This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: winn Surnames: Bowden, Bowdoin, Baudoin Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.alabama.counties.coffee/3283.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Bowdoin being an allied family and not a direct, I have not done any research and only have that of others. This is available to the public and I hope it will answer your questions. Winnette Stinson The Heritage of Coffee County, AL (pages 113-114) http://www.rootsweb.com/~alcoffee/bowdoin.html BAUDOIN to BOWDOIN A sketch of the Bowdoin Family as it relates to the Coffee Co., Alabama area: The French Huguenot Pierre Baudoin with his wife Elizabeth, sons, James and John and daughters Mary and Elizabeth fled from religious persecution then in effect in France, arriving in Dublin Ireland about 6 July 1682; documented as being in the French immigration colony in Dublin, Ireland 1 April 1638. His function was that of a merchant and owner of the ship John of Dublin and doing business with the British colonies of New England and employment with the Royal Customs of Dublin. In May 1686, he and family departed Wexford aboard the John of Dublin arriving by 9 November 1686 at Salem, Massachusetts. On 2 August 1687, there were indications that the family was on a land claim in Casco Bay (now part of Portland, Maine). Attacks from the French and Indians caused the family to move to Boston, Massachusetts in 1690. Baudoin made his will 16 June 1794, the name then shown as Peter Bowdoin leaving his estate to his family. That he was of the Christian faith is found in his will, i.e.," First and Principally, I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator hoping to receive full pardon and remission of all my sins and salvation through the alone merits of Jesus Christ my Redeemer". Bowdoin's two daughters, Elizabeth Robbins and Mary Boutineau married and had issue. The youngest son James remained in Boston, Massachusetts and became one of the wealthiest men in the Colonies. His son James 11 became the second governor of Massachusetts under statehood. The oldest son, John (Jean in French) left Boston and settled in Northampton Co., Virginia by 1702 or before. James Bowdoin 111, surviving son of the immigrant James, married his first cousin, Sarah Bowdoin, in 1781, leaving no issue and with him the "Northern" Bowdoin male descent ceased. John's property was in Northampton Co., Virginia, where he was a planter and ship owner. He is the source of our "Southern" Bowdoins. Northampton Co., Virginia is on the peninsula, which juts down into the Chesapeake Bay. The Co., seat is at Eastville, Virginia. The old Hungars Episcopal Church is near the Bowdoin former property and is where they attended services. The old church is an historical site. John Bowdoin (1) made his will 20 February 1716 and died in 1717. At death, he could not have been much more than 40 years of age having been about 9 years of age when he came to America with his father's family. In his will, he leaves wife Susannah and daughters, Susannah and Mary and sons Peter and John, Jr. The son Peter is prominently shown in the existing records of Northampton Co., Virginia and surrounding areas, while John, Jr. (his brother), is not shown after his father's will of 1716. Speculation is that he moved with his wife (a Travis?) to King and Queen Co., VA, where all county records were destroyed by fire and from there to Granville Co., NC, or that he died in Northampton Co., Virginia leaving an only son William from whom all our southern Bowdoin's are traced. William Bowdoin of Granville Co., North Carolina died 8 July 1773 leaving issue: (1) William, (2) John, (3) Travis, (4) Sarah and grandson, William, son of Travis. Another grandson of this William! appears to be James Bowdoin, Sr., who would have been about 8 years of age when his grandfather, William, died. James, Sr., married Priscilla Williams in 1785. He died in Monroe Co., Georgia ca 1845. Children of James, Sr., and Priscilla Williams: (1) William b. ca 1786, Granville Co., NC, (2) John b. 1790, NC, (3) James, Jr. b. 1793, SC, (4) Travis b. 1795, (5) Willis b. 1799, SC, (6) Daniel W. b. 1800, SC, (7) Joshua b. 1803, SC and two daughters, Sarah and Nancy. Children of William Bowdoin (No 1 in above sketch) and wife, Martha Smith: (1) William A. b. 1808, (2) Turner b. 1812, (3) Martha Champion b. 1815, (4) Simeon Travis, (5) John W. b. 1820, (6) Alfred Benjamin b. 1822, (7) Mary Jane McCommon b. 1826. Turner Bowdoin, son of William and Martha Smith Bowdoin, was b. 1812, in Putman Co., GA. Turner Bowdoin's wife, Rebecca T. Maddox Bowdoin, was b. in Putnam Co., GA in 1812. The first legal record of Turner Bowdoin being in Coffee Co., AL is a land deed recorded at the courthouse at Elba, AL dated December 16, 1854. The last legal record revealed by research is the sale of land in Coffee County, AL, 8 January 1875, by Turner and Rebecca Bowdoin. These dates place him as a resident of Coffee Co., AL for a period of 20 years. The 1860 census of Coffee Co., AL., shows him as a farmer with real estate value of $6,000 and personal estate of $5, 140. He was a blacksmith, woodworker and farmer and was very industrious and accumulated a great deal of property. He and his family suffered greatly along with all of the South during and following the Civil War. Children of Turner and Rebecca Bowdoin: * (1) Emeline b. 3 September 1832, Monroe Co., GA, d. 18 February 1912, Coffee Co., AL * (2) Eli A. b. 1835, Monroe Co., GA, d. probably in Crenshaw Co., AL * (3) John Franklin b. June 1837, Stewart Co., GA, d. 15 December 1914, Coffee Co., AL * (4) William M. b. June 1837, Stewart County, GA. D. unknown, twin of John Franklin * (5) Daniel T., b. 1840, Stewart Co., GA, d. unknown, Coffee Co., AL * (6) Alfred Benjamin b. 26 October 1842, Stewart Co., GA, d. 14 February 1885, Coffee Co., AL * (7) Octavia b. 1845, Stewart Co., GA, d. 1881, Coffee Co., AL * (8) Candora Thedoream b. 1847, Stewart Co., GA, d. Commanchee, TX * (9) Laura b. 1850 Stewart Co., GA, d. unknown * (10) Clotilda Trambroni b. 1853, Coffee Co., AL, d. unknown. * (11) Nathaniel Robert b. 21 December 1856, Coffee Co., AL, d. 16 March 1882, Smith Co., TX * (12) Rebecca Jane b. 31 January 1859, Coffee County, AL, d. 23 December 1943, Travis Co., TX John Franklin Bowdoin (No 111 in foregoing sketch) married 1860 to Nancy Harper b. 14 February 1840, d. 1 May 1922. He is buried in the Weeks Family Cemetery, southeast of Asbury Church, Coffee Co., AL. Nancy is buried in the Fairview Baptist Church cemetery on the Elba to Samson Road. Many of the issue of John Franklin and Nancy lived their lives in Coffee Co., and most were farmers. John Franklin and Nancy Harper Bowdoin's issue: * (1) William Turner "Bill" b. 3 October 1861, d. 28 April 1940, issue 8 children. Many descendants still reside in Coffee Co., AL. * (2) Eli Ausbon "Bud" b. 8 November 1863, d. 3 October 1931, had three children. * (3) John Thomas b. 29 September 1865, d. 4 August 1945, issue 4 children. * (5) Samson Bell b. 7 November 1868, d. 24 February 1936, issue 15 children. * (6) Nancy Florence (Mixson) b. 18 February 1871, d. 18 February 1953, issue 10 children. * (7) James Edmon b. 24 June 1872, d. 16 February 1925, issue 6 children. * (8) Robert Alfred b. 7 February 1874, d. 12 August 1952, issue 3 children. * (9) Tolbert Franklin b. 22 November 1877, d. 17 July 1951, issue 10 children. * (10) Arthur Daniel b. 15 September 1879, d. 4 June 1961, Elkhart, TX, issue 6 children * (11) Mathey Gordon b. 15 September 1879, d. 4 June 1961, Elkhart, TX, issue none. John Franklin Bowdoin b. June 1837 Stewart Co., GA, son of Turner and Rebecca Bowdoin (see No. 3 in foregoing sketch). A son of John Franklin is James Edmon Bowdoin (wife: Alice Mixon/Mixson No. 7 in sketch). He had a colorful career as a law enforcement officer in California and north and south Florida, and was killed in a shootout with bootleggers on a riverboat on a river in Holmes Co., FL., and is buried in Oakland Cemetery in Tallahassee, FL. A daughter, Three of his daughters were graduates of Florida State College for Women (now FSU). His daughter, Ruby Leigh (R. Lee) was an official of the Lykes Steamship Company and was stationed in New York, NY, in charge of the company's liberty ships transporting supplies to the allied forces in England and Europe during World War 11. She related to this submitter, (a nephew), that a chart was kept as each ship departed the New York harbor and that many were never heard from after their departure, apparently being sunk by Ge! rman submarines which, ultimately, resulted in the loss of the ship and all personnel. Ruby later married Benjamin Bloomfield of the Bloomfield Steamship Lines in Houston, TX. She was also a graduate of the Harvard School of Business Administration. Her sister, Luna, was a professor at Connecticut University at Hartford. Both were natives of Coffee Co., AL. A Bowdoin Family Reunion is held yearly on the first Saturday after the first Sunday in August at the Enterprise Alabama Civic Center. The preponderance of attendance is from the descendants of John Franklin Bowdoin and his wife, Nancy Harper Bowdoin. Lt. Cdr. heads it (Ret), Bernarr McFadden Bowdoin of New Brockton, AL, with the program by Alto Criss Bowdoin. Bernarr is grandson of Sampson Bell Bowdoin, and Alto Criss is grandson of John Thomas Bowdoin (number 111 in preceding sketch). Sources: Bowdoin Family in the US - Marsh (1982); Pedigree of the Family of Bowdoin - Whitmore (1856); New England Historic Genealogical Society records; Court records of Northampton County VA; Archival records of MA, VA, NC, SC, AL and TX; Census records; Personal interviews Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.