almost a century.
By the early 1700s, the political climate had changed drastically and much of the Ulster population became dissatisfied and left for America. Many Cowans are known to have left Ulster and settled in Pennsylvania around 1720.
Many of the American immigrants around this time settled in eastern Pennsylvania for a few years and slowly began a southward movement through Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Georgia.
The Cowan ancestors of John G. Cowan were part of this movement.
The Cowan ancestors discussed here are most surely of ancient Celtic origin, with a small mixture of other early barbaric peoples of Europe. It is thought that the Celtic tribes originated in the Baltic Sea area and a few historians have them descending from the Phoenicians of the Middle East. The Celtic languages are descended from the Indo-European or Aryan languages, as are virtually all the languages of the western world.
The earliest known location of the Celts was around 500 B.C. when they were living mainly in Germany. From there they spread into most of Europe and, especially, the British Isles. These people were identified by their defence of liberty and the readiness to fight fiercely for it. Many of them were wiped out by the Romans and otherwise disappeared, but the ones in the British Isles and Brittany, which is located on the French coast, seemed to remain and prosper.
In the British Isles, some are thought to have mixed with other invading cultures, but those living in parts of Ireland and Lowland Scotland are thought to have remained more like their European ancestors, with only a small amount of inter-cultural mixing. This book concerns the descendants of these people.
Scotland is an ancient land and has been occupied by countless peoples over the centuries. Some of these are legendary and others fact. Since around 1000 A.D., quite accurate records have been kept regarding the history of this land, the Romans named Caledonia.
It has been conquered by about everyone it seems except the Romans. This is probably due to the fact that the Empire was in severe decline by the time they had reached southern Scotland, and the Romans didn't seem to have the stamina or desire to take on those "barbarians", up north, whom they called Picts because they painted their faces. So, they built a wall between them and England, and left it at that.
Groups who long have been associated with Scotland were the Celts, Angles, Saxons, Norsemen, and Scots. Probably those having the most effect on Scotland were the Celtic tribes, who invaded from Ireland about 500 A.D. and later, the Scandinavians. The Highland Scots are thought to be more Scandinavian than the Lowland Scots who are mostly descended from the Ancient Celts, through Ireland.
The Celtic Scots are perhaps the most interesting as far as Cowan history is concerned. Most historians agree that the Scottish ancestors of the Clans, and thus the Cowans, originally lived in Ireland, were called SCOTS, and were of Celtic origin. The Celts were an ancient people and came from the east, to spread over a large part of early Europe.
Around 1000 A.D., the Scottish people began to gather themselves together in related groups called clans. The clans were usually descended from a powerful ancestor, for whom the clan was named. The clans tended to jointly claim certain areas and defended them fiercely.
Clan Colquohon was primarily a Highland clan, but is believed to be the ancestral clan of the Cowan name. "Cowan" is believed to have been derived from "Colquohon". However; most available information seems locate the Cowans in Lowland Scotland, and the Lake District of England. This leaves room for speculation as to why they were not in the Highlands.
Here in the Lowlands of Scotland is found, is a small town named "KirkCowan". The ruins of an ancient church that legend says was burned in the 1400s, and even then, bore the same name, is here. All that remains is one end of a stone building, complete with a door and upper window. It is located in a very old cemetery. The name of the town means "Cowan's Church".
Ireland is perhaps the only country to have the Scotch-Irish Cowan ancestors pass through twice. The people who were called Scots, and gave their name to Scotland, were of Celtic origin and lived in Ireland before claiming Scotland in ancient times.
The island has seen numerous invaders since the arrival of Christianity about 400 A. D., with Saint Patrick. The most notable of these were the Vikings and the Normans and both were eventually absorbed into the Irish culture by about 1400.
When James I became king of England in 1603, he was also James VI of Scotland and a Protestant. Under his rule, a large part of northern Ireland, was acquired from the predominately Catholic Irish and established as Ulster Plantation around 1611.
James was followed by Charles I, who was also Protestant, but in 1865, James II, a Catholic, attempted to convert the country to Catholicism. He never was successful and was eventually defeated by William of Orange, at the Battle of the Boyne.
Following this battle, England began to tighten it's control of Ireland, economically, politically and in matters of religion. The Scotch-Irish grew tired of these intrusions and, around 1720, began the first of many massive immigrations to America.
Before Ulster, Ireland was in a very agriculturally backward condition. With the beginning of Ulster, the Irish, who were not loyal to the Crown, were pushed to the south and the land was offered to the Scotch, Welsh and English, and to a lesser extent, Loyal Irish, who established very productive farms there. The average Lowland Scots, however, ended up as tenants on land they could not own.
When the, mainly Catholic, former residents were forced south into the rest of Ireland, a conflict was started that has continued for hundreds of years.
With the establishment of Ulster, and subsequent Scotch emigration, the Cowans had an opportunity of returning to the home of their ancestors, and immediately swarmed into this area, which was less than 50 miles across the sea from the Scottish Lowlands where the Cowans were living. In time, these people became known as Scotch-Irish.
Within a hundred years or so, the dream had faded and the farmers were forced to sell their produce to England, not wherever they wished. With this as the main factor, droves of these Scotch-Irish left for America and a new dream....land of their own.
The name "Scotch-Irish" refers to these Scotsmen who resettled in Northern Ireland and later moved on to other areas, mainly America.
It is not known how many Cowans went to Northern Ireland, But within a hundred years at least 12 are recorded as leaving County Down and immigrating to Pennsylvania. The name is still very common both as a surname and geographical locations in Northern England and Scotland.Many Scotch-Irish immigrants of the 1720's came in through Philadelphia and originally settled in inland Pennsylvania.
The Cowan immigrants discussed in this book, were part of this general movement and settled just west of Philadelphia, in what is now Lancaster and Chester Counties. Most of them were not to dwell there long.
At this point, a little must be said regarding the general population movements in Eastern America. The English occupied mainly the eastern coastal areas and along the larger waterways, leaving the inland areas mainly to the Indians. Not much was known of the areas beyond the mountains and south of the Great Lakes area.
The French and English had ventured into the Mid West via the northern route, mainly north of Pennsylvania and the English were in the far south coastal areas. This left most of the country west of the Appalachian Mountains an unexplored wilderness. There was really no known way of crossing the mountains except to use the northern route or to come up from the south. The Indians were the only people with suitable knowledge to live and move about in the mountains.
With the Coast occupied mainly by the English and the impassable mountains by the Indians, the newer arrivals, which included the Scotch-Irish, headed inland. A great majority of these immigrants, having come in through Philadelphia and Baltimore, headed into Pennsylvania. When this area began to fill, the movement redirected southerly into the Great Valley of Virginia. This is a broad valley, nearly 500 miles long, leading from Pennsylvania to Tennessee. It is located between the Blueridge to the east and the wider expanse of the Appalachians to the west and today is partially known as the Shenandoah Valley. Over a period of approximately 125 years the settlers slowly migrated southward through Virginia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and then headed west. These were people always on the frontier.
In this process, gaps were found in the mountains and people began spilling into the areas to the west. The biggest opening came by way of Cumberland Gap in Southern Virginia. It was through this area that Daniel Boone carved out the famous Wilderness Road, which funneled untold thousands of pioneers into the West.
This section relies heavily on the work presented by Rev. John Fleming in his book, THE COWANS FROM COUNTY DOWN.
The Cowan family in Southeast Alabama has always had a tradition that four Cowan brothers emigrated from Ireland to America. Mr Flemming found evidence that four Cowan men had indeed immigrated into Pennsylvania about 1720. All these had emigrated from Newry in County Down, Ireland. The four were brothers: David, Hugh, John and William Cowan. They were joined by seven others in 1726.
The second group were also brothers: Andrew, David, James, John, Matthew, Samuel and William Cowan.
There was a Samuel Cowan who some think was the father of these seven brothers. He lived and died in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Not much else is known about him.
Another emigrant of the same general time, Robert Cowan, is thought to be closely related to both groups of brothers.
The seven brothers apparently were passengers on a ship commanded by Richard Walker.
After years of exhaustive research, the writer is convinced that the Cowans of Southeast Alabama are descended from Immigrant James Cowan, one of the seven brothers. From here, we will concentrate on this man and his descendants.
These Cowan Immigrants followed the population movement through Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Some of their offspring continued the southern trek into Georgia, Alabama, and then westward into Mississippi, Texas and beyond.
At least two of these cowan families moved into Erwinton, (present Eufaula, AL) in the 1840's and are responsible for many of the Cowans now in Southeast AL and adjoining states.
James Cowan was born around 1719 and most likely in County Down, Ireland. This would mean he was a very small child when he emigrated from Ireland with his six brothers and settled in Chester County Pennsylvania. The writer believes, that for children this young to cross the Atlantic, they must have had parents along. There were other unidentified Cowans living in Pennsylvania at this time, but enough information to tie the seven brothers to parents hasn't been found.
James is found paying taxes in Chichester Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania for 1739. All the Cowans did not remain in Pennsylvania, for in 1750, six of the seven immigrants were living in Augusta County, Virginia. Author F. B. Kegley in KEGLEY'S VIRGINIA FRONTIER supplies the following:
James Cowan's first wife, whom he married in Pennsylvania and whose name is unknown, died sometime during his residency in Virginia. They had three children:
It's recorded that two of James Cowan's children were baptized at Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church in Augusta County, Virginia in 1746 and 1748. These were Andrew and Mary and are of the correct age to be siblings of James' son, John Cowan. Their true relationship is open to speculation.
John Cowan later played an important roll in South Carolina and became the progenitor of thousands.
James Cowan, along with at least his son John, and brother, Andrew, moved into Old Ninety Six District South Carolina in the late 1760's.
In the late 1760's some of the immigrant Cowan brothers moved from the Great Valley of Virginia into Old Ninety Six District, South Carolina. James Cowan, his son John by his deceased wife, and John's wife, Margaret, were among those to make the move. The immigrant, Andrew apparently moved there for a time, but it appears he and all the brothers except James, went back to Southwest Virginia.
Another significant family moving into South Carolina at this time was the Michael Woods family. They had been living in the same area of Virginia as the Cowan brothers.
On December 24, 1767, James Cowan married Hannah, the sister of Michael Woods Jr. on the same day Michael married his second wife.
James and Hannah probably had four children:
All were born in Old 96 District, South Carolina.
James Cowan's name appears on maps of the Revolutionary War era for that part of South Carolina. He accumulated over 600 acres of land and was still living as late as 1798, for he received a tract of land that year. The Census of 1810 listed his wife, Hannah, as a Head of Household. He had died sometime between 1798 and 1810.
James Cowan's son, John had married his wife, Margaret, in Augusta County Virginia sometime before 1762. They are found selling 179 acres in Albermarle County, Virginia on October 12, 1762. They also appeared in South Carolina in the late 1760's.
John acquired the rank of Captain during the Revolutionary War and operated a ferry across the Savannah River just north of present day, Augusta, GA. There are many records of his ferrying military personnel and supplies during the war. This was known as Cowan's Ferry and John owned land on both sides of the river, in both, South Carolina and Georgia.
John and Margaret raised 7 children:
John Archibald
James Samuel
Susan Mary
Eleanor
John and Margaret moved across the river to Georgia with their family, and lived the rest of their lives there. His will shows that he owned property on both sides of the river. This could possibly have been in connection with the ferry. John Cowan died in 1792. His will was probated in Ninety Six District, South Carolina on September 12, 1792 Margaret's death or either's burial site.
John and Margaret's son, John was born on August 31, 1770. Nine years later on March 6, 1779, Susanna Glover was born in North Carolina; probably Stokes County, since her parent's marriage records are there. Her father, John Glover, a Revolutionary War veteran moved into Old 96 District while she was a very young girl. It is here on coming of age, she married John Cowan and had a son.
John Glover Cowen, born 3 February 1806
This is the John Glover Cowen (He used the Cowen spelling all his life.) that later moved into Barbour County, Alabama in the early 1840's.
Two other children were born to John and Susannah while living in South Carolina, They were:
Sarah P. Cowan Born 1 October 1808
Samuel Cowan Born 1 January 1810
Not much is found regarding John Cowan's church affiliation in South Carolina, however it is known that Susannah was affiliated with the Church of Christ in early life. She was an extremely dedicated Christian all her life, and at least two of her sons , John Glover Cowen and Franklin Cowan were to become ministers. There is no way of knowing if this was a result of a dedicated mother or father or both.
All of John Cowan's and Susanna Glover's children accompanied them when they moved to Georgia around 1811. This could have been in mid 1811, because their son, Franklin was born in Georgia in 1812 and John Cowan was buying land in Putnam County in October 1811.
There was a John G Cowen who immigrated into coastal South Carolina in 1670. His first land was granted by the Crown of England, so he must have come from England. He eventually accumulated around 3500 acres of land on St. Helens Island.
This family appeared in records of this area for several generations and then disappeared. About this time there was a large movement to upper South Carolina. This is also about the time the Cowans from Virginia were moving into that area. Our John Glover Cowen used the Cowen spelling all his life!
The first record of John and Susannah Cowan, and their families, in Georgia appears in land records of Putnam County, where, in 1811, John Cowan is found buying the first of at least two pieces he bought while living there. There could have been more, but records haven't been found.
On October 14, 1811, John Cowan is shown paying $100 to John Reid for property his mother, Courtney had drawn in the land lottery. This property was described as being Putnam County land lot 252, consisting of 202 1/2 acres, and lying on both sides of Crooked Creek.
On June 30, 1812, John Cowan is shown paying to Jesse Lisle, $100 for the same piece of property. The previously mentioned Courtney Reid was the mother in law of Jesse Lisle. The price paid for this property is extremely low, when compared with the going price of land at that time. Also, there is no explanation why he paid two different people at different times for this property.
On May 5, 1819, John Cowan paid $52 for 6 acres of land at a sheriff's sale. This piece was also lying on Crooked Creek and joined the land John had previously bought. Although he was the high bidder and paid for the land in 1819, it was not recorded until January 21, 1821, at the time John and family were moving to Crawford County.
In addition to the three children, John, Sarah and Samuel, who were born in South Carolina, John and Susannah had another son, born here in Putnam County, Georgia.
John Franklin Cowan Born 7 March, 1812
At the same time the cowans were moving into the Crooked Creek area of Putnam County, a small Primitive Baptist Church was being formed. Since these were among the very first white settlers in this area, it is rather certain that the Cowans were instrumental in establishing the church. It was located very near their property, on Crooked Creek. This church was visited in 1993 and found to be still active and immaculately maintained. Although there is an ancient cemetery there, no Cowans are suspected of being buried there.
Another important family is found on land immediately adjacent to the Cowans. This is the family of John Glover. The writer strongly feels that this man was the father of Susannah Glover. Since both John Cowan and John Glover were found a few years later together in Crawford County, and these two were selling out in Putnam about the same time, there is no doubt that these two men are the John Glover, originally from North Carolina, and his son in law John Cowan, who was a grandson of James Cowan, the immigrant. Records indicate that John Cowan and John Glover actually owned a piece of land jointly. No record is found of them buying it, but January 1, 1821, they jointly sell to Benjamin Williamson 88 acres of land lot 233. On the same date, John Cowan singularly sells to Benjamin Williamson 111 acres of land lot 252. This land is described as bordering on Glover and Cowan on the west and Cowan on the south. This seems to suggest that John Cowan retained part of land lot 252 and some of the land jointly held with John Glover. No disposition of this remaining land has so far been found.
Another interesting name shows up with Cowan and Glover, that of John Woods, who owned land all around the Cowans and Glovers. He is shown Witnessing some land transactions involving Cowan and Glover. The Woods family moved from Virginia with the Cowans into Old 96 District, South Carolina. This John Woods, in 1821, along with the John Cowan and John Glover families, moved to Crawford County.
John Glover Cowen was born on February 3,1806 in Abbeville District, SC. He most likely married Mary Cooper(?) in Crawford County Georgia.
Not much has been found about the Cowans in Crawford County, except that Susannah Glover Cowan, wife of John Cowan, lived there for a while. Their daughter Sarah P. was married there to Samuel McBride in 1825, so it is assumed that sometime between 1821 and 1825, John Cowan and family lived there.
The ages of John and Susannah Cowan's children, when they arrived in Crawford County, would have been approximately:
John Glover Cowen. 16 years
Sarah P. Cowan. 14 years
Samuel Cowan. 12 years
John Franklin Cowan.10 years
These ages are based on the assumption they moved to Crawford County immediately after selling out in Putnam County in 1822.
The John Glover Family also moved into Crawford County the same time as the Cowans. Besides the daughter, Susannah, who was married, the Glovers brought two sons:
Milton Glover. Age unknown
William Glover. Age unknown
John Glover was a wealthy man, acquiring much money, land and many slaves. He also gave half of the land for Mt. Paran Church and cemetery. On the East side of the Church, are several graves in a family plot. All are unmarked except for John Glover's. It has a Revolutionary War marker.
John Franklin Cowan was a minister and married three times:
Mary Rousseau in 1843
Amanda Cabiness in 1851
Frances Johnson in 1861
He died on August 16, 1868 in Stewart Co. GA.
Stewart County was created in 1830, from part of what had been Randolph County, for only a short time. Randolph was created in 1828 and only 2 years later, on December 20, 1830, Stewart was formed from the northern part of Randolph.
This new land became available as a result of a treaty with the Creek Indians whereby they gave up claim to all lands east of the Chattahoochee River. This land was settled by a land lottery held in 1827, which was the procedure used to distribute newly obtained land to the settlers.
It is not known for sure whether or not the Cowan ancestors who lived here won any of the lotteries, but two Cowan Families were living here in 1829. The spelling of "Cowan/Cowen" seems to vary and is maintained as found in all documents.
The Head of Family for the first was John Cowen. His 1830 U.S. Census record for Randolph County is as follows:
John Cowen Head of Household Age 50-60 Yrs.
1 Female Age 50-60 Yrs.
1 Male Age 15-20 Yrs.
2 Males Age 20-30 Yrs.
1 Female Slave Age 10-24 Yrs.
That this is the John Cowan Family who moved from Putnam County via Crawford County, is substantiated by the following:
If the birth information from later U.S. Censuses, family marriage records and Franklin Cowan's family Bible is added to the 1830 U.S. Census of Randolph County, the following information results:
John Cowen Husband 60 Yrs.
Susannah Glover Wife 51 Yrs.
John G Cowen * Son 24 Yrs.
Samuel Cowan Son 20 Yrs.
John Franklin Cowan Son 18 Yrs.
John G. Cowen (*) appears to have been listed with his father, since he was newly married and probably was living with his parents.
Comparison of the two lists above will show them to match perfectly. There is a missing daughter of this family, who married while they were in Crawford County, and remained there. She was Sarah P. and she married Samuel McBride.
John G. Cowen is also listed separately in the U.S. Census for Randolph County. His listing is as follows:
John G. Cowen Head Of Household Age 20-30 Yrs.
1 Female Age 20-30 Yrs.
1 Male Age Under 5 Yrs.
If this record is compared with the 1840 U.S. Census for Stewart County and the 1850 U.S. Census for Barbour County, AL, (where they were living in those respective years) the following can be deduced:
John G. Cowen Husband 24 Yrs.
Mary ? Cowen Wife 22 Yrs.
George Cowan Son 1 Yrs.
This leaves no doubt that these are the same Cowen Families that left Abbeville District County, SC just before 1812 and moved progressively to Putnam County, GA, Crawford County, GA and now settling in Stewart County, GA.
As I have shown, there were only two John Cowen/Cowans living in Randolph/Stewart County around 1830.
On March 30, 1829, a John N Cowen was acting as a Justice of the Inferior Court (JIC) of Randolph County. Since there were only two men by this name in the county, and the other is known to be John G. Cowen, this John N Cowen must be the same as the John Cowen listed in the Census records and the father of John G. Cowen.
This same John N Cowen is again found presiding over Inferior Court on April 16, 1831. John G. Cowen is found as a Grand Juror at the same time.
The Cowen families were very active in the founding and operating of Randolph and early Stewart Counties.
The following Cowens were appointed to "mark out" new roads in 1831:
John G Cowen
Franklin Cowen
Samuel Cowen
These are the three sons of John N Cowen
In 1836, John G. Cowen bought property in District 22 of Stewart County as follows:
The seller was William Wardlow of Harris County, GA. This was recorded on May 4, 1836. The Testator was Franklin Cowan.
Lot 117, consisting of 202 1/2 acresThe seller is unknown. The Testator was again, Franklin Cowan.
The original land lottery lots in Georgia were of this unusual size of 202 1/2 acres.
Summer Hill Church
The Cowan families have always seemed to remain true to their Scottish heritage and maintain deep religious convictions which always centered their lives around their churches.
Here, in Stewart County, as in all the other frequent frontier moves, the Cowens helped establish Summer Hill Baptist Church in District 22 of Stewart County. It was Instituted in 1837 as a Primitive Baptist Church, but later changed to a Missionary Baptist Church. This was a result of a split in the Baptist Denomination in those days toward a stronger missionary ministry. This Church was very near where the Cowens lived. There was a cemetery associated with it and this is where the early Cowens who died in Stewart County were buried.
Author's Personal Note
aaaSummer Hill Church was of great significance to the early Cowans living in Stewart County and a great deal of time has been spent researching it by the author.
Allow me the pleasure of sharing my personal interest in this church with you, in the first person. In the late 1980's several trips were made to the area looking for the old church, which had been referenced in two history books of that area. Finally, with the help of a local Black lady, whose back yard I found myself in one day, I walked right to it. What had, in Civil War days, been in an open area, was now lost in a large hardwood forest. Only the foundation of dirt and a few handmade bricks remained, but I was able to locate four large oaks that had obviously been planted in an arc around the front of the building. At the time, all four were still living.
The old cemetery was located a few hundred feet from the building site and after a few walk-throughs, I discovered many of the original graves, complete with wrought iron fences and gates. I had seen none of this on my previous trips here. Imagine, if you will, my elation discovering a neatly contoured ditch all around the cemetery that,I assume, was a "moat" to keep wandering animals out!
This wooded area appears to cover more than 20 acres and I was able to find several recent burials and one whole section of graves moved here when Lake Eufaula was built. The part where the Summer Hill Cemetery is located is in an advanced state of abandonment and it is doubtful it will remain visible much longer.
This church was dissolved and sold in 1905 and became a Black school for many years. In 1853, another Baptist church was founded only a few miles away in the 13th District of Stewart County and given the same name. It still exists today.
A local resident of the area informed me that the Black Masonic Building had been constructed from the lumber of the original church. An investigation showed the exterior of the building to be large random sized pine boards, exactly the type shown in an early photo of the original church.
The U.S. Census for Stewart County in 1840 listed the following Cowans in Stewart County:
John Cowen Head of Household Age 70-80 Yrs. 1 Female Age 60-70 Yrs 1 Female Slave Age unknown John G. Cowen Head of Household Age 30-40 Yrs. 1 Female Age 30-40 Yrs 1 Male Age 10-15 Yrs 2 Females Age 5-10 Yrs 1 Male Age under Yrs Franklin Cowen Head of Household Age 20-30 YrsUsing the 1850 U.S. Census for Barbour Co, AL and records from Franklin Cowen's Family Bible, the above information can be improved as follows:
John Cowen Head Of Household Age 70 Yrs. Susannah Glover Cowen Wife Age 61 Yrs 1 Female Slave Age unknown John G. Cowen Head of Household Age 34 Yrs Mary ? Cowen Wife Age 32 Yrs. George Cowen Son Age 10 Yrs. Narcissa Cowen Daughter Age 7 Yrs. Mary Cowen Daughter Age 6 Yrs. Samuel Cowen Son Age 4 Yrs. Franklin Cowen Head of Household Age 28 Yrs. Mary Rouseau Cowen Wife Age 21 Yrs.These are all offspring of John Cowan and Susannah Glover who met and married in Abbeville District, SC in the early 1800's. This John Cowan was the son of John Cowan and wife, Margaret ? who ran the ferry across the Savannah River during the American Revolution.
The latter John Cowan was the son of the Immigrant James Cowan and his first wife.
Both John G. Cowen and his brother Franklin owned four wheeled carriages, as listed in the 1841 Tax Digest of Stewart County. These were luxury items and only a few were listed. In this listing, John G. Cowen is shown as "John G. Cowen, Dr." It is known that both these men were ministers of The Gospel, which was usually designated as: John G. Cowen, MG. Just what the title of "Dr." meant is unknown. No reference has been seen of this man being a medical doctor, however in a couple of years, John G. Cowen is found in Barbour County, AL, and in close association with William Cowan, who is a medical doctor in Eufaula. In an Alabama newspaper wedding announcement, Franklin is referred to as Franklin Cowen Esq.
Thus far, we have covered James Cowan and some of his offspring, from immigration into Pennsylvania around 1720 until 1841 in Stewart County, Georgia.
In 1845, John G. Cowen and some other Cowens are found in Barbour County, AL.
Franklin Cowen remained in Stewart County for the rest of his life and is buried at the old Summer Hill Cemetery in District 22. He owned land in Barbour Co., AL for awhile and possibly could have lived there briefly, then returning to Stewart Co. Franklin had the following families:
Franklin Cowan married: Mary Rousseau May 23, 1832 on a return visit to Putnam County. They had the following children: Martha Ann Cowen Born Nov 26, 1840 John Randolph Cowen Born Oct 5, 1842 Andrew Jackson Cowan Born Mar 25, 1844 Mary Ann Cowen Born Jan 18, 1846 Virginia Cowen Born Oct 23, 1847 Benjamin Franklin Cowan Born Aug 28, 1849 Mary Rousseau died on Sept 22, 1849 Franklin Cowen remarried: Amanda Cabiness Jan 5, 1851 in Stewart Co., GA They raised Amanda's children: Georgia V. Cabiness Stepchild Willie L. Cabiness Stepchild No further reference to Amanda is found. Franklin Cowen remarried: Frances Doyle Johnson May 15, 1860 in Milledgeville, GA They had the following children: Sarah Frances Cowan Born Feb 17, 1861 Stewart Jackson Cowan Born ??? ??, 1863Franklin Cowen remained in Stewart County for the remainder of his life and died there Aug 16, 1868. He is buried in the old Summerhill Cemetery in District 22.Franklin Cowen's son, John R. Cowan married Mary Hill on Oct 8, 1865, and moved to Baconton Ga. They will be covered in another chapter.
Franklin Cowen's daughter, Virginia married George Williford on Dec 17, 1872.
Franklin Cowen's son, Stewart Jackson, married Fannie Webb on Feb 24, 1885. This family migrated back to the Milledgeville, GA area, and is covered in another chapter.
COWANS IN ALABAMA
Barbour County
Sometime between 1840 and 1842, John Cowan and his wife Susannah, along with John G. Cowen, his wife Mary and their first five children left their land in Stewart County, GA and moved directly across the Chattahoochie River into Barbour County, Alabama. They appeared in the federal census for Stewart County, Georgia for 1840, but then there is a record of John G. Cowen being ordained as a minister of the Gospel in the Primitive Baptist Church in Barbour County, on 21 June, 1845. The presbytery consisted of Jesse Tomlin, P.H. Edwards and Willis S. Jarrell. Since the census in Stewart County, GA was taken during early summer, he had to have become a resident of Alabama between mid 1840 and June, 1845.
John G. Cowen and his wife Mary, brought their five children, born in Stewart County, Georgia, along with them, to Barbour County, Alabama. They were:
George Cowan......Born 1830 Narcissa Cowan....Born 1833 Mary A. E. Cowan..Born 1834 Samuel Cowan......Born 1836 John C. Cowan.....Born 1841Also living with or nearby to John G. Cowen in Barbour County was his mother, Susannah. She died there. No mention has been found of his father, John Cowen living in Barbour County. However, there is possible evidence he owned land there.
Three more children were added to the family while in Barbour County. They were:
Joshua Lawrence Willingham Cowan...Born James Cowan........................Born Franklin Cowan.....................BornIt should be noted that all the children of John G. Cowen changed the spelling of Cowen to the more popular, Cowan. It is not known why or when John G. took the Cowen spelling; however one map shows the COWEN Ferry across the Savannah River. This was owned by his grandfather. The Cowen spelling shows up in England and Scotland, and at least one John Cowen immigrated into South Carolina in 1670. John G. is most assuredly related to the COWANS who immigrated into Pennsylvania around 1720.
John G. Cowen obtained at least two pieces of property; the first described as:
100 acres more or less, lying in the North part of the S.W. one fourth of section 13, Township Twelve, Range Twenty nine. This was bought from Franklin Cowan, brother of John G., and Samuel and Mary McBride. This sale was dated December 6, 1850, and the selling price was four hundred dollars.
The second was described as:
160 acres lying in the North West quarter of section twenty four, Township twelve and Range twenty nine. This was bought from John Cooper (I think this was John G.'s father in law), for the sum of one hundred and seventy two dollars and fifty cents. The sale date was December 23, 1850.
This property is located just a few miles north of Eufaula, Alabama, near what is now known as highway 165. John G. obviously owned other property, as he had moved into this county six to eight years earlier.
At this time there was already a very influential Cowan living in Barbour County. He was Dr. William Cowan, a physician, who was born in Tennessee, in 1807. He and his wife, Ann Pugh, had a large family, as follows:
Maldonetta Cowan... Born 1837, in AL Laura J. Cowan..... Born 1839, in AL James Cowan........ Born 1840, in AL Mary Cowan......... Born 1842, in AL Ann Cowan.......... Born 1844, in AL Emilly Cowan....... Born 1846, in AL Rosa Cowan......... Born 1848, in AL Willie Cowan....... Born 1851(7), in ALDr. William Cowan died in Eufaula, AL, in 1859, and is buried in the city cemetery.
It is not known if there was any direct family relationship between Dr. Cowan and John G. Cowen, but they obviously knew each other well because John G. Cowen performed the wedding for one of Dr. Cowan's daughters. It is the unproven feeling of the writer that they previously knew each other, and maybe were cousins. Dr. Cowan was born in northeast Tennessee very near to where relatives of the Abbeville District Cowans were living in southwest Virginia.
Dr William Cowan lived a long life as a practicing physician and his children seem to have gone many different directions.
In the 1850 Federal Census, John G. Cowen was still in Barbour County and the following family information was listed:
John G. Cowan Preacher Age 44 Mary Wife Age 42 George Son Age 20 Naracisa Daughter Age 17 Mary Daughter Age 16 Samuel Son Age 14 John C. Son Age 9 Joshua Son Age 6 James Son Age 3 Franklin Son Age 1John's mother, Susannah died in Barbour county in 1845.
GENEVA COUNTY
As shown previously, the Cowans were found in Barbour County as late as 1850. After years of searching, I have failed to find any trace of them during the 20 years, from 1850 until 1870, except for numerous Civil War records. Geneva County was formed from Coffee County in 1867, and several of the Cowans enlisted in the Civil War from Coffee County. It is assumed they were living in that county, and quite possibly the same part that became Geneva County, where several of them (one exception was Joshua) were found in 1870. Joshua, with a large family, was found there in 1880. It is also assumed that they were simply missed in the 1860 census.
In 1870, the Cowans were living next to the Leddon family, just south of Geneva, AL, on the Pea River.
Three families involving Cowans were there in the 1870 census:
The first listed is John G. Cowan and family.
John G. Cowan Farmer Age 64 Mary Wife Age 62 Mary A.E. Leddon Female Age 35 Mary P. Leddon Female Age 12 Nancy M.G. Leddon Female Age 11 Amanda V. Leddon Female Age 9 John Virginia Leddon Male Age 8 Nancy C. Leddon Female Age 4At this time, all the children of John and Mary were grown and on their own, with the exception of Mary A.E. Leddon. She was the widow of Alfred Leddon, who had died as a result of the Civil War. She and her five children came home to live with John and Mary.
The next listed is the Francis Cowan family.
Francis Cowan Farmer Age 21 Cherry Cowan Wife Age 24 John E. Cowan Son Age 1This Francis Cowan is the youngest of John and Mary's children.
The third family is that of George W. Leddon
George W. Leddon Farmer Age 26 Margaret Wife Age 24 Samuel Jesse Cowan Stepson Age 6 George W. Leddon Jr. Son Age 3George's wife Margaret, was the widow of Samuel Cowan and Samuel Jesse was their son. Samuel was the fifth child of John G. Cowan and Mary. Samuel and George were in the Civil War together. Samuel was killed.
George's brother, Alfred was married to Samuel's sister, Mary.
Alfred was also killed in the war.
These people all lived just southwest of Geneva on the far side of Pea River. Here, is located the remains of the earliest Cowan graves in the county. Only one grave marker is now visible, the Civil War marker of Joshua Lawrence Willingham Cowan, my Great Grandfather.
Joshua was the first of his siblings to be born in Alabama. He was born in Barbour County in 1844, and after serving in the Civil War, married Catrine Leddon and lived in Geneva County for the remainder of his life.
Joshua and Catrine had the following census record for 1880:
Lawrence W. Head of Household Age 35 Cathrine J. Wife Age 45? George L. Son Age 16 James P. J. A. Son Age 13 Giles F. Son Age 10 Francis M. Son Age 7 John A. Son Age 4All their children were born in Alabama.
Some of these names are interesting, when compared with previous census and other records. This family frequently gave children multiple names, utilizing both father and mother family names. The following names are the same people:
Joshua is the same person as Lawrence W. The complete birth name was Joshua Lawrence Willingham Cowan.
George L. is seen other places as George R. He probably had the birth name of George L.R. Cowan.
The prince of names was James P.J.A. Cowan. He was my grandfather and was always called "Pat", but it was "known" that his real name was John Patrick Cowan! My father was John Patrick Cowan Jr. However; his legal name became J.P.Cowan. Wow!
Francis and Cherry Cowan had the following family in 1880:
Marion F. Cowan Farmer Age 31 Cherry Wife Age 35 Giles ? Son Age 11 Mary A. Daughter Age 6 Lilly B. Daughter Age 4 Lenora A.? Daughter Age 1Francis and Marion F.Cowan are the same person; the youngest of John G.Cowan's children.
Samuel Jessy Cowan was listed in 1880 by himself,as:
Jesse Cowan No Occupation Age 17After 1880, Geneva County is covered on a separate page:
"COWANS IN GENEVA COUNTY, ALABAMA"The Civil War is covered on a separate page:
"COWANS IN THE CIVIL WAR"